From the Berber Aourz N’zat, the old village of Aourz n’Zat “the ankle of the mountain of Zat,” Ouarzazate is a city in southern Morocco known as the “portal to the desert.” Founded by the French protectorate in 1928, the city has long served as a military town.
Ouarzazate is the central hub of a huge territory in southern Morocco, located at 1136 m altitude at the crossroads of the valleys of Oued Ouarzazate and Oued Dades, both coming from the High Atlas and forming the Wadi Draa. It reflects both the southern slopes of the High Atlas and the close desert.
Ouarzazate has become an ideal and exotic tourist destination for a quiet, generous, and hospitable stay due to its kasbahs and adobe ksours, green oasis and lunar landscapes, and dreamlike natural settings.
Ouarzazate has a significant tourist infrastructure that includes luxury hotels, guest houses, inns, lodges, bivouacs, restaurants, travel agencies, tourist transportation or car rental, a Congress Palace, and an international airport.
Every year, thousands of people from all over the world visit Ouarzazate for a relaxing vacation. It’s also the perfect starting point if you intend to explore the entire Draa-Tafilalet region.
Ouarzazate is the capital of the same-named province.
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