![]() "In Beni-Iguen, these are visible from the watchtower, so outsiders are barred from entering the city and climbing the tower until after the afternoon prayer. The practice of painting outdoor walls blue to keep the space cool and deter mosquitoes continues to this day."Īnother convention sees women spending much of their time at home within the high-walled courtyards that provide requisite privacy. "Queuing etiquette at the water pumps remains the same: children first, then women and men. "Apart from electricity coming in the late 1950s, daily life in the historic centres has changed little since the cities were founded, and that's how the people like it," said Meghnine. ![]() ![]() Their box-shaped stone houses had room inside for a goat that provided milk and consumed leftovers. In each city, the Mozabites constructed a compact network of streets: the narrowest were only wide enough to accommodate a donkey carrying goods, while the main thoroughfares to and from the market were built to fit a camel. "There's nowhere like it in Algeria, nor the rest of the world." (Credit: Simon Urwin) "What makes the place so special is the unique combination of with Ibadi Islamic beliefs who built fortress homes in the middle of the desert," said local guide Khaled Meghnine. In 1982, the M'Zab was classified as a Unesco World Heritage site due to its highly distinctive culture and architecture. The towns include El-Atteuf, the oldest, founded in 1012 Melika Bounoura the Holy City of Beni-Isguen and Ghardaïa (pictured), the principal settlement and commercial heart of the valley. ![]() Collectively known as the Pentapolis, these magnificent, centuries-old citadels were built along the Wadi Mzab, a partially dry riverbed whose waters rise just once every three to five years. While few Algerians live in such hostile terrain, a chain of extraordinary hilltop settlements exist on the northern fringes of the Sahara: the five historic ksours, or fortified cities, of the M'Zab Valley. ![]()
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