Aït Benhaddou - A Moroccan Dream — Tuljak! Travel Blog

Before every trip, we all have one or two landmarks, such as Petra or Angkor Wat, that capture our imagination. For this recent trip to Southern Morocco, I have been captivated by pictures of this remote hill town I found online: Aït Benhaddou. I must confess that the “exotic” images of this place, not the fabled city of Marrakesh, drew me to Morocco in the first place. After spending three nights in Marrakesh, the first stop of our 10-day road trip is naturally Aït Benhaddou, a roughly three-and-half hours drive, but it feels like a world away from the bustle of Marrakesh.

Since I have been dreaming about Aït Benhaddou since we booked the plane tickets, I initially planned to stay here for two nights and make it a home base for exploring the region. To maximize the ambiance, we stayed at Kasbah Tebbi, one of the only two hotels in the historic city. But the more I read about this hotel, the more concerned I was about whether the accommodation would be too “rustic.” One of the main selling points of the place is the lack of modern creature comfort. The entire place, except its private kitchen, is lit by candles; it also has neither WiFi nor cell service. It seemed like a wonderful place to unplug at first. But I did worry about the practicality of having no electrical power. Ultimately, staying in Aït Benhaddou for just one night seems more sensible.

Right after making a reservation, the owner, Mohamed, sent detailed instructions on how to get to the hotel. Because it is located in the historic zone, it could be tricky to locate for first-timers like ourselves. Rather, guests are asked to ring Mohamed, and he will send a donkey to pick up the luggage and guide us to the hotel. I thought it was just a touristy gimmick at first. However, it quickly became clear that such an arrangement is also practical. Although there is one paved road on a modern bridge into Aït Benhaddou, the most convenient entry is to walk across the mostly dry river bed.

I can’t believe we got a spend a night here.

The hotel is conveniently located at the foothill of the Aït Benhaddou and is housed inside the kasbah, the citadel. We thanked the donkey for taking our luggage and met Mohamed at the hotel gate. Dressed in a colorful djellaba, a traditional Berber outfit, Mohamed has a warm demeanor and a kind presence. In good Moroccan fashion, he offered welcoming mint tea and sweets. Basked under the warm sun of late afternoon, we enjoyed wonderful conversations at the front terrace. However, part of me was itching to go around the town while the sun was still out.

Mohamed lend Brian a very warm *djellaba*.

Naturally, the topics of our conversation center around Aït Benhaddou and Mohamed’s efforts to revitalize this outdoor museum. Once a thriving community, today, the historic section of the city only has five families living here, all returning to their ancestral homes over the last two decades as tourists began to take an interest in this historic settlement. With the help of the Moroccan government and UNESCO, Aït Benhaddou has experienced a renaissance in interest from both Moroccans and foreign tourists. It is now one of the most visited sights in this corner of Morocco.

What made Aït Benhaddou so alluring is the faded beauty of its rammed earth architecture. Typical in Africa and the Middle East, the technique is highly “cost-efficient” in construction. Mud and local soils are mixed with binding materials like straw and lime to create a hardened structure. It is the same building technique used to construct the mighty city walls in Taroudant and Marrakesh. Even though the construction method is relatively affordable, it does require constant upkeep, as it is still relatively permeable to water over time. The scarcity of lime in this region of Morocco also made the earthen construction here particularly vulnerable. In their semi-abandoned state, most walls would last only a few decades before succumbing to the elements.

Mohamed quickly pointed out how much effort his family put into renovating the kasbah. He takes great pride in safeguarding his family legacy and creating a viable business. The restored section of the kasbah looked incredible. Various Berber motifs and details are accentuated. The contrast with the rest of the town is stark. As in so many places worldwide, tourism provides a necessary financial means to safeguard the architectural heritage of a place like this. Unfortunately, I don’t think expecting those not in the tourism trade to live inside the historical zone is any longer realistic.

After a half-hour conversation and several rounds of mint tea, Mohamed showed us to the room for the night, which is located on the second level. Brian and I were thoroughly impressed by the room's rustic charm. A massive bathroom (with western toilets and a decent shower) and plenty of traditional wool blankets made the room as cozy as possible. The room interior also exposed earthen walls with a smooth lime plaster finish at the bottom part of the wall. As expected, a box of taper candles is provided in each room for the evening. Ironically, there are still electrical outlets and light switches in the room. According to Mohamed, they originally planned to wire the whole plan with modern utility, but the limited available infrastructure made him embrace the more “authentic” side of Moroccan living.

With the sun sinking quickly toward the horizon, I was eager to leave our room and explore as much of the town as possible. Even though the weather forecast for the next day seemed decent, I did not want to risk missing out on what might be our only hour of direct sunlight. At this hour. It seems like everyone is heading toward the central summit for the sunset view. It was a quick ten-minute leisurely hike from the hotel, and I could hardly contain my excitement. The place was even more magical than I could ever imagine.

Right before the summit, we passed by a section of the wall that had partially collapsed. The resulting opening creates the perfect framing of the kasbah below. I can’t help wondering if the local tour operator has a hand in creating this perfect opening. It is certainly one of the most photographed spots in town. I could recognize it from various websites.

A strategically placed opening for photographers.

The views expanded toward the surrounding valley as we moved higher up. We could appreciate the strategic importance of this spot. Located in the Ounila Valley, the town is believed to have been first fortified almost a millennia ago. Most of the structures we see today are dated to the 17th century. Aït Benhaddou was an important trading post linking Marrakesh with Sudam on numerous trans-Saharan trade routes for centuries. Like any popular trading post, this place was also vulnerable to attacks, prompting the construction of several smaller kasbah around the settlement.

The views toward the northern plaine are just breathtakingly beautiful.

The summit of Aït Benhaddou is surprisingly barren. The only surviving structure is a ruined agadir (fortified granary) and low walls of fortifications around the plateau. The views toward the pristine valley to the north are particularly spectacular. With just about everyone gathered at the base of agadir, it was as if we were all seeking refuge here like local inhabitants would have done during one of the medieval raids. Given the reputation and popularity of Aït Benhaddou, I was surprised by just how few visitors there were at this hour. It seems like most tourists visiting the town were on an organized tour of the Sahara. It was a smart decision to do an overnight stay here.

With so few accommodations and restaurants, the old city descended into complete darkness as night fell. The lack of electricity meant there was not a single street light; the silence of the whole place was both eerie and transcendent. We opted to have dinner back at the hotel per Mohamed's recommendation. As promised, the dining room was lit by candlelight and is ten out of ten in terms of ambiance. The three-course meal for 130 dirhams a person includes a big bowl of Moroccan salad, chicken tagine, and panna cotta. Despite the rustic setting, the food was fabulous. It was our first tagine in Morocco!

For this evening, there was just one other table for dinner. It was a young family of French Canadians. While I knew Morocco was a popular holiday destination for French tourists, it did not occur to me that it was also popular among Québécois. Even though I am bilingual myself, I have been so used to seeing monolingual North Americans. I almost did a double-take to see these kids switching between perfect English and French. Wouldn’t it be lovely if American families would consider Morocco for their Christmas holiday?

Back in our room, we settled into the pre-modern lifestyle that we signed up for. The last time we spent a night without electricity was ten years ago when we lost power during Superstorm Sandy. Aside from the need to charge my electronic devices, I had no issue with having no electricity. Since our trip to Denmark in 2015, we have taken the practice of Danish hygge seriously. At home, we regularly light candles at night to create a cozier environment. All around the room are built-in candle nooks; Mohamed also provides plenty of candlesticks. Because the wall materials and finishes are of nonflammable materials, we could place the candle directly in the nooks by using a little bit of melted wax.

With so little artificial light, there was very little light pollution. The little outdoor balcony just off the room came in handy in seeing the starry night. It has been quite a while since we last saw a crystal-clear night like this. We could finally pull out our astronomy app and explore our universe. With the dark silhouette of the kasbah behind us, it was a wonderful start to our Moroccan road trip. Aït Benhaddou has surpassed my high expectations thus far!

One thing that surprised us was how cold Morocco could be this time of the year. We failed to consider the high altitude of Aït Benhaddou and the fact this was the High Atlas Mountain. Brian was freezing at night. Our room also has no heating because of the lack of electricity, and we did not expect the indoor temperature to plummet so quickly at night. Despite all the wool blankets provided, we still had difficulty keeping warm. The night’s sleep turned out to be rougher than expected.

However, the good thing about having a bad night's sleep was that we woke up early enough to catch the sunrise. Just everything I read, early hours are some of the best times to experience and capture the rugged beauty of Aït Benhaddou. While most of our fellow visitors climbed up the adjacent to catch a glimpse of the rising sun, I set up my tripod at the dry riverbed to wait for the first ray to hit the city. As expected, the views were transcendent, and I could hardly be more excited to witness such a beautiful sight. It was remarkable just how quickly the color rendering on the building changed from a firey red to a golden brown in just a few minutes.

After my little photo session, we went to the hotel for breakfast. By now, we have expected a typical Morocco breakfast: many carbs and a tagine of eggs and sausage. A group of Chinese-speaking tourists stayed in the room next to us. As usual, I was very keen to eavesdrop to hear their assessment of Aït Benhaddou and Morocco in general. Interpreting their comments to Brian is still a great joy in our traveling. During our last visit to Estonia, I overheard a lady on a Chinese group tour commenting on how they should have rebuilt Tallinn’s medieval wall anew for tourism. Brian got a kick out of that. This time around, the Chinese tourists were talking about how they almost “froze to death last night.” As usual, Brian was very amused.

After breakfast, we had about an hour and a half to explore the town before check-out. Our first stop was to climb up the imposing tower of the kasbah that Mohamed’s family had fully restored. From the top, the view was spectacular; the forest of towers of turrets made this perhaps one of the most photogenic spots in town. I can’t help wondering whether, in ten years’ time, luxury hotel operators like Aman Resorts would end up opening up shop here; that sure will be interesting.

In the early morning hours, the city was gradually coming to life. Local vendors began to set up their merchandise for the onslaught of day tourists. The popular items on offer seem to be Berber rugs, which are visually distinctive with bold geometric patterns. From all the resources I came across, High Atlas Mountain is an excellent place to buy Berber rugs in Morocco. Prices here are half or a third of the price you could get in Marrakesh. Since we were not looking to buy any rug, I couldn’t verify this claim.

For whatever reason, walking through the town was a completely different experience from yesterday. There was a different sense of solitude in the morning. Even though the place is now totally dedicated to tourism, vendors here are still less aggressive than in Marrakesh. Now I think about it, they were probably waiting for the big bus tours to arrive. Perhaps these experienced sellers could tell from a mile away that I am the cheapskate and not worth bothering. That was a welcomed break after four days of Marrakesh.

As much as I would like to learn more about Aït Benhaddou's history, it was difficult to find much detailed history of this place. Funny enough, what made Aït Benhaddou so famous was its role in many movies over the decades. Among them, the most famous would be the 1997 movie Gladiator. Grossing nearly half a billion dollars, the movie launched the international career of its lead, Russell Crowe. The blockbuster won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor. Scenes of slavery, desert travel, and a gladiator training school were shot in nearby Atlas Corporation Studios. However, the famous scene of the first gladiatorial fight occurred here in Aït Benhaddou.

Spectacular view from the top of the *kasbah*.

Utilizing the local know-how of earthen construction, the local craftsman constructed a mud brick arena for the fight scene. The temporary is located between Aït Benhaddou and the barren hill to the east. The setup creates a dramatic landscape for one of the most pivotal parts of the movie. To get the same shot as the one from the movie, it is best to hike atop the hill opposite the town. The short five-minute hike provides a splendid view back toward Aït Benhaddou. After returning from the trip, we would be sure to rewatch the movie. It was a lot of fun and made out of Hotel Tebi from the film.

The flat empty space at the front was the site of the *Gladiator* set.

According to the tour guides at the Atlas Corporation Studios, the filming of Gladiators was a community affair. Not only did local craftsmen construct all the sets and props, but all the extras in the films were also recruited from local families. Supposedly, it was not difficult to find local families to this day who have family members who participated in the film. Honestly, I wished I had asked Mohamed that question. Who knows whether he would find that question amusing or annoying?

For the younger generation, Aït Benhaddou’s fame may come from the HBO series Games of Thrones. In the third season, Aït Benhaddou doubles as the fictional cities of the “Yellow City of Yunkai” and “Pentos.” In the show, Queen Daenerys Targaryen freed the city from slavery after the battle. The inhabitants rallied for their newfound liberty before the city’s main gate. The producer of the show built a ceremonial gate that still stands today. Its design blends in so well with the surrounding architecture that I suspect few know it was a purpose-built backdrop for a television show. I am certain it was constructed outside the official zone determined by UNESCO. Take a look and tell me what you think.

Courtesy of *Games of Throne*, Aït Benhaddou now has a modern addition by the river bed.

In the end, we spent less than eighteen hours at Aït Benhaddou. It is a perfect amount of time to explore this pint-size town. With Morocco’s international tourism on the rise, it is safe to say the future of this place is bright. But just like the rest of Morocco, visitors to Aït Benhaddou are not immune from scams and aggressive vendors. One common scam here is selling entry tickets to this admission-free site. Falling victim to such a scam is a great way to ruin your visit. With necessary investment and governmental policies, the town may even become the “Matera of Morocco” a few decades from now.

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