Film Sets

When Li Ki and I first heard that Sex & the City 2 was filmed in Morocco, our interest was piqued. Little did we know that Morocco has been THE film set of major epics for the last 50 years! Gladiator, The Passion, Prince of Persia, Troy, Alexander, Lawrence of Arabia and Cleopatra are just some of the names that were dropped when we visited High Atlas Film Studios at Ouarzazate, about 5 hours drive from Marrakech.

The "Made in Morocco" plane from Jewel in the Nile starring Michael Douglas that's crafted entirely out of styrofoam!

The only Buddhist temple in Morocco used in the filming of Kundun by Martin Scorcese

Aunty Jo Jo trying to fit into the film sets for Jesus of Nazareth and The Passion - and failing miserably :-)

Looking glam on the Cleopatra film set, which was also used for Alexander and Asterix

The Aid Benhaddou kasbah used in the filming of Gladiator and Jesus of Nazareth

The discovery of all the different film sets was a pleasant surprise and makes for a highly entertaining detour between the souks of Marrakech and the sands of the Sahara. The affable tour guides offer up a good laugh, as they struggle to keep tour groups together since visitors tend to scatter the moment they encounter a scene they recognize! I was the guilty party on a number of occasions (smiling sheepishly).