Where It Is Set Versus Where It Was Filmed
The story of Kingdom of Heaven is set in 12th-century France and the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but almost nothing was filmed in either place. The production shot in Morocco and Spain instead. Ouarzazate and its surrounding desert stood in for Jerusalem and the Holy Land, while Spanish castles, cathedrals, and palaces covered the European scenes and many Jerusalem interiors. Filming ran from January 12, 2004, to May 16, 2004.
The Studio Side
Atlas Corporation Studios in Ouarzazate, Morocco, was the production's studio base, and it is visitable. The centrepiece is the giant Jerusalem set, built to Arthur Max's designs for the city, siege, and Kerak attack scenes. Unlike most film sets, it was not dismantled: it remains standing, has been used in other productions such as Game of Thrones, and can be seen on guided tours of the studio lots.
Tours That Visit These Locations
For travellers who want more than a self-guided wander, a guided experience adds context that the sites alone do not provide. In Ouarzazate, tour options focus on the studio lots where the Jerusalem set still stands, and on the surrounding desert that Ridley Scott has returned to repeatedly across his career.
Guided Studio Set Tour, Ouarzazate
Ride the cast of famous Hollywood movies on set in their natural environment!
A five-star rated guided tour that takes visitors onto the working studio terrain around Ouarzazate where famous Hollywood films were shot in their natural environment, an efficient way to see the Kingdom of Heaven legacy alongside other productions filmed in the same landscape.
★ 5.0 out of 5 · 7 reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Kingdom of Heaven filmed in the real Jerusalem?
No. Although the story is largely set in Jerusalem, filming took place in Morocco and Spain. A large Jerusalem set was built at Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate, Morocco, while Spanish sites such as Seville's Real Alcázar and Casa de Pilatos provided palace and interior scenes.
Can you visit the Kingdom of Heaven set today?
Yes. The Jerusalem set at Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate remained standing after filming and has appeared in other productions, including Game of Thrones. The studio offers guided tours, making it the most complete surviving piece of the film's production.
Which Spanish castle appears in Kingdom of Heaven?
Loarre Castle in Huesca, Aragon, played Godfrey's family castle and the location where Balian meets his father. It is one of Europe's best-preserved 11th and 12th century fortresses and is open to the public with tickets.
What was filmed in Seville?
Two Seville palaces appear in the film. Casa de Pilatos served as the Marshal of Jerusalem's office, and the Real Alcázar stood in for the Jerusalem palace scenes. Both are ticketed sites in central Seville and can be visited on the same day.
When was Kingdom of Heaven filmed?
Principal photography ran from January 12, 2004, to May 16, 2004, roughly a year before the film's 2005 release.
Did Ridley Scott film other movies in Morocco?
Yes. Before Kingdom of Heaven, Scott filmed Gladiator and Black Hawk Down in Morocco, and he returned to Ouarzazate for this production, drawing on his familiarity with the region's desert landscapes and studio facilities.
Kingdom of Heaven leaves behind one of the more visitable filmographies of its era. The Jerusalem set in Ouarzazate is the headline draw, a full-scale city that never came down, while the Spanish locations cluster into convenient trips: Loarre for the castle, Seville for the palaces, and Ávila and Segovia for a single day in Castile and León. Travellers planning around Morocco or southern and central Spain can realistically cover most of the film's locations without detouring far from established routes.
