Ouarzazate Province: Kasbahs, Oasis and Film History

Rocky plains, deeply carved valleys and striking rock faces define Ouarzazate Province. Kasbahs, caravan history, film and handicrafts add to these features. The palm oasis of Skoura and the birdlife at Lake Mansour Eddahbi add agriculture and nature to the mix. When planning your trip, it is worth considering the region’s landscape, historical and cultural highlights separately.

Landscape between the Atlas Mountains and the Drâa Basin

The eastern foothills of the Anti-Atlas in Ouarzazate Province include wide rocky plains and valleys cut through by major gorges. High, vertical rock faces define the landscape on the southern slopes of the Central High Atlas; Jbel Azourki reaches 3,685 metres. Plains, gorges and steep rock faces thus occur side by side as distinct types of terrain.

The province’s river network includes the Dades, Ouarzazate and Ait Douchen rivers and their tributaries. Together, they form the upper Drâa Basin. The name describes the rivers and their tributaries as a connected hydrological area. It adds another aspect of the landscape to the visible landforms.

Palm oasis and seasonal birdlife

Skoura is a settled, agriculturally used palm oasis covering 25 square kilometres and containing approximately 138,000 palm trees. These figures illustrate different aspects of the place: the extent of the oasis and its characteristic population of palm trees.

Migratory or breeding bird species use the area around Lake Mansour Eddahbi. They include the Bonelli’s eagle, as well as other birds of prey, songbirds and larks. The connection to migration and breeding highlights the seasonal dimension of the birdlife. The oasis landscape and birdwatching are thus distinct nature-related themes.

Kasbahs and caravan history

The Kasbah of Taourirt dates back to the 12th century and was formerly the residence of Pasha el Glaoui. It has been recognised as national cultural heritage since 1953. Battlemented towers and cedarwood ceilings give its architecture distinctive details. Its date, former function and construction offer different ways of understanding the same site.

The Kasbah of Telouet is a 19th-century citadel that combined a prestigious residence with military command functions along the regional caravan route. For centuries, the village of Telouet was an important transit point for caravans, which had to pay a toll to the Glaoui tribe. The citadel’s architecture and the village’s historical role in caravan traffic are therefore connected.

The Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou is also associated with film history: it has served as a location for major international productions. Together with the Kasbah of Taourirt and the citadel of Telouet, it shows how different buildings in the province are connected to different historical themes.

Film, handicrafts and markets

The Ouarzazate Film Museum officially opened on 30 July 2007. It features film sets relating to biblical history and to notable films shot in the region. The Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou offers a different perspective on the subject of film: there, the focus is on the use of a historic site as a film location, while the museum displays film sets as part of its exhibition.

The Ouarzazate handicrafts complex houses six workshops. Items made from alabaster, High Atlas stones, fossilised stones, wood and copper, as well as jewellery, are available there. The Grand Bazaar of Taourirt, near the kasbah, features Moroccan handicrafts such as carpets, ceramics, copper and woodwork, antiques and various accessories. The production centres for Ait Ouaouzguit carpets include Taznakht, Tamassin, At Semgane, Ait Ougharda, Ait Douchen, Znaga and Sektana. The handicrafts theme therefore encompasses both a range of materials and the origins of particular carpets.

Getting there and choosing a base

Ouarzazate is a central hub for a large area in southern Morocco and has an international airport. If you plan to arrive by air, check the flight schedule for your travel dates. When looking for a hotel, you can start by choosing the places and themes you want to focus on during your trip: for example, city history, film and handicrafts in Ouarzazate, the palm oasis of Skoura, Telouet’s caravan history, or the landscape and birdlife.

Discover more destinations: Skoura, M'semrir, Toundoute, Chtouka Ait Baha Province, Tiznit Province, Tinghir Province, Taroudant, Zagora.

For the overview of the wider region: Souss-Massa-Draa.