Church of Santa Teresa de Uarzazat

Uarzazat, Morocco

The Church of St. Teresa is a Catholic temple located in Uarzazat, the door of the Sahara desert and known as "Hollywood in southern Morocco." It belongs to the Archdiocese of Rabat and is one of the few Catholic temples in the deep south of Morocco.

History

Uarzazat is a city in the Dadès Valley, at the foot of the Upper Atlas, which serves as a gateway to the Sahara desert. The city grew during the period of the French Protectorate as a military and administrative post. The church was built to serve the French and Spanish Catholic community.

The region of Draa-Tafilalet, where Uarzazat is located, belongs to the territory of the Archdiocese of Rabat, which extends over 400,000 km ², covering much of the south and centre of Morocco. By 2020, the archdiocese had 21,150 baptized faithful and 34 priests.

Uarzazat and southern Morocco

Uarzazat is known internationally as "Hollywood of South Morocco" for his film studies, where films like Lawrence de Arabia, Gladiators and numerous production Game of Thrones. The city is also a starting point for excursions to the desert and to the Dadès and Todra valleys.