Morocco's Film Locations

The ancient ksar of Ait Benhaddou doubled as the slave market city of Zucchabar. Ridley Scott chose Morocco for its untouched desert landscapes and fortress architecture that required no digital enhancement.

The film that put Morocco on the cinematic map. David Lean used the vast Zagora desert and the dramatic landscapes south of Ouarzazate to recreate the Arabian Peninsula for this seven-Academy-Award masterpiece.

Erfoud and the surrounding desert stood in for ancient Egypt, while Marrakech provided the bustling marketplace scenes. The Erg Chebbi dunes created the sweeping desert vistas that defined the film.

Ait Benhaddou became the slave city of Yunkai, while the coastal ramparts of Essaouira transformed into Astapor. The Moroccan landscapes provided the exotic, otherworldly quality essential to the fictional continent of Essos.

Ridley Scott returned to Morocco to recreate Mogadishu in the streets of Sale, near Rabat. The city's dense urban fabric and North African architecture convincingly doubled for the Somali capital.

The Moroccan segment of this multi-narrative masterpiece was filmed in the remote villages near Ouarzazate. The stark beauty of the landscape became integral to the story of interconnected lives across continents.

Bond pursued his enemies through the narrow streets of Tangier and across the desert near Erfoud. The iconic train sequence and desert compound scenes showcased Morocco's dramatic terrain at its finest.

Tom Cruise's high-octane motorcycle chase through the streets of Casablanca became one of the franchise's most celebrated sequences. The city's blend of French colonial and Moroccan architecture provided a visually stunning backdrop.

Ridley Scott's Crusades epic was largely built at Atlas Studios, where massive sets of Jerusalem were constructed. The surrounding desert and fortress architecture provided authentic medieval atmosphere.

Oliver Stone built elaborate sets at Atlas Studios to recreate ancient Babylon and the cities of Alexander's conquest. The Atlas Mountains doubled for the Hindu Kush passes.

The acclaimed CIA thriller used Ouarzazate and its surroundings to portray Islamabad, Beirut, and other Middle Eastern cities. The region's versatility allowed it to convincingly represent multiple locations within a single season.

The desert sequences and the Elder's camp were filmed in the Moroccan desert, while Marrakech's atmospheric streets provided the North African urban setting for Keanu Reeves' relentless journey.

The Atlas region's river valleys and mountain scenery doubled for Yemen in this charming drama. Morocco's diverse landscapes proved once again that virtually any geography can be found within its borders.