Urban Structuring

THE URBAN SPACE STRUCTURING ELEMENTS

Ksar

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The Ksar :

the mosque

Homes

Lanes

The market yard....

DEFENSIVE BUILDINGS

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Each Ksar, has a distinguished defensive system. In addition to the famous wall of Béni-Isguen, which is the first classed monument in Mzab on 1957, we will quote the front of the Ksar of Bounoura and the bulwark of Ghardaia. There are also garlanded ford towers, throughout the valley, some dwellings in...

CEMETERIES

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They are located outside the city. There are many, they are generally situated outside the M'zab old cities but organized by them and according to them. The cemetery is an integrated area with a real city of the dead. Its area is large and contains areas of funeral prayer, connected to buildings open to the air, serving as a place of ...

THE PALM GROVES

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The palm groves are located near cities, they have many hydraulic structures, dams absorption, underground tunnel, wells, streams or artificial channels (seguia). These oases are becoming real towns of summer. More and more...

Tafilelt, a community project to preserve the M’Zab Valley

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The urban morphology of the valley of the M'Zab (Ghardaia, southern Algeria), is characterized by a continuous developing landscape: first a growth beyond its ksour’s (fortified villages, singular "ksar") battlements, then within the palm groves which initially hosted a secondary habitat, transformed into permanent habitat by...

M'Zab Valley

A Pentapolis That Has Inspired Many Celebrated Architects

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Each town’s center sits on a rocky knoll and contains a large mosque which has a tall minaret that doubles as a watchtower. The mosque doubled as a fortress, the last stronghold of resistance in the event of an attack. Other public buildings such as the central market occupy the space and from this central area, narrow alleys weave down the hill in...

El-Atteuf

Known for its Intriguing Architecture

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The architecture of El-Atteuf was greatly influenced by the Ibadi principles of functional purism, which calls for strict organization of land and space. Referred to as a qsur (ksar), meaning a “walled village”, El-Atteuf’s central feature is a mosque, with the minaret serving as a watchtower. Houses are situated in concentric circles around the mosque. The entire layout of the settlement promotes communal living and equality of...

The M’Zab valley

desert, architecture and palm trees!

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The M’Zab valley, some 600 kms south of Algiers, is a a place that you won’t easily forget:, for its landscape, architecture and traditions. It is composed of a huge oasis and five towns, Ghardaïa being the main one and often used to refer to all five (the other four are...

Ghardaia

A Masterpiece of Medieval Architecture

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Ghardaia is a town and wilaya (province) located in eastern Algeria. It is situated in the heart of the Mezab valley, which is the home of the Ibadi Muslim sect in Algeria. Ghardaia is truly a sight to see as the entire city is mostly made up of original medieval architecture that has been preserved remarkably well. The M'zab valley wherein Ghardaia lies is part of an official UNESCO World Heritage Site.The city is actually a cluster of...