Ghardaia
An oasis province in the northern Sahara of Algeria, where the thousand-year-old towns of the M'Zab Valley are a World Heritage Site with a unique architectural style.
Ghardaia Province lies on the northern edge of the Sahara in central Algeria, with the M'Zab Valley at its core. In the valley, five ancient towns (ksour) founded by Ibadi Muslims (Ghardaia, Beni Isguen, Melika, Bou Noura and El Atteuf) are built into the hillsides and spread out in tiers around mosque minarets. They were inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1982, and their plain architectural forms have influenced modern architects. Visiting some of the ksour requires a local guide. The best season is autumn through spring. The gateway is Ghardaia Noumérat Airport.