Aït Benhaddou, Morocco 9 Nov 2024

Aït Benhaddou, Morocco

Get ready for a starry Moroccan night! Stargazing here is truly magical, as the vast skies and minimal light pollution transform each evening into a dazzling display. Every star you see is part of our galaxy, the Milky Way, which gets its name from the way it appears as a creamy band of light in the darkest skies. In today"s image, you can see this cosmic beauty glowing over Aït Benhaddou, a historic ksar—a kind of fortified village—in the Ouarzazate province of Morocco. This site was first fortified in the 11th century. It was a key stop on the ancient caravan trade route connecting the Sahara and the city of Marrakesh. Perched on a hillside by the Ounila River, this village is a cluster of buildings encircled by a protective wall, complete with towers and a gate.

© Cavan Images/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

A prickly customer
9 Nov 2023Birch trees, Drammen, Norway
9 Nov 2025Remembrance Sunday

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Cool bloomers
Home of the worst-smelling food?
13 Mar 2025Holi celebration in Jaipur, India
15 Jan 2025266 years of the British Museum
14 May 2024Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Waterborne wizardry
11 Jun 2024Gemsboks in the savannah, Botswana
A triumphant pose
7 Jan 2025Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
31 Mar 2024Happy Easter!
Widespread and long-eared
Whats blooming so brightly?
28 Sep 2025Town of Pienza in Tuscany, Italy
4 Jun 2024Chestnut-headed bee-eater, Bardia National Park, Nepal
23 Oct 2024Madame Sherri Forest, New Hampshire, United States
What are these colorful insects?
4 Aug 2024San Gimignano, Siena, Italy
Do pandas enjoy winter?
27 Dec 2024Lake Bled, Slovenia
18 Jun 2024Snæfellsnes, Iceland
2 Jul 2024Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
6 Dec 2024Finnish Independence Day
29 Apr 2025Garden at Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, France
14 Nov 2023Russell lupines, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Aug 21, 2023Discovery Day in Yukon, Canada
25 Aug 2025Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
11 Jan 2024Eurasian lynx
9 Feb 2025Alstrom Point, Lake Powell, United States
18 Jan 2024Winnie the Pooh Day
13 Nov 2023Serra de Tramuntana, Balearic Islands, Majorca, Spain