Where was Lawrence of Arabia filmed? All filming locations explored

Lawrence of Arabia is a cult classic based on Thomas Edward Lawrence, the legendary British military officer, archaeologist, and writer adapted from his book 1926 Seven Pillars of Wisdom. The movie was directed by the English filmmaker David Lean, that was released on 10 December 1962, and distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Lawrence of Arabia went on to have ten Oscar nominations and won seven in the year 1963. The story is set during the First World War and describes Lawrence's experiences as he tried to bring together the Arab tribes and revolt against the Turkish forces, that led them to take Aqaba.

Peter O'Toole is still known for his iconic performance as T.E. Lawrence in the movie, which had a cast consisting of Alec Guinness, Anthony Quayle, José Ferrer, Jack Hawkins, Claude Rains, Anthony Quinn, Arthur Kennedy, and Omar Sharif.

Peter O'Toole as T.E. Lawrence (Image via Columbia Pictures)

Lawrence of Arabia is based in the Ottoman and describes Lawrence's experiences while working as an officer for the British government. Sam Spiegel worked as a producer, through his company Horizon Pictures, and its filming started on May 15, 1961. Lawrence of Arabia was mainly shot across varied locations in London, Jordan, and Spain.

The synopsis of Lawrence of Arabia on Rotten Tomatoes reads,

Due to his knowledge of the native Bedouin tribes, British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) is sent to Arabia to find Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness) and serve as a liaison between the Arabs and the British in their fight against the Turks. With the aid of native Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif), Lawrence rebels against the orders of his superior officer and strikes out on a daring camel journey across the harsh desert to attack a well-guarded Turkish port.

All filming locations of Lawrence of Arabia

1) Chobham Village in Surrey and St. Paul's Cathedral, London

Though most parts of the shootings took place in the Middle East, Lawrence's funeral and memorial service took place in St. Paul's Cathedral, in London. However, the interior shots of the funeral were created in a studio in Spain. It serves as an Anglican cathedral, that is located in Ludgate Hill and is dedicated to Paul of Apostle. The origins of the castle go back to AD 604, while the present structure was consecrated by Sir Christopher Wren in 1697.

Also, the scene where Lawrence faced the motorcycle crash that took his life, was shot in the Chobham village in Surrey, England. Located in the Borough of Surrey Heath, this small village with a thin population is governed by a local government. It has historical significance for its traditional line of commencing, and especially for its trades revolving around motor vehicles.

2) Seville and Almería, Spain

The civic buildings around Jerusalem shown in the film are mainly shot around buildings around Plaza de España, which serves as the Cairo officer's club. The open square was built back in the year 1928, mainly for the Ibero-American Exposition, a world fair that was held from May 9, 1929, to June 21, 1930.

The officer's club courtyard was shot in Alfonso XIII, a historic hotel that is located near the University of Seville. The hotel was built between 1916 to 1928 and was also opened to the world fair in 1929, the Ibero-American Exposition. The place where Lawrence meets General Alleny was shot in Casa de Pilatos. This is an Andalusian palace, with its architecture showing the styles of the Italian Renaissance, and currently serves as a residence for the Dukes of Medinaceli. The location, Damascus town hall in Lawrence of Arabia was shot in El Casino, Avenida de Maria Luisa, Sevilla.

The entire town of Aqaba was created with props on the beaches of Playa del Algarrobico near Carboneras, which is close to Almería City. Carboneras is a province in Spain, known for its beaches including Los Muertos Beach, Playa Cala de Enmedio, Los Muertos Beach, and Playa del Algarrobico.

Almería is a city in Spain, that was founded by Caliph Abd al-Rahman III back in 955. Almería has a deep historical significance, studded with sites including the medieval fortress The Alcazaba, the air raid shelters of Almería, and the Cathedral of Almería.

3) Wadi Rum, Jordan

Wadi Rum is the place, that serves as the base camp for the Arab soldiers. This gives spectacular views of the desert and provides Lawrence of Arabia with its signature ambiance. Lawrence arrives at the camps meets Prince Failsal, and forms a very close bond, which is located at the red cliffs of Wadi Rum.

Also known as the Valley of the Moon, it is a red-rock wilderness, filled with granite rock and sandstone best for films on space. It is a popular location for Hollywood film sets, where popular movies like The Last Days on Mars (2013) and The Martian (2015), including Lawrence of Arabia (1962) were shot.

The valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with deep cultural significance, having almost 25,00 petroglyphs, rock carvings, 20,000 inscriptions, and have discovered 154 archeological sites.

The valley has traces of early human civilization, with a library of rock carvings going back from the Neolithic to the Nabataean eras, signifying the early development of the alphabet.

Edited by Bharath S