Pyramid minaret
Atop the ksar.
Bernard Gagnon — CC BY 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY 4.0
A historic oasis in the heart of the Algerian Sahara, with five ksour, fortified towns, built by the Ibadi Mozabites between the tenth and eleventh centuries on the hills of the M'zab valley, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1982 as a unique example of desert architecture. The largest of the ksour is Ghardaia, a town of simple cubic houses in sand, blue and pink stepping up a hill, crowned by the pyramid-shaped minaret of the great mosque. The simplicity and functionality of this architecture inspired twentieth-century architects worldwide. Below the ksar is the broad old market square, ringed by arcades, where colourful Mozabite carpets, dates and crafts are sold, and around the town stretch wide palm groves with a precise traditional irrigation system that shares out floodwater. The ksour are visited with a local guide, modest dress is required, and photographing residents, especially women, is not allowed out of respect for the conservative community. Autumn to spring is the best time, as summer is extremely hot.
Atop the ksar.
Carpets and dates.
Traditional irrigation.
Old ksar and market square, Ghardaia
No, photographing residents, especially women, is not allowed; visit with a local guide in modest dress.