Shanini Things to Do

This picture shows the stairs that lead to a room. As we were camping, we did not stay there and had only a meal in the restaurant, in another ghorfa. We were alone, though it was in March and there should have been other customers. I guess this is why it is now closed.

When we visited Ksar Ouled Debbab, in one part of the ksar, the ghorfas had been turned to a hotel. In each ghorfa, each of the two levels made a room of the hotel. The strairs were made of stones and the whole was perfectly coated in white. It seems that the hotel did not work properly and is now abandoned. Too bad, that was superb !

If needed, it will be very easy to secure the ksar as t is the only entrance. The door is made with very thick logs of palm tree. It is not really wood but as it is very fibrous, it is very strong and it is very difficult to brake it.

The outside of Ksar Ouled Debbab is not very friendly, but it is on purpose : no doors, very small windows with iron bars that would not allow any intruder to come in. If you want to come in, you have to look for the door and there is only one.

As already said, a ksar is a fortified village built for protection from looters and plunderers. In Douirat, the protection came from building high on the hill. Here the protection comes from building houses ("ghorfas") around a square pattern, closed to the outside, open towards the inside.

Though Ksar Ouled Debbab is only 13 kilometers away from Douirat, it is completely different. The first characteristic feature is that it is not clutched to the mountain but laying in the plain. At first, you will not see it on this picture. You will have to enlarge it to spot Ksar Ouled Debbab in the background, at some distance.

Leaving Douirat, this is a view from another angle towards the village. On this side of the village, there is a "ksar", a fortified housing of the same kind that will be found on the next tip with Ksar Ouled Debbab, but which is a part of Douirat.

At the end of the visit, the young boy that was our guide posed in front of his village. He asked us to send him the picture. It is very important, when you promise to send the picture of some ones that, once home, you actually send it. Otherwise, they will never trust next visitors and ask for money. Immediately ! Never give money for a photo but send the photo !