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Monday, August 15, 2016

The abandoned fortified town of Ait-Ben-Haddou in Morocco



The town of Ait-Ben-Haddou was founded along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh in present-day Morocco. The fortified town dates from the 17th century and it's an example of earthen clay architecture, which is also used in Moroccan architecture

Ait-Ben-Haddou's giant fortification is made up of six forts (Kasbahs) and nearly fifty palaces which are individual forts. The town contains a mosque, two cemeteries (Jewish and Muslim) and a public square. Most reports mention that only 2-8 families live in the ancient city today while most of the population live in a nearby modern village.

Ait-Ben-Haddou has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Several films and tv series have been shot there including Oedipus Rex, Jesus of Nazareth, The Jewel of the Nile, The Last Temptation of Christ, Gladiator, Babel, Prince of Persia, and Game of Thrones.

* Ait-Ben-Haddou has also been transliterated in English as Aït Benhaddou, Ait Benhaddou, Aït-Ben-Haddou, Ath Benhadu. 






SEE ALSO: More ghost towns around the world // More abandoned places in the desert // LIST OF ALL DESERTED PLACES 
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