Ouarzazate

Ouarzazate
ⵡⴰⵔⵣⴰⵣⴰⵜ
ورزازات
Nickname: 
Door of the Desert
Ouarzazate
Location in Morocco
Coordinates: 30°55′N 6°55′W / 30.917°N 6.917°W / 30.917; -6.917
CountryMorocco
RegionDrâa-Tafilalet
ProvinceOuarzazate
Elevation
1,151 m (3,776 ft)
Population
 (2014)
 • Total
71,067
 • Density233/km2 (600/sq mi)
Postal code
45000

Ouarzazate (/ˌwɑːrzəˈzæt, -ˈzɑːt/; Berber languages: ⵡⴰⵔⵣⴰⵣⴰⵜ Arabic: ورزازات, romanizedWarzāzāt, IPA: [warzaːˈzaːt]) is a city and capital of Ouarzazate Province in the region of Drâa-Tafilalet, south-central Morocco.

Ouarzazate is a primary tourist destination in Morocco during the holidays, as well as a starting point for excursions into and across the Draa Valley and the desert. The fortified village Aït Benhaddou west of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Ouarzazate area is a noted film-making location, with Morocco's biggest studios inviting many international companies to work here. Films such as Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), The Living Daylights (1987), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Kundun (1997), Legionnaire (1998), The Hills Have Eyes (2006), Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011) and The Wages of Fear (2024) were shot here, as was part of the TV series Game of Thrones. It was the filming location for the fictional city of Agapenta in the fourth season of the Netflix series Outer Banks.