The renowned actor and iconic British performer Peter O’Toole sadly passed away last week at the age of 81. O’Toole’s long and illustrious career, which spanned over 50 years, included many stunning performances both on stage and on screen, from his rousing portrayal of Macbeth at the Old Vic to his more recent voice part in the Disney animated feature film, Ratatouille. These performances, alongside many others, sealed his place in acting history and displayed both his diversity and longevity as an artiste.
Peter O’Toole, however, is perhaps best known for his title role in the 1962 epic adventure film Lawrence of Arabia, as the First World War British army officer T. E. Lawrence, for which he received widespread critical acclaim and was immediately propelled into the realms of stardom. Lawrence of Arabia is widely accepted as an all-time classic movie, after winning multiple awards and nominations, including an Academy Award for Best Picture and a Best British Actor BAFTA award for O’Toole himself. Due to this success, the film still retains legions of fans, who, now more than ever, may wish to visit some of the famous locations from the movie on Middle East cruises, in on honour of the great man who was at the heart of the action.
Many of the prominent desert scenes in Lawrence of Arabia where shot in Middle Eastern and Arabian nations including Jordan and Morocco, both of which boast ideally placed cruise ports from which to reach to the various locations made famous by the film.
The spectacular landscape of Wadi Rum in Jordan was utilised as a major filming site due to its striking backdrop and archetypal Arabian environment. Middle East cruises from P&O can transport guests to the port of Aqaba in Jordan, the perfect destination from which to explore and discover some of the iconic locations at which O’Toole portrayed Lawrence of Arabia. From Abaqa, guests can travel to and observe the vast desert landscape, majestic mountains and ancient rock layers used as the setting for the motion picture.
A second Jordanian film location worth visiting is El Jafr, situated further afield, but still accessible from the cruise port of Aqaba. Princess Cruises’ Middle East cruises also call at this exotic port, allowing visitors to make their way across to El Jafr and experience the climate and environment that O’Toole himself must have experienced whilst filming Lawrence of Arabia.
Significant shooting locations from the movie can also be found in the vibrant nation of Morocco, at the ancient city of Ait Benhaddou and in the dramatic, secluded region of Ouarzazate. Several Middle East cruises, as well as Mediterranean cruises, from Thomson will stop off in the historic Moroccan ports of Agadir and Casablanca, where travellers can then arrange transport to the beautiful areas of Ait Benhaddou and Ouarzazate. Travel across Morocco to see these astonishing and famous destinations and feel as Peter O’Toole must have felt when he first stepped into this incredible landscape to begin filming what would eventually become his most significant and widely acclaimed acting role.
Lawrence of Arabia and Peter O’Toole fans and enthusiasts can pay tribute to the great actor, and the world-famous film that made his name, on Middle East cruises, calling at some of the most imposing and impressive ports of Jordan and Morocco, where guests can travel to the nearby towns and cities at which O’Toole shared T.E. Lawrence’s heroic story with the world.
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