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Ouarzazate: Star studded celestial display by night, cultural wonders during the day


 

By Ian Stalker

 

The Moroccan National Tourist Office is inviting night owls to view a star-studded celestial display.

 

Abdelghani Ragala, the tourist office’s Canadian director, says those visiting southern Morocco will be certain to see stars appear in droves after the sun sets in a part of the world that has sparsely populated expanses that see little of the artificial light that makes constellations hard to spot in urban environments.

 

“There are a million stars,” he says. “It’s the most beautiful spectacle of light.”

 

But much of the region’s appeal is also firmly rooted on the ground. Among southern Morocco destinations is Ouarzazate, found some 220 kilometres from better-known Marrakech, the cornerstone of interior Morocco’s tourist trade.

 

Among Ouarzazate claims to fame are area kasbahs, or long-standing forts, including Ait Benhaddou, which tourism officials have described as a “fabulous sand castle transported, as if by magic, to stand in the middle of a field of flowering almond trees.” The UNESCO World Heritage Site has appeared in movies, including Lawrence of Arabia.

 

Ouarzazate, in a desert-setting, has numerous resorts that draw both adventurous and sun-seeking Europeans, along with a souk, or market, selling Moroccan handicrafts, and Ragala notes, the community can be used as a base for four-wheel-drive excursions that explore the surrounding desert and possibly have people overnight in tents. The particularly adventurous can go on camel safaris, perhaps retracing parts of routes caravans of traders once used to crisscross the region centuries ago.

 

Golf is another area option and those who enjoy the sport can “golf on dunes just for fun” in a part of the world that isn’t lacking in sand, Ragala reports.

 

The rugged Atlas Mountains are a particularly prominent feature of southern Morocco and help dispel some preconceived tourist perceptions of the region. “They’re surprised because they think the area’s flat but it’s not true,” Ragala says, with the Atlas Mountains offering downhill skiing in a part of the world many are quick to associate with Saharan sun.

 

Nor is all southern Morocco blanketed by sand, with those visiting Ouarzazate able to continue on to nearby valleys, including the Valley of the Draa, home to palm trees, flowers of different colours and Berber communities, which have their own language and culture.

 

 But those intrigued by desert landscapes in a country that is home to part of the world’s greatest desert – the Sahara – might want to visit Merzouga, home to sweeping vistas of sand, with area sand dunes changing shape, height and colour, the latter thanks to winds and a shifting sun.

 

Dramatic display by nature is Todra Gorge, which attracts rock climbers drawn by steep rock-faces that reach up to 300 metres and at some points are only 20 metres apart.

 

Although modern resorts are found in southern Morocco, Ragala points out that some kasbahs have been converted into hotels, providing guests with insights into the lifestyles of influential Moroccans of yesteryear.

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Ouarzazate: Star studded celestial display by night, cultural wonders during the day
Ouarzazate: Star studded celestial display by night, cultural wonders during the day

The Moroccan National Tourist Office is inviting night owls to view a star-studded celestial display. (02/09/2005)
ESSAOUIRA: the new rising star of Moroccan tourism
ESSAOUIRA: the new rising star of Moroccan tourism

Essaouira has exceptional bathing facilities, a nature reserve on Mogador Island and a medina classified as a universal heritage site by UNESCO - no wonder it is the new rising star of Moroccan touris (29/04/2005)
Agadir: southern Morocco at its best
Agadir: southern Morocco at its best

The number one coastal resort of the Kingdom, Agadir, the capital of Souss, is well rooted in the fabulous heritage of southern Morocco. It is the pivotal point of the richest zone of south Morocco, w (04/03/2005)
Tangiers: the bewitching bride of North Morocco
Tangiers: the bewitching bride of North Morocco

A point of convergence between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean and between civilizations, the Moroccan city of Tangiers is rich in history, its geographic location, the beauty of its architec (06/01/2005)

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Morocco

The news that published in Islamic Tourism Trade Media

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The articles which appeared in Islamic Tourism magazine

Dar Es Salaam: Many tourist attractions in the city of peace

  Issue 65

Little Marrakech
showcases an authentic Morocco
  Issue 46

Morocco tourism show

  Issue 40

The city of Fez celebrates
1200 glorious years
  Issue 37

Ouarzazate
Ahwash, heritage in the service of tourism
  Issue 36

Moroccan Travel Market in Marrakesh

  Issue 34

The Marrakesh marathon:
sport in the service of tourism
  Issue 34

Ninth International exhibition
on Haj and Umrah in Casablanca
  Issue 34

Casablanca hosted the 41st Congress of UFTAA

  Issue 33

Morocco’s Deserts
Nothing but perfect silence
  Issue 32

Tafraoute
Giants' Playground
  Issue 31

International Symposium On Tourism
Morocco is a promising tourist pole
  Issue 30

When a Stranger travels to Marrakesh

  Issue 30

The eighth international meeting
of Pan-Arab tourism in Casablanca
  Issue 29

Mohamed Boukhiyam:
The craft industry is a major factor in
  Issue 27

Ouarzazate
The pearl of the oases
  Issue 26

Morocco
hopes to make a splash in the beach vacations market
  Issue 25

The 7th International Meeting
of Pan- Arab Tourism And Umrah
  Issue 23

Third Conference on Moroccan Tourism

  Issue 21

Ouarzazate
Star studded celestial display by night ...
  Issue 19

Essaouira
The new rising star of Moroccan tourism
  Issue 17

Agadir
Southern Morocco at its best
  Issue 16

Tangiers
The bewitching bride of North Morocco
  Issue 15

El Jadida / Mazagan
beautiful beaches, splendid mountains
  Issue 14

Ramadan in Morocco
Month of piety and solidarity
  Issue 13

Fez
A tourist's dream come true
  Issue 12

Marrakech
Through place Djemma El-Fna
  Issue 11

Marrakesh
The charm of southern Morocco
  Issue 6

News
Intense efforts to revive hotel and tourism sector
  Issue 5

News
Moroccan Bid for Project to Build ..
  Issue 4

News
Marrakesh hosts International Assembly for promoting hotels and tourism
  Issue 3

Fez
beauty and history in Islam's old city
  Issue 1




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