Aït Benhaddou on Screen: Movie & Series Locations Guide

The Most Famous Film Set You Can Walk Through

Few places on Earth have played as many roles as Aït Benhaddou. This UNESCO-listed earthen ksar in southern Morocco has been ancient Rome, a desert city, a slave city of Westeros, and a Persian stronghold — sometimes all in the same decade. Since the 1960s, film crews have been drawn to its mud-brick towers, its hilltop position, and the fact that it looks like a city that time forgot.

The ksar's movie career began with Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and never really stopped. Gladiator (2000) turned its walls into the desert city of Zucchabar. Game of Thrones (season 3) transformed it into Yunkai, one of the slave cities of Slaver's Bay. And just across the valley, the Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate — one of the largest film studios in the world — has hosted dozens more productions.

This guide explains which films and series were shot at Aït Benhaddou, where the key scenes were filmed, and how to visit the locations yourself.

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Why Filmmakers Keep Coming Back

Aït Benhaddou has three things that location scouts love:

1. A timeless silhouette — the earthen kasbahs and granary tower read as "ancient" on camera, whether the script calls for Rome, Jerusalem, or a fictional kingdom
2. A controlled environment — the ksar is compact, walkable, and easy to secure for a shoot
3. Proximity to Ouarzazate — the town 30 minutes away is home to the Atlas Studios, workshops, costume departments, and a deep pool of local crew and extras

The result is a location that has appeared in more than a dozen major productions, from 1960s epics to 2010s fantasy series. For a small earthen village, it has an extraordinary filmography.

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The Films and Series Shot at Aït Benhaddou

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

The film that started it all. David Lean's desert epic used Aït Benhaddou and the surrounding Ouarzazate region to stand in for the Middle East. The ksar's earthen walls appear in scenes set in the desert towns of the Arab Revolt. The film's success put southern Morocco on the map for international productions.

The Jewel of the Nile (1985)

This adventure sequel, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, was shot partly in Morocco. Aït Benhaddou and the Ouarzazate area provided the desert backdrops for the fictional North African setting.

Gladiator (2000)

Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning epic used Aït Benhaddou for the desert city of Zucchabar, where Maximus is sold into slavery and fights his first gladiatorial bouts. The ksar's towers and lanes are clearly recognizable in the scenes where Maximus is marched through the dusty streets. The production also used the Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate for interior sets.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

This fantasy adventure, based on the video game, was filmed extensively in Morocco. Aït Benhaddou stood in for the ancient Persian city of Alamut and other desert locations, with the ksar's earthen architecture doubling convincingly for the Middle East.

Game of Thrones (Season 3, 2013)

The most famous recent production at Aït Benhaddou. In season 3, the ksar appears as Yunkai, the "Yellow City" of Slaver's Bay, where Daenerys Targaryen and her army arrive to free the slaves. The scenes of Daenerys' forces approaching the city and the negotiations at its gates were shot at the ksar, with CGI extending the earthen walls into a full city.

Other Productions

The list goes on: The Mummy (1999) used the region, Babel (2006) shot in the area, and numerous TV series, commercials, and music videos have used the ksar as a backdrop. The Ouarzazate studios have hosted productions ranging from Asterix & Obelix to Kingdom of Heaven (2005), which used the region's landscapes extensively.

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Where the Scenes Were Shot

The Approach and the Gate

The scenes of armies approaching Yunkai in Game of Thrones were shot from the flat ground across the river, with the ksar rising on its hill — the same view you get from the car park. The main gate of the ksar, with its narrow entrance, doubled as the city gate in several productions.

The Lanes and Stairways

The covered lanes and steep stairways inside the ksar appear in Gladiator (Maximus being led through the city) and in Prince of Persia. Walking them today, you are following the same paths the crews used — the ksar has changed remarkably little since the 1960s.

The Granary Viewpoint

The top of the ksar, around the granary tower, was used for high-angle shots in several productions. It is also the best spot to understand how the filmmakers framed the site: from above, the ksar reads as a complete ancient city.

The River and the Valley

The Ounila riverbed and the valley floor were used for wide establishing shots, including the approach to Yunkai. In dry seasons the riverbed becomes a natural "desert road" for cavalry and marching scenes.

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The Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate

No discussion of Aït Benhaddou's film history is complete without the Atlas Studios, about 30 minutes away in Ouarzazate. Founded in the 1980s, it is one of the largest film studios in the world, with permanent sets including Egyptian temples, a medieval Jerusalem, and a Tibetan village.

Productions associated with the studios include:

• The Mummy (1999)
• Gladiator (2000) — interior sets
• Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
• Babel (2006)
• Game of Thrones — some scenes for the Yunkai arc

The studios are open to visitors, and a tour is a natural complement to a visit to the ksar. See our Ouarzazate travel guide for practical details.

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Visiting the Film Locations

Getting There

Aït Benhaddou is about 30 km from Ouarzazate — a 30–40 minute drive. There is no train access; most visitors arrive by rental car, taxi, or organized tour. The nearest airport is Ouarzazate (OZZ).

What to Look For

• The approach view — stand on the flat ground across the river and imagine Daenerys' army arriving
• The main gate — the narrow entrance used as the city gate in Game of Thrones
• The lanes — the covered passages from Gladiator and Prince of Persia
• The granary — the high-angle viewpoint used for establishing shots

Practical Tips

• Allow 2–3 hours for the ksar, including the climb to the granary
• A local guide can point out exact filming spots and share stories from the shoots
• The best light for photography is early morning and late afternoon
• Combine the visit with the Atlas Studios and the Taourirt kasbah in Ouarzazate for a full film-location day — see our day trip guide

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A Note on the Real Ksar

It is worth remembering that Aït Benhaddou is not a film set — it is a real, inhabited UNESCO World Heritage site that has sheltered families and caravans for centuries. The film crews are guests here, and the earthen walls they film are the same ones that protected the community's granary and homes.

The site was inscribed by UNESCO in 1987 as an outstanding example of southern Moroccan earthen architecture. A handful of families still live inside the ksar, and the modern village across the river is a living community. When you visit, you are walking through both a film location and a piece of living history.

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FAQ

What movies were filmed at Aït Benhaddou? The most famous are Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Jewel of the Nile (1985), Gladiator (2000), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010), and Game of Thrones (season 3, as the city of Yunkai).

Was Game of Thrones filmed at Aït Benhaddou? Yes. In season 3, Aït Benhaddou appeared as Yunkai, one of the slave cities of Slaver's Bay, where Daenerys Targaryen arrives with her army. The approach scenes and city-gate scenes were shot at the ksar.

Was Gladiator filmed at Aït Benhaddou? Yes. The ksar stood in for the desert city of Zucchabar, where Maximus is sold into slavery. Interior sets were built at the Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate.

Can you visit the Aït Benhaddou film locations? Yes. The ksar is open to visitors year-round. A local guide can show you the exact spots used in Game of Thrones, Gladiator, and other productions.

Are the Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate worth visiting? Yes, especially if you are interested in film history. The studios are among the largest in the world, with permanent sets, and are open to visitors. They are about 30 minutes from Aït Benhaddou.