Visit the Film Studio at the "Door of the Desert"
Located outside Ouarzazate, the town referred to as the “Door of the Desert”, and near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aït Ben-Haddou, Atlas Studios is one of the world’s largest film studios and has featured in several well- known films, including the classic epic adventure Lawrence of Arabia based on the life and activities of British Army officer T.E. Lawrence during World War I. Filmed in 1962, Lawrence of Arabia is considered to be one of the most significant films in the history of the film industry. The film adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s novel The Man Who Would Be King was filmed at the Atlas Studio’s in 1975. Other productions filmed at the studios in Morocco include the comedy Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, Babel and Kingdom of Heaven. Certainly, a visit to this spectacular region of Morocco would not be complete without a visit to the studios.
Promoted as the “Moroccan Hollywood” the studio covers an area of more than 20 hectares and is fully equipped with exterior and interior sets, workshops, production offices, accommodation for film crews, and even stables complete with trained animals. Local companies are geared up to provide technical support and local people are well-versed in playing the part of extras on movie sets, adapting to represent different ethnic groups. The film studio is, therefore, a major source of income to the region.
The studio is open daily to visitors, with the tour including sets such as Egyptian palaces, a Tibetan Temple, Kasbahs and a variety of other interesting locations. The surroundings include oases, mountains, valleys and awe-inspiring sand dunes. As you recognize various sets from popular films you’ve seen on the big screen, it could be quite easy to let your imagination run wild when visiting the Atlas Corporation Studios in Morocco.
