FilmCity Tours Morocco
Film location guide
Photograph: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where Gladiator, Game of Thrones, Inception and Lawrence of Arabia were filmed, and how to visit the sets and towns today.
Overview
Filmmakers have come to Morocco since Orson Welles shot Othello in Essaouira in 1949. Desert, snow-capped mountains, the Atlantic coast and old walled cities lie within a few hours of each other, and the country has doubled for Egypt, Jerusalem, Rome’s provinces, Mombasa and Abu Dhabi.
Ouarzazate is the centre of the industry. Atlas Film Studios, opened in 1983, and CLA Studios sit on the edge of town. Thirty kilometres away, the UNESCO-listed ksar of Aït Benhaddou played the market town of Zucchabar in Gladiator and the slave city of Yunkai in Game of Thrones. On the Atlantic coast, Essaouira’s 18th-century ramparts became Astapor, where Daenerys acquired her Unsullied army.
Further north, Tangier stood in for Mombasa in Inception and hosted chases in The Bourne Ultimatum and Spectre. Essaouira played Casablanca in John Wick: Chapter 3, and Marrakech played Abu Dhabi in Sex and the City 2.
This guide covers the main filming locations, the productions shot at each, and practical notes for visiting: guides, timing and the best light for recreating the shots.
On screen
From 1960s epics to recent blockbusters and series, with where each one filmed.
1962
Directed by David Lean
Shot mainly in Jordan and Spain, with some scenes filmed in Morocco around Ouarzazate.
In Morocco: Ouarzazate area, Ait Benhaddou
1999
Directed by Stephen Sommers
The Sahara around Erfoud stood in for the Egyptian desert.
In Morocco: Erfoud and the dunes near Merzouga
2000
Directed by Ridley Scott
Morocco hosted the slave-trading, desert and gladiator-training scenes, with Ait Benhaddou as Zucchabar. The Colosseum scenes were shot in Malta.
In Morocco: Ouarzazate, Ait Benhaddou
2005
Directed by Ridley Scott
Scott returned to Ouarzazate for this Crusades epic, which used the area to stand in for Jerusalem.
In Morocco: Ouarzazate, Essaouira
2006
Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
The film’s Moroccan storyline was shot in remote villages south of the High Atlas.
In Morocco: Taguenzalt and villages in the Ouarzazate region
2010
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Tangier stood in for Mombasa in the chase through narrow medina streets.
In Morocco: Tangier medina
2010
Directed by Michael Patrick King
Marrakech stood in for Abu Dhabi, and the Amanjena resort played the friends’ luxury hotel.
In Morocco: Marrakech, including the Amanjena resort
2013
Directed by Various
Season 3 is the only season filmed in Morocco. Daenerys’s campaign through the slave cities used Ait Benhaddou and Essaouira.
In Morocco: Ait Benhaddou (Yunkai), Essaouira (Astapor)
2015
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
The film’s Moroccan sequences were shot in and around Rabat and Casablanca.
In Morocco: Rabat, Casablanca
2015
Directed by Sam Mendes
Bond’s Moroccan scenes used Tangier’s medina, a desert train sequence filmed out of Oujda, and the desert near Erfoud.
In Morocco: Tangier, Oujda, Erfoud
2017
Directed by Various
The fictional Yemeni prison was filmed at the Ibn Al-Haytham technical school in Ouarzazate.
In Morocco: Ouarzazate, Rabat, Casablanca
2019
Directed by Chad Stahelski
Essaouira’s medina stood in for Casablanca, and the desert scenes were shot in southern Morocco.
In Morocco: Essaouira, southern Moroccan desert
Ouarzazate
The town that calls itself the Hollywood of Africa, with two studio complexes on its edge.
Ouarzazate
Opened in 1983 and often described as one of the largest film studios in the world by area. Daily guided tours walk you through standing sets from past productions. Sets change as productions come and go, so what you see depends on timing.
Ouarzazate
The second studio complex in Ouarzazate, opened in 2005 as a partnership between Italy’s Cinecittà, producer Dino De Laurentiis and Moroccan investor Saïd Alj. Tours run when no production is using the lot; check access before you go.
Ouarzazate
A kasbah about 8 km outside Ouarzazate where scenes for Lawrence of Arabia were filmed. The roof terrace looks over the surrounding desert and palm groves.
Aït Benhaddou
The UNESCO-listed ksar about 30 km from Ouarzazate.
Aït Benhaddou
The mud-brick towers against the hills have stood in for ancient Rome’s provinces, the Holy Land and fantasy cities. Cross the river for the classic view. Entry to the village is free; hire a local guide at the entrance if you want the film history.
Aït Benhaddou
The ruined granary at the top of the ksar looks out over the valley. The climb is short but steep, and on clear days you can see the Atlas.
Aït Benhaddou
The shallow river at the foot of the ksar gives the classic approach shot. In dry months you can walk across; in spring, stepping stones bridge the flow. The mud-brick walls glow in the late afternoon.
Essaouira
Astapor in Game of Thrones, and the town where Orson Welles shot Othello.
Essaouira
The 18th-century sea bastions with their bronze cannons became Astapor in Game of Thrones, where Daenerys takes command of the Unsullied. The ramparts over the Atlantic are free to walk.
Essaouira
The harbour with its blue fishing boats served as Astapor’s waterfront in Game of Thrones. In John Wick: Chapter 3, Essaouira’s medina stood in for Casablanca.
Essaouira
The square is named after Welles, who shot much of his Othello in Essaouira and Safi between 1949 and 1951, decades before Morocco became a regular filming destination.
Tangier
The port city that stood in for Mombasa in Inception.
Tangier
Tangier’s medina stood in for Mombasa in the Inception chase. The Bourne Ultimatum and Spectre also filmed in the city.
The desert
Dunes and stony desert that have stood in for Egypt, Persia and a Bond villain’s lair.
The desert
The orange dunes of Erg Chebbi near Merzouga reach about 150 metres. The Mummy and Prince of Persia both filmed around Erfoud, and Spectre shot its desert scenes near the town. Reach the dunes by camel or 4x4 from Merzouga.
The desert
Babel filmed its Moroccan storyline in remote villages in the Ouarzazate region, including Taguenzalt.
Marrakech
The city that stood in for Abu Dhabi.
Marrakech
Sex and the City 2 filmed around Jemaa el-Fna and in the medina, which played the souks of Abu Dhabi.
Marrakech
The Amanjena resort on the edge of Marrakech played the luxury hotel where the four friends stay.
Myth and fact
The most famous “Moroccan” film was never shot in Morocco. Here is what to see in Casablanca instead.
The 1942 classic Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, is set in the Moroccan city during the Second World War. Not a single frame was shot in Morocco: the whole production was filmed on Warner Bros. sound stages in Burbank, California.
In 2004, American expatriate Kathy Kriger opened Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca’s old medina, recreating the fictional nightclub with Art Deco furnishings, a curved bar and a pianist playing “As Time Goes By.”
Casablanca
A restaurant built as a tribute to the fictional Rick’s Café Américain, despite the film never having been shot in Morocco.
VisitingRick’s Cafe is at 248 Boulevard Sour Jdid in the old medina and serves Moroccan and international food. Book ahead for dinner, especially from October to April. It pairs well with the Art Deco centre and the Hassan II Mosque.
Casablanca
One of the largest mosques in Africa, set on the Atlantic shore, that appears in documentaries and as an establishing shot in films set in Morocco. The minaret stands 210 metres tall. Guided interior tours are open to non-Muslims.
Background
Seven decades of filming, from Orson Welles to the streaming era.
Why here
Good to know
Timing, transport and photography at the studios, the ksar and the dunes.
Licensed guides at the entrance know where each film was shot and can point out the camera positions.
Morning light is better for photographs, and you avoid the afternoon heat, which can pass 40°C in summer.
The two are about 30 km apart. Tour Atlas Studios in the morning and reach Aït Benhaddou for the late-afternoon light.
Marrakech to Ouarzazate is about four hours over the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260 m). A night in Ouarzazate makes the day far less rushed.
Ouarzazate and the desert are very hot from May through September. Carry at least 2 litres of water per person.
Atlas Studios and CLA Studios close sections during productions. Ask your hotel or guide before you go.
The view from the far bank is the one from the films. Late afternoon turns the mud-brick amber.
Day-trip groups from Marrakech crowd Aït Benhaddou around the middle of the day. Come early or late for quieter streets and better light.
At Erg Chebbi, be on a dune before dawn. A telephoto lens picks out ridges and shadows.
Professional video and drone equipment may need permits in Morocco. Check with your guide first.
The Astapor scenes were filmed along the Skala du Port. Walk its length for angles with the cannons and the Atlantic behind.
Signal is patchy in the desert. Save offline maps for Ouarzazate, Zagora and Merzouga before you lose wifi.
Questions
Productions shot in Morocco include Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Jewel of the Nile (1985), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Babel (2006), Inception (2010), Sex and the City 2 (2010), Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015), Spectre (2015) and John Wick: Chapter 3 (2019), plus season 3 of Game of Thrones. Productions come for the range of landscapes, crews experienced in international shoots and a 30% cash rebate on eligible local spending.
Game of Thrones filmed in Morocco for season 3. Ait Benhaddou played the slave city of Yunkai, and Essaouira’s ramparts and harbour became Astapor, where Daenerys acquires the Unsullied. You can visit both on your own or on a guided trip from Marrakech.
Ridley Scott filmed the slave-trading, desert and gladiator-training scenes of Gladiator (2000) in and around Ouarzazate, with Ait Benhaddou as the market town of Zucchabar. The Rome and Colosseum scenes were shot in Malta, not Morocco.
Yes. Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate runs guided tours of its standing sets. Some sets are dismantled between productions and sections close during active filming, so what you see depends on timing. CLA Studios, also in Ouarzazate, offers tours when no production is using it. Go in the morning for softer light and to avoid the afternoon heat.
No. The 1942 film Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart was filmed on sound stages at Warner Bros. in Burbank, California. Not a single scene was shot in Morocco. Rick’s Cafe, a restaurant inspired by the film, opened in 2004 in Casablanca’s old medina and recreates the look of the fictional nightclub.
Book through a licensed guide or tour agency in Ouarzazate, Marrakech or Essaouira, through your hotel, or arrange private transport with a driver-guide. A day trip from Marrakech to Ait Benhaddou and Atlas Studios is a long day; staying a night in Ouarzazate gives you the best light at both.
Desert, mountains, coast and old walled cities sit within a few hours of each other and can double for many countries. Ouarzazate has two large studio complexes, Atlas Studios and CLA Studios, and local crews have worked on international productions since the 1960s. The Centre Cinematographique Marocain also pays a 30% cash rebate on eligible production spending in Morocco.
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