At the eastern edge of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Aït Benhaddou stands suspended in time. The ancient mud-brick city is no longer teeming with the crowds of people who once lived here. But small markets lie within the fortified city and a few families cater to visitors who come to walk through its historic streets. Many movies and television shows have used Aït Benhaddou as a filming location, not surprising, given its spectacular appearance. Most often it's used as a stand-in for Biblical cities, but 'Game of Thrones' fans may recognise the city as Yunkai, a slave-trade hub in the show’s fictional world.
Aït Benhaddou , ⴰⵢⵜ ⴱⴻⵏⵃⴰⴷⴷⵓ;, آيت بن حدّو is a historic ighrem or ksar (fortified village) along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. It is considered a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
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| Official name | Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou |
|---|---|
| Location | Morocco |
| Criteria | Cultural: (iv), (v) |
| Reference | 444 |
| Inscription | 1987 (11th Session) |
| Area | 3.03 ha (0.0117 sq mi) |
| Buffer zone | 16.32 ha (0.0630 sq mi) |
| Coordinates | 31°2′50″N 7°7′44″W |
Today, the ksar itself is only sparsely inhabited by several families. The depopulation over time is a result of the valley's loss of strategic importance in the 20th century. Most local inhabitants now live in modern dwellings in the village on the other side of the river, and make a living off agriculture and especially off the tourist trade. In 2011 a new pedestrian bridge was completed linking the old ksar with the modern village, with the aim of making the ksar more accessible and to potentially encourage inhabitants to move back into its historic houses.
