"Kasbahs ( Forts ) dot the interior one after the other.
Thousands of camels, as many as 20,000 in a caravan ( AD 750 to late 8th century ),
departed this Rissani / Sijilmassa desert capital region . .
heading for the fabled Timbuktu (Mali, today) and on to Niger and Ghana.
A pound of Saharan "salt" . . was worth . . an ounce of African "gold"
Atlas Film Corp. Studios . .
Many 'Well - Knowns' have spent time on these sets :
including . .
Clark Gable . James Dean . Harrison Ford . Ava Gardner . Charlton Heston
Clark Gable . James Dean . Harrison Ford . Ava Gardner . Charlton Heston
Convincing backdrops transported audiences to look - alike places . .
in Tibet . Somalia . Rome . Egypt
Who knew the location was actually an . . out - of - the - way place
. . with strange sounding names and unfamiliar spellings
such as Ouarzazate (war za zat) and Ait Benhaddou
. . in a country called . . Morocco ?!
Remnants of the chariot race . .
Let's pretend we work here . .
We are free to roam around and use our imaginations . .
Acres and acres . . of creative
Prop - Making Memorabilia
Many countries film here
Each must first present their full script
. . to assure Morocco the portrayal does not defame their country in any way
Some sets are used over and over again . .
so have been touched up and look quite recent . .
This traveler was a stage hand for plays . . during his university days
Props . . for a battle scene . .
Catapult . .
Just to prove we were here . .
A massive layout . .
Guide is particularly proud to mention
. . these props . . were used for a movie about Morocco's own Tangier
( up by the . . Strait of Gibraltar ) . . the gateway to the African Continent
Many items depicting . Luxor . Karnak . and the glory days of . . Egypt . .
UNESCO . . is restoring this
ancient Glaoui fort called "Taourirt Kasbah"
in Ouarzazate
. . By moon - lighting as a 'Hollywood backdrop' during the day time . . it escaped ruin
The story here includes
many . . Wives and . . Concubines and . . Children
This area was the
living quarters of
King Mohammed V 's 'favorite' wife . . .
Site being spiffed up by today's King Mohammed VI
Directly across the very wide street . . is the Museum
. . corded off because
a movie is currently being shot here . . in this exact location
Rumors . . among the locals . . insist that it is . . a continuation of . . Aladdin
Others . . are positive it's . . King Tut
Dick asks the camera man and learns . . the movie is . . . "Killing Jesus" !!
Lift / cherry picker used for props and by the Director
( outside in the Museum's parking lot )
. . trucks hauling scenery on and off The Set
Right next door to the Museum
and directly across the street from Kasbah Taourirt is a . .
panorama restaurant
a fitting place for a final meal as we wind up our stay
in fascinating "Ouallywood" ( sounds like "Wally - wood" ) town . .
Our dinner view in Ouarzazate . . enjoying memories that include
new vocabulary . new spellings !
Mint Thé
( accent over the e / rhymes with "say"/ h is silent ) . . known by us as TEA
It's VERY minty . not sickeningly sweet
Waiter explains it begins with 'green' tea . . steeped for quite a while
then boiled hard & very hot . . with more water . . filling the pot
and only a small amount of . . sugar
Just before serving . .
a "handful" of fresh stemmed mint is pushed down into the pot
and left there ( never boiled ). Truly delicious.
The small glasses serve to keep the 'aroma' concentrated to the nose . .
and pouring small amounts at a time . . assures each swallow is . . piping hot
Topping it all off . . it's the . . night of the . . Full Moon !!
More sites than our blog can keep up with ( and too many shots to share ) . .
We remain . . "Dusty" & Wrinkles
____________________
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