Top Ten Film Locations to See on a Holiday to
North Africa
By Kieron Sellens
North Africa is a perfect place for filming; it has sweeping
vistas, it has seas of sand, it has the Mediterranean, it has
new buildings and old alleyways in ancient and bustling cities.
In fact, all the attractions and opportunities that make it a
great place for filming also makes North Africa great for
holidays. We examine the top ten film locations that, along with
the other attractions, mean that any North African holiday will
be as exciting as it is exotic…
10. The English Patient
The English Patient was filmed in Mahdia and Nefta in Tunisia.
The shifting sands and small oasis town feel of the locations
almost became another character in the film as the love story
played out over them.
9. The Life of Brian
A less straight-laced film at number 9, with Monty Python’s
Life of Brian. The film was filmed almost exclusively on
location in Tunisia, and includes the Amphitheatre at El Djem,
the Kasbah of Sousse and several other towns and areas. One of
their most controversial and best films, Brian included all the
‘Pythons’ in various parts as well as half of ‘Goon’ Spike
Milligan. Only half of the footage with his character is
actually Spike. The pythons met him and got him to film some
scenes, but he himself was on a holiday in North Africa, and
left to carry on his holiday with only half of his part done!
8. Cleopatra
As you’d imagine, parts of this epic were filmed on location in
Egypt. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor engage in epic war
and love scenes close to the Pyramids and over the desert sands
– a classic film, it’s low on our list because most holidays to
North Africa that go to Egypt will go for the history of the
Pyramids and the middle kingdom rather than to see where the
stars may have stood.
7. Death on the Nile
A Peter Ustinov classic, Death on the Nile is a great film that
seems almost like an advert for holidays in North Africa and
Egypt all on its own! The film shows all of the main Egyptian
sights, from Luxor to Giza, and is scenic and riveting.
6. Black Hawk Down
Black Hawk Down was filmed almost entirely in Morocco, using
many of the soldiers who were actually in the raid the film
depicts. The real life battle took place in Mogadishu, but those
looking for the locations on a North African holiday will enjoy
trips to Kénitra Airbase and Rabbat in Morocco where the bulk of
the film was made.
5. Laurence of Arabia.
With “Arabia” in the title you’d think that this 60’s David
Lean classic would have been filmed somewhere on the Arabian
peninsula. However, most was filmed in Spain and several other
locations such as California, Jordan, Morocco and Wales. The
Moroccan aspect was filmed in Ouarzazate, a famous city in
southern Morocco that is more castle or citadel than city.
4. Gladiator
A more modern epic, Gladiator also filmed several of its scenes
in Ouarzazate, the ancient roman architecture fitting in with
the run down province where Maximus becomes a Gladiator for the
first time. Ouarzazate is well worth a visit on a Holiday in
North Africa, for its own history and culture and for its long
history of film production.
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones always chooses the most interesting places to go
on ‘holiday’. The North African city of Sousse was the location
for some of the Raiders of the Lost Ark shoot, in particular the
famous scene where Inde comes up against a sword master and
lazily draws his gun and shoot him rather than get up close.
There was a whole scene planned out for this fight, but Harrison
Ford (and everyone else in the cast and crew apart from
Spielberg) had very bad diarrhoea, and told the director “Why
doesn't he just shoot him and get it over and done with?"
2. Star Wars
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away was actually 1977 and
Tunisia. The sweeping sands and rocky crags of the country made
it perfect for the desert plant of Tatooine in George Lucas’s
space epic, and the set for Luke Skywalker’s home is a popular
tourist destination for fans on holiday in North Africa.
1. Casablanca
Casablanca is the perfect movie from North Africa, with one
small problem; none of it was filmed there! While cheating a
little, the film still comes number one in our list as you can
visit the city and go to Rick's Café Américain, a tribute bar in
the same style as the original set. A great place and city to
visit on your holidays to North Africa.
About the Author: Kieron Sellens is the marketing manager of
the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AiTO). With North
Africa holidays
http://www.aito.co.uk/north-africa-holiday.asp
from AITO you can tailor-make the dream trip abroad.
