600 kilometers from Algiers and at the foot of the Saharan Atlas, the region of M’Zab is articulated around the wadi of the same name. About a thousand years ago, Berbers from Morocco, who came to take refuge on the plateau of M’Zab (500 meters of altitude), built a string of cities of singular beauty.
The palm groves were one of the essential conditions for the survival of these cities and, more than cultivated areas, they became true garden cities where the Mozabites took shelter during the hot weather.
On their arrival in the region, the Ibadites drilled the rock for several tens of meters to reach rickets. It took years of operation of an ingenious system of irrigation and dams for the inhabitants of M’Zab to take advantage of this “gift of God” that is water.
Ghardaia was born in 1085 from the hands of the Mozabites. It was built on a hill and surrounded by ramparts. Its houses and mosques, stepped from top to bottom of the hill, forming white and ocher rectangles. As the climb progresses, the streets become narrower and more tortuous, sometimes turning into stairs. The palm grove is spread out below.
Five other oases were erected around Ghadaïa: Berriane, Guerrara, Metili, Sebseb and Zelfana. They have in common their architecture and their lifestyle.
