Aït Benhaddou

Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	Morocco
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iv, v
Reference	444
Region **	Arab States
Inscription history
Inscription	1987 (11th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Aït Benhaddou (Berber: Ath Benhadu, Arabic: آيت بن حدّو‎) is a 'fortified city', or ksar, along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. It is situated in Souss-Massa-Draâ on a hill along the Ounila River and is known for its kasbahs, although they take damage with each rainstorm. Most of the town's inhabitants now live in a more modern village at the other side of the river; however, ten families still live within the ksar.

Aït Benhaddou has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and several films have been shot there, including;

• Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
• The Man Who Would Be King (film) (1975)
• The Message (film) (1976)

• Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
• Time Bandits (1981)
• The Jewel of the Nile (1985)
• The Living Daylights (1987)
• The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
• The Sheltering Sky (1990)
• Kundun (1997)
• The Mummy (1999)
• Gladiator (2000)
• Alexander (2004)
• Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

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  Young girl working on a loom in Aït Benhaddou, in May 2008

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External links

• UNESCO World Heritage Sites Ref 444
• Travel blog about Ksar de Aït-Benhaddou
• Interactive 360° panorama of Ait Benhaddou (Java, 0,9 MB)