"Welcome to Mollywood!" Ouarzazate by mafi_moya

Ouarzazate Travel Guide: 143 reviews and 450 photos

Ouarzazate is the film centre of Morocco. Gladiator, Alexander the Great, Kundun, Jewel of the Nile... all have had parts filmed here at the Atlas film studios and the list goes on. It's also the new jewel in the crown of Moroccan tourism and is being heavily promoted with new developments and direct flights from Europe. So Ouarzazate is the country's glamour capital, where you can bump into Hollywood stars while you stroll down palm-tree avenues, sip tea, party in wild nightclubs and live it up in the luxury hotels? The Moroccan Los Angeles, right?

Ouarzazate

Well, err, no actually. The first thing I noticed here was the overwhelming silence - this is one of the quietest and most placid cities I've ever been to. Quite why it's being so heavily hyped up I'm not sure. True the location is ideal, close to the trekking areas of the Atlas Mountains, but there's nothing to really see in the city other than the deservedly famous and impressive Taourirt Kasbah. The city was created by the French colonialists as an administrative centre and that seems to have been its sole reason for being.

So it's not exactly the vibrant city you might expect, and there's little to see, but it's still a likeable little place. There are plenty of friendly locals and tea shops to sit in and chat and pass a few hours. There are wide French-style, tree-lined boulevards, and ochre coloured buildings. And the magnificent kasbah is one of the largest in the region.

Last visit to Ouarzazate: Jan 2004
Intro Updated Jul 12, 2004
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Reviews (2)

Feeling hungry? Restaurants (1)

Two restaurants in Ouarzazate that always pull in the tourists are Restaurant Le Kasbah, unsurprisingly located right... more travel advice

Taourirt Kasbah Things to Do (1)

The Taourirt Kasbah is the main thing to see in Ouarzazate. It was home to the early 20th century Glaoui dynasty and was... more travel advice

Comments (4)

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JLBG Sep 4, 2004 at 12:58 PM

I have been unlucky with Ouarzazate and had a terrible sand wind which spoiled the visit of the city. I know I have to drive back there !
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conny_bazen Mar 15, 2004 at 6:39 AM

It's nice to see the different places of Morocco again. Thanks!
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deeper_blue Mar 8, 2004 at 1:15 PM

Great pic of the Taourirt Kasbah, nice page.
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globetrott Feb 17, 2004 at 2:47 PM

great infos and pics ! These buildings made of clay always look great !