Does this look familiar?
If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know I am a huge Game of Thrones fan. This UNESCO site, Ait Benhaddou, was the setting for Yunkai in season 3. Notably, it was in the finale scene where Daenerys Targaryen was celebrated by the freed slaves. In case you missed that series, it was also used as settings in in The Mummy, Gladiator 1 & 2, Alexander, Kingdom. of Heaven, and Lawrence of Arabia.
It made the route to Marrakesh even more interesting to see this site.
You can sill see evidence of earthquake damage in throughout as well as some roadwork along our route. Restoration is underway at the ancient site and we saw road crews working in numerous spots.
The drive included lots of switchbacks, and we climbed to an elevation of more than 7,000 feet through the High Atlas Mountains. The two-lane road was in good shape and did have guardrails. It was a beautiful drive of striking scenery with craggy, rock mountains, some snow on the peaks, and the occasional sheppard tending his flocks of sheep just off the pavement.
Up next – Marrakesh!