During one of the days of our Morocco adventure, we left early morning on a day trip out of Marrakech and headed southwards towards the edge of the Sahara desert to visit the valley of Kasbahs (fortified cities). The nearly 4hr winding yet scenic drive took us up through the Tizi n’Tichka pass at over 7000ft elevation and over the Atlas Mountains. It was interesting to see how drastically the terrain changed during the crossing – from lush green vegetation to barren rocky mountains and desert landscapes within an hour.

Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah

Our first stop was at the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, which is set into a hillside and borders the Ouarzazate river. This fortress city was once an important stop for traders on the Sahara route, and has been on the UNESCO world heritage sites list since 1987. In modern days the kasbah has found fame as a filming location for the Game of Thrones series and movies such as Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, The Mummy, Alexander and The Temptation of the Christ. We hiked our way through the walled city, admiring the imposing angular red clay lookout towers of the fort, and even chanced upon a folk dance and song performance by a few locals from the local Berber tribe.

Argan Oil experience

En route to the next attraction, our driver ‘suggested’ that we make a pit stop at a farming cooperative that produces Argan oil on site. Argan oil is native to Morocco, and is known for its anti-aging benefits and used as a remedy for most skin ailments. After a taste of the bitter oil, we saw a demonstration of how the Argan seed is split, roasted and pressed by hand to squeeze out the precious oil. The ladies took a break from pashmina shopping for the day and turned their attentions instead to trying their hand at making the oil, then haggling for a few oil bottles.

Taorirt Kasbah

After eventually using Baby A’s cuteness as a negotiating tactic to extract a good price from the Argan oil shopowner, we made our way to the Taorirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate. This former palace of the Glaoui clan was once at the crossroads of the Saharan trade routes with west Africa, and although partly in ruins today, its former glory is showcased in the sections that have been renovated with UNESCO funding.  While navigating our way through the labyrinthine inners of the kasbah and admiring the imposing boundary walls and plastered architecture, we were also pleasantly surprised by all the local art that was on display in the various rooms.

Atlas Film Studios

On our way back to Marrakech we made a quick stop at the Atlas Film Studios, which serves as the headquarters of the Moroccan film industry and is the most likely location choice for many biblical and desert themed Hollywood movies. It was surreal seeing the huge pharaoh statues that adorned the outer perimeter of the studio walls, almost as if we were about to venture into an Egyptian pyramid.