Amidst mountains, at 1.1160 m high,
Ouarzazate was born as an advanced post of the French Foreign
Legion, in 1928. Cinema industry steps in very early, in 1930,
with Joseph von Sternberg shooting Marlene Dietrich in “Morocco”.
It will never leave again, three studios are there now, Andromeda,
Atlas Studio, and ECLA, an America-French-Moroccan venture recently
opened, which claimed to be the largest set in the world.
Before the French arrived, there was in Ouarzazate the Kasbah
of Taourirt, built by pasha El Glawi. He and his sons allied with
the French as soon as the Protectorate started, and so extended
their domination through all South, from Saharan borders to Marrakech.
Some tribes, notably Aït Atta confederation refusing to abide
the new foreign authority, French sent troops in order to gradually
submit the area, built the Ouarzazate post near the kasbah, opened
an airport…. You can still recognize the initial military
plan in the modern city, it’s large Mohammed V avenue contrasting
with the narrow passages of Taourirt. The town stretches along
the avenue, over 5 kilometres before crossing the river Ouarzazate,
in direction of Zagora. It is still an important garrison.
Around 300.000 people live and work in Ouarzazate, the city being
more a starting and ending point for tours in the South than an
destination in itself. Nevertheless the area around the lake created
by the El Mansour dam displays high-end villas attracted by the
panorama and the golf, and you can find all type of lodgings,
including the most expensive ones .
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Kasbah
of Taourirt is partially renovated and can be visited.
Guides are at the entrance, you can make without them, but they’ll
help you understanding the inner labyrinth. Glawi’s and
Favourite’s suits kept their decoration of stucco painted
with natural colours (saffron, indigo, egg yolk, mint… )
and their ornate cedar cellars. In the courtyard you can see a
canon, maybe one of those given to the Glawi by Moulay Hassan.
Facing the kasbah, a Craft centre and a coffee which terrace
offers a nice view over the kasbah and the city.
Between film making periods, you can visit Atlas studios, where
were made, among others, Harem, Banzaï, Gladiator, Kundun,
Hidalgo, Kingdom of Heaven….
The city also offers one of the oldest restaurants in Morocco,
« Dimitri », founded by a Greek who arrived in the
city at the same time as the Legion (when he initially wanted
to go to the States). His restaurant was also the first post office
and the first supermarket in the city. |
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Outside of Ouarzazate, you definitively
must see the ksar of the Aït
Ben Haddou, 26 kilometres away in direction of Marrakech.
This splendid fortified village, listed on World Heritage by Unesco
is undergoing a long renovation process. It was one of the most
important cultural and economical points of the area since the
highest Antiquity, but is now more and more abandoned by its inhabitants
who prefer an easier life in the new village at its feet.
The visit will lead you to the top of the hill with an awesome
view over the village and the surrounding fields and desert. You
don’t need to pay a guide neither an entrance fee, even
if asked. |
The second must is the Kasbah
of Telouet, another place of the Glawi. It shows some Andalusian
decoration, quite seldom in this Berber country. Most of the buildings
are in strong decay, but the overall view is really impressive,
and the landscape around would be worth the way for itself.
Finally, 10 kilometres away from Ouarzazate is the Fint
Oasis. That is a splendid landscape of dark rocks and
the green slash of the Oasis amidst. Around 1.200 people live
there, in 4 doyars.
Near the lake, you can also see the abandoned kasbahs of Tarkacht,
Tadert, Tiraf… and some Jewish cemeteries and mausoleums.
South of the town lays the village of Skoura, and its very
beautiful kasbah of Imridil,
built at the end of XIX° century. The owner renovates it,
piece by piece, and had made a small museum with interesting
daily life Berber items. And he is also an excellent and warm
guide. You can also visit the ksar of Amzaouarou.
For all these trips, a 4*4 is necessary
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| Three events not to be missed
:
- Le marathon des Sables, one week race in
the desert, around Ouarzazate, March or April (www.darbaroud.com)
- Les Symphonies du Désert, classical
concerts in the desert, in June
- Sidi Daoud’s
moussem
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