Located in the foothills on the southern slopes of the High Atlas in the
Province of Ouarzazate, the site of Ait-Ben-Haddou is the most famous
ksar in the Ounila Valley. The Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou is a striking
example of southern Moroccan architecture.
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The ksar is a mainly collective grouping of dwellings. Inside the
defensive walls which are reinforced by angle towers and pierced with a
baffle gate, houses crowd together - some modest, others resembling
small urban castles with their high angle towers and upper sections
decorated with motifs in clay brick - but there are also buildings and
community areas. It is an extraordinary ensemble of buildings offering a
complete panorama of pre-Saharan earthen construction techniques. The
oldest constructions do not appear to be earlier than the 17th century,
although their structure and technique were propagated from a very early
period in the valleys of southern Morocco. The site was also one of the
many trading posts on the commercial route linking ancient Sudan to
Marrakesh by the Dra Valley and the Tizi-n'Telouet Pass.
Architecturally, the living quarters form a compact grouping, closed and
suspended. The community areas of the ksar include a mosque, a public
square, grain threshing areas outside the ramparts, a fortification and a
loft at the top of the village, an caravanserai, two cemeteries (Muslim
and Jewish) and the Sanctuary of the Saint Sidi Ali or Amer. The Ksar
of Ait- Ben-Haddou is a perfect synthesis of earthen architecture of the
pre-Saharan regions of Morocco.
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Criterion (iv): The Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou is an eminent example of a
ksar in southern Morocco illustrating the main types of earthen
constructions that may be observed dating from the 17th century in the
valleys of Dra, Todgha, Dadès and Souss.
Criterion (v): The Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou illustrates the traditional
earthen habitat, representing the culture of southern Morocco, which has
become vulnerable as a result of irreversible socio-economic and
cultural changes.
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