Fata Morgana, the forbidden city, also known as

1001 Arabian Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

(or "1001 nacht" in

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

) is a

dark ride A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride on which passengers aboard guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music and special effects. Appearing as early as the 19th century, su ...

in the

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

Efteling Efteling () is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions reflect elements from ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore. The park was opened on May 31, 1952. It evolved from a nat ...

the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Nether ...

. The attraction was designed by Ton van de Ven and Jan Verhoeven and opened in 1986.

Features

Fata Morgana is a dark ride/ tow boat ride that was opened in 1986. The attraction is based on the 1001 Arabian Nights. The ride is populated by 140

animatronics Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions. It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy ...

. Fata Morgana is set inside a large building with turquoise and gold domes on the roof. A large tower serves as the entrance to the ride. There is a large square outside the ride with palm trees, fountains and flames. The ride's gift shop ''De Bazaar'', and a kiosk, ''Oase'', are located nearby to the ride.

Boarding

The facade of the ride is a huge domed building painted gold and turquoise. Guests enter through a large tower that serves as the entrance to the ride. They then wait on raised platforms above a round canal with a turntable in the middle. Guests are taken down the stairs and onto the omnimover style turntable, before boarding 16 passenger boats. There is never more than one boat in each scene, except for the first Jungle scene where one can see the back of a boat turning into the Poor District.

Ride

The ride passes through the following scenes: * Jungle * Poor District * Marketplace * Prison * Torture Chamber * Harbour * Harem * The Pasha's Palace * Treasure Chamber * Storm Scene * Jungle Total ride time is 8 minutes, capacity of 1800 persons/ hour. An on-ride photo is taken part way through.

History and details

The attraction is considered to be the link between the old fairy-tale style of

Anton Pieck Anton Franciscus Pieck (19 April 1895 – 24 November 1987) was a Dutch painter, artist and graphic artist. Hiworksare noted for their nostalgic or fairy tale-like character and are widely popular, appearing regularly on cards and calendars. He ...

and the newer, more intensive rides. The opening was planned for 1984, but in order to give more time for the designing team it was postponed to 1986. The original name Fata Medina was changed to Fata Morgana to avoid confusion with the Islamic holy city, though it is more likely that it was a reference to the first completed part of the ride, the

Medina quarter A medina (from ar, مدينة, translit=madīnah, lit=city) is a historical district in a number of North African cities, often corresponding to an old walled city. The term comes from the Arabic word simply meaning "city" or "town". Histori ...

- the poor district and central marketplace. The decorative art was bought in the Moroccan city of

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrak ...

and the

were dressed by Belgian designer Jeanine Lambrechts. Underwater rotating disks regulate the transport system provided by the Swiss manufacturer

Intamin Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement insta ...

. The whole transport system was developed by Intamin (as a '' Tow boat ride''). Total cost, converted from Guilders: €7 million.

Music

The music for Fata Morgana was composed by composer Ruud Bos, who also wrote the musical themes for Dreamflight,

Bird Rok Vogel Rok (" Bird Skirt" in English) is an enclosed roller coaster in the Efteling amusement park in the Netherlands. History and details The name of the ride, Vogel Rok, refers to the adventure of Sinbad and the Bird Roc from the 1001 Arab ...

and Villa Volta. Naturally he chose a

Harem Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...

style as the base theme for the music. More specifically, the beginning of the ride is linked by orchestral music to the dreamy, mideastern music with flutes and violins of the market, the first setting of the attraction. The music gets darker when the ride passes the prison part. A slow melody sets in upon entering the harbor but is extended with instruments like violins, gongs and a percussion. The musical climax comes when the ride ends in the final scene of the throneroom. There are five compositions: * The Harem * The Harbor * The Market Place * The Eastern Jails * The Jungle 30 amplifiers and 150 loudspeakers generate a total of 8000 Watt.

References

External links

*
Official ride websiteFansite
{{Efteling Dark rides Water rides Tow boat rides Efteling Animatronic attractions