Where was Lawrence of Arabia filmed?

Grand, sun-scorched and unforgettable, this classic remains one of cinema's great hymns to the desert. Its reputation for vast, real horizons rather than studio trickery is exactly why set-jetters still chase its locations, where the scale on screen turns out to be entirely genuine.

The endless sands belong to Wadi Rum in southern Jordan, where towering red massifs rise from the desert floor as the backdrop to the film's sweeping rides across Arabia. For the corridors of military Cairo, the production turned instead to Seville in Spain, whose grand semicircular Plaza de España, with its arcades and little bridges, stands in for British headquarters and is instantly recognisable.

It is a tale of two very different trips. In Jordan, Wadi Rum is best experienced on a guided 4x4 or camel excursion with an overnight in a desert camp under the stars, easily paired with Petra nearby. In Spain, the Plaza de España is a free, open landmark in central Seville, perfect to wander on foot alongside the city's Alcázar and cathedral.