article_snippet: (CNN)In "Game of Thrones
article_snippet: ," Yunkai might be a fictional city ruled by an oligarchy of slave merchants, but the scenes had to be filmed in the real world.
article_snippet: But the creators of "Game of Thrones" were not the first to use the region's beauty as the backdrop for a major international production.
article_snippet: More than a decade before them, Ridley Scott chose the North African country to film the gory glory of ancient Rome in Ridley Scott epic "Gladiator" starring Russell Crowe.
article_snippet: And so did the producers of "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" which starred Jake Gyllenhaal.
article_snippet: National Geographic used one of his sets in the mini-series "Killing Jesus" -- the seven-week production was filmed by a crew of 250 people and included 4,500 extras.
article_snippet: Atlas Studios opened in 1983 to host the Michael Douglas classic "The Jewel of the Nile."  
article_snippet: Since then, around 200 TV shows and films have been shot there, including "Babel," starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.
article_snippet: There [are] few job opportunities," says resident Abdelaziz Bouydnayen, who once played Osama Bin Laden in a National Geographic  documentary.
article_snippet: Making stories of biblical proportions requires that there be casts of hundreds" says Roma Downey, who is producing the upcoming TV series "A.D." in Morocco.
highlights_snippet: Ridley Scott's film "Gladiator" and parts of "Game of Thrones" have been filmed in the area .
  