Wilaya de Ghardaia Things to Do

  Berriane
by JLBG
 
  • Berriane
      Berriane
    by JLBG
  • kids in the street
      kids in the street
    by kokoryko
  • Fatimah's hand
      Fatimah's hand
    by kokoryko
  • Beni Isguen, view from the watch tower
      Beni Isguen, view from the watch tower
    by JLBG
  • Bounoura, built in 1046
      Bounoura, built in 1046
    by JLBG
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Berriane

by JLBG

Berriane, named Ait Iberguen in Berber, was founded in 1690. It is 39 km north to the pentapolis. It has much less character than the cities of the pentapolis but when you drive from Algiers, which is usually the case, unless you have driven across the Sahara, it is the fist city of the M'Zab that you encounter.The cemetery appears in the foreground. Most graves are marked by a small standing stone (look at third photo, a close up) but some of them are marked by a small monument that looks like the summit of the M'Zab minarets, with four pinnacles, one on each angle.

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Bounoura

by JLBG

As well as in Melika, the first houses act as a city wall. In Bounoura, they have been built directly on the rocks and boulder that make the bank of oued M'zab. This gives a special look at Bounoura and in some ways, these tall houses remind of Yemen.

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Beni Isguen, do not enter alone!

by JLBG

No foreigner is allowed into the city without being accompanied by a citizen. No foreigner can spend the night in the city. The city gate used to be closed at dusk, after the muezzin had called for foreigners to go out of the city. This is not true anymore and the gates remain open all night long but nevertheless, the ban of foreigners remains.Note that foreigner means foreigner to the city. Tourists from Algiers must for example hire a guide.If ever you trespassed the gate without a guide, the children would have soon prevented you to go any further!If you enlarge de picture, you can see that there are already two children watching. As I was a few meters ahead from the guide, he thought we had none and he is making signs "no, no, no"!

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Beni Isguen, Holy city

by JLBG

As Beni Isguen is Holy city, you will find at the gate of the city a poster that shows how you must be clothed to be allowed to come in : no short, no dog, no photo (in many places, not everywhere)legs and arms covered.These are about the requirements to be allowed into any religious place.

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The M'zab

by JLBG

The first photo shows the view that you get when you are on the road from Algiers to El Goléa. In the foreground, the Holy city of Beni Isguen. On the right, in the background Melika, another Holy city. In the center, in the background, the palm grove of Beni Isguen, then Ghardaïa, and even farther in the background, the palm grove of Ghardaïa.The second photo was taken from a different place, also from the main road, and focuses on Beni Isguen and its city wall. The oldest part is on the hill while the newest part is on the right.

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Cemetaries in the M'Zab

by JLBG

If you enlarge the first photo, you might wonder what is this landscape with scattered tuft and stones. The stones do not look "natural" as most are standing. This is actually a Mozabite cemetery. It should be the cemetery of Ghardaïa. Each standing stone corresponds to a grave.The second photo represents another cemetery in the M'Zab, which should be the cemetery of Melika. The ground is more rocky and here, each grave is identified by a pottery.

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Bounoura, built in 1046

by JLBG

Bou Noura La Lumineuse (the Shining), is called At Bounour in Berber. It was founded in 1046 and is the second oldest city of the M'Zab after El Ateuf. It stands on a gentle hill, not so steep as Beni Isguen or Melika, on the other side of Oued M'Zab.

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Melika, the cemetery

by JLBG

The main feature to visit in Melika is the cemetery. As can be seen on the photo, the mosque of the cemetery is a digest of the typical architecture of the M'Zab: no straight lines, no plane surfaces, only smooth curves. This is an architecture of harmony.Melika is no more but has been a Holly city as its cemetery hosts the tomb of Sidi Aïssa and his family.

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Melika stands on a promontory

by JLBG

Melika stands on a promontory and can be seen from different sides. As every city in the M'zab, it has a minaret and a watchtower. The minaret has the same style than in Beni Isguen but the watchtower seems to have been repaired recently and has not the same look the in Beni Isguen.

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Melika

by JLBG

Mélika, the Queen, named Atemlichet in Berber, was founded in 1350. It has not kept a real a city wall as Beni Isguen but the houses built at the periphery of the city act almost as a city wall as can be seen on the photos.

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Questions and Answers

oasis007 profile photo

Q:  lf any body want informations about Ghardaia,l'm happy to give him more info.like:hotel price,place to visite,camping..... 

sdpells profile photo

A: Hi there, I'd be very interested in any information about travelling to and from the airport in Ghardaia. Such as Taxi fares, transfer times, any buses or car rental... 

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