High Atlas Mntns, Ait ben Haddou, and Quarzazate

Trip Start Aug 27, 2004
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Trip End Jan 24, 2005


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Sunday, October 24, 2004

Driving from Marrakech into the High Atlas Mountains feels like a vertical ascension. The roads are narrow and winding and the bus was cramped, but it was worth it to get to Ait Ben Haddou.
Ait Ben Haddou is a Berber village that surpasses description. It rises up from the ground like a desert vision, and from afar it appears to be either a fortress city or a movie set. In reality it more closely resembles the latter, even though it is really a kasbah (which is Berber for "palace"). Lawrence of Arabia, the Jewel of the Nile, and Gladiator all used this diamond in the rough to film certain scenes. You can clearly see the city in Gladiator, and the Berber family who we joined for tea showed us pictures of themselves with some of the actors and animals.
Quarzazate is home to the Glaoui Kasbah of Telouet. The Glaoui's were the ruling Berber Pashas of southern Morocco for centuries, and the kasbah is a quaint, decorative piece of that history. And in keeping with movie history, the beginning of Rules of Engagement was also filmed at the kashab.

P.S. Watch out for the implacable, voracious, price gouging carpet sharks near Quarzazate. They are suave, their carpets are good, and they often work in groups playing good salesman bad salesman.
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