Are you a Game of Thrones fan? Have you ever dreamed of visiting one of their film sets? Today I take you around Ait Benhaddou, the set of Yunkai, one of the three city-states of Slaver’s Bay.
KAHLEESI DREAMS AT AIT BENHADDOU
Set of Yunkai, Game of Thrones
I love Game of Thrones and I am SO excited about Season 7. Every character has their own story and every episode has a twist. In my opinion, it is one of the most engaging and entertaining TV shows of all time. I still remember how in Season 3 of Game of Thrones, Grey Worm entered Yunkai through the backgate to let Daenerys’ army in. Soon the city fell and Daenerys had taken over Yunkai and became their ‘mother’.
When I discovered that Ait Benhaddou, aka Yunkai, was only a few hours away from Marrakech, I knew I had to visit! The first time I visited Morocco, we had driven by Ait Benhaddou, but not close enough to go in and walk around the city. So this time I booked a driver for a day to take us around several sites, one of which was Ait Benhaddou.
I brought a white maxi dress inspired by many of Daenerys’ floor length gowns and layered on top a leather harness that I hand made during my times interning at Zana Bayne. It was the closest I could get to a Kahleesi outfit without looking like a cosplay fan. P.s. If I had blonde hair I would’ve braided it. And in this Kahleesi, I set forth to conquer Yunkai!
Keep scrolling down for more practical info on visiting Ait Benhaddou
– OUTFIT DETAILS –
White Gown from Lulus
Chevron Harness by Zana Bayne (Hand made by me while interning there!)
Blue Front Knot Midriff from Mango
Jean Shorts from Forever 21
Sandals from Stuart Weitzman (Similar here)
Earrings and Broche by Chanel
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ABOUT
Ait Benhaddou has been a UNESCO site since 1987 and is the most famous ksar (fortified village) in the Province of Ouarzazate. This earthen city has served as the setting for many famous movies and TV shows including The Gladiator, The Mummy, Prince of Persia and of course, Yunkai of Game of Thrones.
WHERE
Ait Benhaddou is located to the south east of Marrakech, between Marrakech and the Sahara Desert, on the edge of the High Atlas mountains.
HOW TO GET THERE
The best way to get to Ait Benhaddou if you are not already staying nearby, is to hire a driver for the day. You can easily do a day trip from Marrakech to Ait Benhaddou and visit other sites along the way. I booked my driver with Nick, who also organized our luxury desert camp tour. We had a customized itinerary, so make sure to contact Nick or other travel agencies for a more accurate quote.
WHAT TO DO
There are only a few families who still live in the city and our guide belonged to one of them. I would definitely suggest booking a tour to walk you around the city and explain to you the architecture and history. Our friendly guide not only explained everything to us but also showed us into his mother’s home. It was fascinating to get a peak into the local people’s every day lives.
While you are there, drink some mint tea and visit the local artists who draw paintings of Moroccan clay buildings with saffron, tea and indigo. When the artist first paints on the canvas, the tea is a soft beige color and you can’t tell what the picture is really about. But once he puts fire underneath the paper, it caramelizes the parts painted with tea and turns the color dark brown. Now you have a complete painting with clay buildings, shadows and the sky! Amazing, isn’t it?
| Photography by Austin Donohue |
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