Ait Ben Haddou - Challenge stay at home (Day 1)

in #travelathome5 years ago

Hi everyone,

Today, I would like to join to challenge under the hashtag #travelathome.

In 2018, my friend and I hitchhiked around Morocco for two weeks. One of the most interesting places we visited was Ajt Bin Haddu. Fortified settlement (ksar) in Morocco, located about 30 km north-west of the town of Ouarzazat, inscribed in 1987 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Ksar is located on the edge of the river valley, on the other side of the river and the car park and the whole tourist infrastructure. There is no bridge. There was so little water in the river that we walked over the stones without any problem. You can walk and visit without a guide, while the owners expect payment for visiting houses from the inside.

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Ait Ben Haddou

.It is unknown when exactly the settlement was established, although it must have existed already in the 16th century. Due to its location between Marrakech and Ouarzazat, it used to be an important trading town on the caravan route. The settlement declined when the routes along the coast of West Africa opened. The final end of Ait Bin Haddou was laid by the French, building a modern road through the Tiszka Pass. Most people today live outside the fortifications, but a few families still live in Kazba.

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Overhead view of the city

These buildings were made from the most easily accessible raw materials: clay, water, gravel and straw chopped straw. After mixing, they formed a mass called pise. This mass was compacted in plank formwork, thus erecting the walls of buildings. In dry climates in southern Morocco, such a mass gains a hardness similar to concrete, but has no resistance to water. Here it rains sporadically, buildings erected from pise can withstand several decades. Later they fall apart or have to be renovated. That's why even the oldest caskets and crosses are no more than 30 years old.

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From here there was a wonderful view of the river valley, above which lies the village and, perhaps most of all, the desert plains stretching around. In the north and west, the distant peaks of the High Atlas looked beautiful.

Due to the picturesqueness of the settlement, a number of films were shot here, among others:
The Nile Jewel (1985)
Gladiator (2000)
Alexander (2004)
Game of the throne (as the city of Yunkai)

I recommend visiting Aid Ben Haddou to everyone and it is "must have" if you ever visit Morocco.

All pictures taken by Sony Z5.

Thank you @psos for a great challenge. For my part, I would like to invite to have fun @fotostef.

Greetings,
Dawid

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Wow amazing photography 🧡
I'm from Morocco, you can check my Profile at Steemit i have some photos at Ait Ben Hadou.

Welcome to the challenge! :)
I don't know Morocco but I want to go there some day ;)
Cheers!

I recommend Morocco, it's a really great country with wonderful people.

I have to go there ;)

I heard lot of about this place. It’s my next travel direction