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Situated in the High Atlas Mountains of southern Morocco the medieval fortress of Ait Benhaddou guarded the trading route to Timbuktu. Today the once thriving kasbah is home to a mere handful of inhabitants though plans are afoot to utilise the abandoned town as a means of alleviating Morocco’s severe housing shortage. Built entirely of baked sand the fortresses remain cool even in the searing afternoon heat of the desert, the earthen walls acting as great insulators. The roofs are made of a bitter willow, the taste of which repels insects. Every door and window in every building has a purpose, be it spiritual, aesthetic or practical. It is incredible to think that this is a town built without architects, without blueprints, without a grand design.
Above all Ait Benhaddou is remarkably beautiful; rarely do man made structures compliment their surroundings so perfectly. It is little wonder that Hollywood has chosen to make over 20 movies in the vicinity, amongst them the multi award winning ‘Lawrence of Arabia’. In recognition of its magnificence and its place in both modern and ancient history the site was recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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