Get ready for a road trip to Ait Ben Haddou!
We’re hitting the Route of a Thousand Kasbahs, one of Morocco’s most awe-inspiring, standout landscapes. This epic tour takes us through the grand Atlas mountains, down along the Dades and Todra river valleys in southern Morocco.
Don’t get confused; Aït Ben Haddou is a ksar, not a kasbah. It’s a fortified city with multiple kasbahs made entirely from adobe (a mix of sand, clay, water, and sometimes straw or manure). Amazingly, it looks organic, almost like the city is magically sprouting right from the ground. The downside? Adobe isn’t made to last and needs quite a bit of maintenance and restoration, or it simply melts back into the desert over time.
Aït Ben Haddou has a commanding view of the Ounila River valley and is about a hundred miles from Marrakech and 20 miles from Ouarzazate. It’s designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of Morocco’s oldest and best-preserved ksars.
Digging up some history
Archeologists aren’t sure when Aït Ben Haddou was built, but most estimate it was around the 11th century. Originally, it was a Berber tribe settlement, but eventually, defensive walls were added. It’s in a prime location, right in the heart of the Ounila Valley, along a major trans-Saharan trade route, and back in the day, it became a major gateway to controlling trade between Sudan and the imperial cities of Marrakech, Fez, and Meknes.
Over time, trade routes changed, and the population ebbed, and slowly, the impressive Ksar’s adobe buildings started falling apart. Fortunately, UNESCO funds, private donors, and income from film shoots have helped slow the decay and fund some restorations. These days, most people live across the river in a town with extensive tourist services, including splendid riads, cafes, restaurants, and shops selling local crafts.
Exploring the Ksar
Aït Ben Haddou is perched on a hill, about 300 feet Comprar cialis generico barato en españa above the new town, surrounded by lush crops and trees. It’s a sight to behold, a dreamscape of shifting hues in red and brown shimmering in the desert heat. Of course, to get there, you’ll need to cross the river, and there are a couple of options for this: a recently-built bridge or a more adventurous route across soaked sandbags.
Touring the Ksar is free, and you don’t necessarily need a guide; though plenty are available for hire at the entrance which helps the local economy immensely. Locals also have contacts with the handful of families who still live inside the ancient city and can introduce you to them for a chance to see the inside of a real home there. Again tipping these families is recommended, and a small amount goes a long way. You’ll find the old city to be a peaceful space with a few antique shops and artist workshops.
Movie buffs will recognize the Ksar from many films and series, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and Game of Thrones, but perhaps the people are the most compelling reason to visit. Moroccans are incredibly warm and generous. They invite strangers into their homes and treat them like family. Even here, in the heart of the desert, you still can hear the cultural echoes of this open-heartedness toward outsiders, called “diyafa,” in the towering walls of Aït Ben Haddou.
