Free tool
Morocco Film Locations Map
From Lawrence of Arabia to Gladiator II. Where the films were really shot, and how to visit the sets.
Morocco has doubled for ancient Rome, Egypt, Jerusalem, Afghanistan and Essos. This map plots the locations that major productions actually used, what was filmed at each one, and whether you can walk in and see it. Built by a private driver company based in Ouarzazate, the town the industry calls Ouallywood.
Aït Ben HaddouUNESCO
The most-filmed location in Morocco. An 11th-century ksar of packed-earth houses stacked above the Ounila valley, 30 km northwest of Ouarzazate, UNESCO-listed since 1987.
Atlas Studios, Ouarzazate
One of the largest studio complexes in the world by land area, on the edge of Ouarzazate. Standing sets from past productions are preserved on the backlot.
Kasbah Taourirt
A 19th-century Glaoui kasbah in the middle of Ouarzazate, a maze of earthen rooms and painted ceilings.
EssaouiraUNESCO
A fortified Atlantic port with sea-battered ramparts. The medina is UNESCO-listed.
Draa Valley & Zagora road
A 200 km palm corridor south of Ouarzazate, the classic desert-approach landscape.
Erg Chebbi, Merzouga
Morocco’s great orange dune sea, up to 150 m high, the go-to stand-in for the Sahara and for alien deserts.
VolubilisUNESCO
The best-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco, UNESCO-listed, with standing arches and mosaic floors.
Fes & the Middle AtlasUNESCO
The medina of Fes el-Bali is UNESCO-listed and one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world.
Morocco film locations: quick answers
What is the most filmed location in Morocco?
Aït Ben Haddou, the earthen ksar 30 km northwest of Ouarzazate. It has appeared in more than twenty major productions since Lawrence of Arabia in 1962, including Gladiator, The Mummy, Kingdom of Heaven and Game of Thrones, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Was the film Casablanca filmed in Casablanca?
No. Casablanca (1942) was shot almost entirely on sound stages at Warner Bros. in Burbank, California. Apart from a short second-unit sequence, no principal photography took place in Morocco. The Rick’s Café that exists in Casablanca today opened in 2004 and was built as a tribute to the film, not as a filming location.
Where was Yunkai in Game of Thrones filmed?
Yunkai, the Yellow City, was filmed at Aït Ben Haddou for season 3. The neighbouring coastal city of Essaouira played Astapor, where Daenerys takes the Unsullied, using the Skala du Port sea ramparts.
Where was Gladiator filmed in Morocco?
The Zucchabar sequences, including the slave market and Maximus’s first arena fight, were filmed at Aït Ben Haddou and around Ouarzazate. The arena was purpose-built for the production using traditional mud-brick techniques. Gladiator II returned to the same area in 2024 and added new structures to the ksar.
Can you visit the film sets in Ouarzazate?
Yes. Atlas Studios on the edge of Ouarzazate runs guided tours of its backlot, where standing sets from past productions are preserved. Kasbah Taourirt is in the town centre, and Aït Ben Haddou is a 30 km drive northwest. All three can be done comfortably in one day with a driver.
How far is Aït Ben Haddou from Marrakech?
Roughly 180 km, but the drive takes about four hours each way because the road crosses the High Atlas over the Tizi n’Tichka pass at 2,260 m. It is a long day trip and a very comfortable overnight one.
Most of these locations sit on the classic southern circuit. Our Morocco itinerary generator will build a day-by-day route through them for your dates, and the Aït Ben Haddou day trip covers the ksar and Atlas Studios from Marrakech. For the Sahara sequences, see Marrakech to Merzouga and the Sahara night sky planner.
Plan a film locations routeUNESCO World Heritage Centre, Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou (ref. 444) · UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Medina of Essaouira · UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Archaeological Site of Volubilis · UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Medina of Fez · British Film Institute · US National Film Registry.
Production credits are drawn from publicly documented filming records. Set access at Atlas Studios varies with active productions, check locally before travelling.
More free Morocco planning tools: what to see in each city, weather by month, Ramadan planner, film locations map, itinerary generator, night sky planner.