Khettaras of Jorf
خطارات الجرف
A row of underground water-channel shafts in the desert west of Erfoud, showing the water-harvesting wisdom that oasis residents have passed down for centuries.
Khettara, the local name for underground water channels, works on the same principle as the karez of Xinjiang. Water is drawn from aquifers at the foot of the mountains to the oases, and vertical shafts are spaced along the surface, looking from the air like rows of mounds. The highest concentration is along the road between Erfoud and Jorf. Some family-run Khettara Museums let visitors descend into the channels for a small fee and explain traditional digging and maintenance methods. It is about 60 km from Merzouga and can be visited on the way to or from the Todra direction.
Opening hours
Daytime
Nearby sights
- Erfoud Fossil Workshops
- Ksar Maadid
- Gara Medouar
- Sijilmasa
- Rissani Souk
- Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif
- Dayet Srij Lake
- Erg Chebbi Desert Camps & Camel Trek