Ouarzazate

Nicknamed the door of the desert, Ouarzazate is a city in south-central Morocco. It is situated in the south of the High Atlas Mountains and is at an elevation of 1,160 metres in the middle of a bare plateau. The town is inhabited by Darija (Arabic dialect) and Berber-speakers, who constructed many of the prominent kasbahs, and buildings for which the area is known. The town is hot and dry in summer, but can be very cold in winter, with icy winds coming from the High Atlas Mountains.