Ghardaïa Sightseeing: Five Ksour and a Mosque
The M’Zab Valley holds five walled desert towns, the ksour, on a limestone plateau about 600 km south of Algiers. UNESCO listed the valley in 1982 (reference 188, under criteria ii, iii and v). The ksour were founded over a long span, from about 1012 to the middle of the 1300s. Heritage management belongs to OPVM, the Office de Protection et de Promotion de la Vallée du M’Zab. Because people still live and worship in these towns, sightseeing calls for a quiet, respectful approach.
The ksour at a glance
| Ksar | What stands out |
|---|---|
| Ghardaïa | The largest town and commercial centre, with an arcaded market square under the old quarter |
| Beni Isguen | A walled holy town, with a hilltop minaret and the Bordj Boulila watchtower |
| El Atteuf | The oldest ksar, from about 1012, set among palms, with the Sidi Brahim mosque |
| Melika | A hilltop ksar on a ridge, beside a large cemetery of whitewashed graves |
| Bou Noura | A quieter hillside ksar with terraced lanes and views over the valley |
Sidi Brahim mosque
Mud brick with almost no decoration, the mosque expresses Ibadi simplicity. Writers often say it inspired Le Corbusier when he designed the chapel at Ronchamp, completed in the mid-1950s. Le Corbusier himself came to the M’Zab in 1931. The mosque is still used for prayer, so view it from outside unless your guide says visitors may enter.
Bordj Boulila
From the hilltop minaret in Beni Isguen a path leads to the Bordj Boulila watchtower, which gives a view across the town and palm groves. Whether visitors may go up is something to ask your guide. The whole town is visited with a guide, who is found at the office beside the East Gate.
Melika and the Great Mosque
Melika repays a visit at either end of the day, when light falls softly on the ridge. Keep your voice down near the cemetery. In Ghardaïa itself, the Great Mosque is an active place of worship and is best seen from the street.
Access and etiquette
- No smoking inside Beni Isguen, and no photographs of residents.
- Wear modest clothing, with a scarf and long sleeves in your bag.
- Reports say non-Muslims are kept out of some parts of Beni Isguen and cannot sleep behind its walls.
- Go between October and April, when the weather is mild.
- Fly Air Algérie from Algiers in about 1 hour 20 minutes and secure a visa beforehand.
- Keep photo ID handy for checkpoints, and leave drones and binoculars at home.
For further reading, try the Wikipedia entry for the M’zab and the OPVM website . Guided visits can be compared at sightseeing tours in Ghardaïa . The Routard page on Beni Isguen lists the visitor rules.
Read more: walking tours and attraction tours .