Ouarzazate--just the name conjures up exotic visions--is a city of about 60,000 inhabitants in south-central Morocco on the north edge of the desert. The word "Ouarzazate" comes from a Berber word meaning "without noise" or "without confusion." That's not exactly how it appeared to us.
For example, I was a bit confused when we drove into town and saw this interesting art in the roundabouts and intersections:
And yes, indeed, that's just what it is--the Moroccan Hollywood. One of the largest film studios (acreage-wise) in the world is here: Atlas Studios. Our guide had intended to take us on a tour, but the studios were closed for filming. (Oh, darn.)
Darn.
Some of the famous movies shot here include Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Patton (1970), the Michael Doughlas/Katahleen Turner movie The Jewel of the Nile (1984), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Jesus of Nazareth (1997), Gladiator (1999), Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ (2004), and Kingdom of Heaven (2004), to name a few.
