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Morocco fortress village hopes to draw ‘Game of Thrones’ fans
AIT-BEN-HADDOU, Morocco, Feb 18, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Millions worldwide may
have seen the desert fortress in the hit fantasy series “Game of Thrones”,
but fewer know they can visit the Moroccan village of Ait-Ben-Haddou.
The fortified old settlement at the foot of the majestic Atlas mountains
enchanted audiences in the HBO series and also served as a dusty backdrop in
Ridley Scott’s epic swords-and-sandals film “Gladiator”.
But unlike other famous locations from movie and television history, this
UNESCO World Heritage Site has so far missed out on a mass influx of tourism
— something some of its inhabitants are eager to change.
“Several people have told me that they came here to see the filming
location of ‘Game of Thrones’,” said Ahmed Baabouz, a local tour guide.
“There is tourism linked to cinema here but frankly we have not developed it
to the extent it could be.”
Ait-Ben-Haddou is southern Morocco’s most famous fortress. Time seems to
have stopped at the site overlooking a valley some 30 kilometres (18.6 miles)
from the town of Ouarzazate.
After passing through the imposing entrance way, visitors navigate a
labyrinth of winding alleys that eventually lead onto a public square where
the settlement’s inhabitants once gathered.
There is a mosque and two cemeteries — one for Muslims and one for Jews.
Most inhabitants have long since departed though, with a few homes converted
into stalls selling handicrafts.
The fortress is an ideal film setting, located a short distance from the
studios of Ouarzazate, the “Mecca” of Moroccan cinema. Productions ranging
from “Lawrence of Arabia” to “The Mummy” have been filmed here.
More recently, scenes from the cult series “Game of Thrones” were shot at
Ait-Ben-Haddou, with the site standing in for the fictional Yellow City of
Yunkai which is conquered by Daenerys Targaryen, a key character in the “GOT”
universe.
Hammadi, 61, is a privileged witness to the location’s cinematic history.
“All of these productions have contributed to the reputation of the
region,” he said, grinning widely.
Hammadi himself has appeared as an extra in a number of films. And while
like most people he lives in a more modern home in a village on the other
side of the valley, he continues to return to Ait-Ben-Haddou to welcome
tourists.
-‘House of the Dragon’ –
On a wall at the entrance to Hammadi’s former home, photos bear witness to
the projects he has worked on.
One shows him dressed as an ancient Roman with director Ridley Scott on
the set of “Gladiator”.
“We have a very rich cinematic heritage that we hope to use to attract
tourists,” said tour guide Baabouz, who is 29.
But “nothing indicates that ‘Game of Thrones’ was shot here,” he added.
On Morocco’s Atlantic coast, the city of Essaouira also formed the
backdrop to scenes from the series.
But there too, Moroccan tourism promoters are yet to capitalise on the
connection.
In comparison, Northern Ireland, Malta and Dubrovnik in Croatia have
attracted hordes of fans from around the world, drawn by their links to the
franchise.
To remedy this, Baabouz and other young people in the village are pooling
their limited resources towards an ambitious project: a museum in the
fortress, gathering photography from the productions that have been filmed
here.
US channel HBO has commissioned a prequel to “GOT”, called “House of the
Dragon”. George R.R. Martin, the author of the books on which the series is
based, wrote on his blog that shooting would also take place in Morocco.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1007 hrs