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Ouarzazate — Fotopedia
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Ouarzazate

Ouarzazate (Berber: ⵡⴰⵔ ⵣⴰⵣⴰⵝ Warzazat, Arabic: ورزازات‎, lit. "noiselessly"), nicknamed The door of the desert, is a city and capital of Ouarzazate Province in the Souss-Massa-Draâ of southern-central Morocco. Ouarzazate is located at an elevation of 1,160 metres (3,810 ft) in the middle of a bare plateau south of the High Atlas Mountains. To the south of the town is the desert.

The town is chiefly inhabited by Berbers, who constructed many of the prominent kasbahs and buildings for which the area is known. Ouarzazate is an important holiday destination in Morocco, as a base for excursions across the Draa Valley and into the desert. The fortified village (ksar) of Ait Benhaddou west of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Ouarzazate area is also a noted film-making location, with Morocco's biggest studios inviting many international film companies to shoot their films. Films such as Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Living Daylights (1987), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Kundun (1997), Legionnaire (1998), and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011) were shot here.


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Souss-Massa-Draâ

Souss-Massa-Draâ (Arabic: سوس ماسة درعة‎) is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in central Morocco. It covers an area of 70,880 km² and has a population of 3,113,653 (2004 census). The capital is Agadir. One of the major languages spoken in this region of Morocco, is Tashelhit.

As of 2005, the Wali of Souss-Massa-Draâ is Rachid Filali.

The region is made up into the following provinces and prefectures :


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