AI generatedGhardaïa
Algeria · 530 m
Short description of Ghardaïa
Ghardaïa is the principal town of the M'zab valley, a group of five fortified settlements founded in the eleventh century by the Ibadi Mozabites in a rocky Saharan wadi. Each ksar is built as a cone of cubic houses climbing a hill to its mosque, whose minaret doubles as a watchtower, with palm gardens and summer houses in the valley below. The arcaded triangular market square of Ghardaïa is the commercial heart of the region. The austere geometry of the M'zab influenced Le Corbusier and Fernand Pouillon, and the whole valley carries UNESCO World Heritage status.
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Recommended length of stay
Travel seasons at a glance
Best time to visit: October – March
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All highlights and sightsBeta
- M'zab Valley ksour (UNESCO)
- Ghardaïa market square
- Beni Isguen holy city
- Ghardaïa ksar & Great Mosque
- Melika ksar & cemetery
- El Atteuf & Sidi Brahim Mosque
- Bounoura ksar
- M'zab palm gardens & summer houses
- Mozabite carpets & silverwork
- Beni Isguen auction market
- Ghardaïa viewpoint terraces
- Guerrara ksar(Day trip)
- Zelfana hot springs(Day trip)
- Metlili desert dunes(Day trip)