Located in Morocco just south of Marrakesh, is the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou in Ouarzazate. This ancient fortified city — known as a ksar (castle) is made of mud bricks and clings to the foothills along the Ounila River. A settlement of the Berber peoples since ancient times, Ait Benhaddou is a UNESCO world heritage site that attracts travelers from all over the world.

Ait Benhaddou Map and Terrain

For hundreds of years, Ait Benhaddou has been a stop on the Marrakesh-Ouarzazate caravan route that traverses the Sahara Desert. If you look at the Ait Benhaddou terrain map above, you can see that Ait Benhaddou is the last stop on the trail to Marrakesh before you enter the steep and rugged canyons that lead to the Northern Sahara Plateau and finally to Marrakesh and the Marrakesh Market.

Though it is located in the Southern reaches of the Sahara Desert, the…