Desert Toll Booth in Ait Benhaddou, Morocco

Ait Benhaddou is a ksar - a fortified village - along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh. The site of the ksar has been fortified since the 11th century during the Almoravid period The site's strategic importance was due to its location in the Ounila Valley along one of the main trans-Saharan trade routes.