Palaces of the Mzab Valley ... masterpieces of engineering and a 'sacred triad'
Taghdait (Ghardaia), one of the palaces of the M'zab Valley
500 kilometers south of Algeria overlooks mud palaces of more than 1000 years old from a rocky plateau. This area of the state of Ghardaia is known as the M'zab Valley, which is classified as a world heritage by the "UNESCO" organization, and these palaces represent one of the masterpieces of engineering in the world.
* The Holy Trio *
The palaces mean villages in the local language, and the palaces of the M'zab Valley are far apart from each other, but their architecture is the same, as its philosophy is based on a "sacred triad": the mosque, the market and the house as the centers in which the human moves.
The first thing that is built in the palace is the mosque, in which people gather, so you find one mosque in every palace, then comes the market, and it is the backbone of the economy in every palace and in it people also gather, and the engineers made sure that the market is close to the mosque in order to make it easier for traders and shoppers Prayer.
Then the houses come and they are similar in design, so their walls are high and they are open from the inside, in order to allow air and light to flow, so they do not need lamps or coolers except in a very few times, and the houses are designed very closely, which makes the alleys somewhat narrow, and the houses are cold Summer and warm winter.
* The seven palaces *
The Tajnent Palace is the oldest of the seven palaces, and its name means the low place, the second palace is at Bunur and is attributed to the Al-Masabi tribe, which built and inhabited the city in the past. At Bunur is distinguished by being built on a very impregnable mound of rock.
The third of the palaces is Tegrdait, which is the first city to be seen upon arrival from the north and is known today as Ghardaia, the fourth of the palaces is at Isejn, which is one of the capitals of the scientific and religious heritage, which preserved its authenticity and its wall still standing today, and the fifth is a palace coming to Melisht and it is located on a high plateau between Tardajit And come Ezgen, the viewer from her can see the palaces of Tegerdait, Aate Ezgen and Ait Bonnur.
The sixth palace is Tigrar, known as al-Qarara, meaning the oval mountains bordered by small plains in which the water settles, and it was built on muddy land unlike other palaces built on rocky mountains and famous for its vast oasis, and finally, the Palace of Ibergan, known as Barrian.
Apart from these palaces, which are still vibrant with life, many other palaces have ceased to exist and have become ruins, among them: Fine we were deceived, and I fell in love with Ouedai, Morki and Baba Saad.
* Mzab in celebrity writings *
The scholar Abd al-Rahman Ibn Khaldun wrote in his book “The Lesson and the Divan of the Beginning and the News” on the Mzab Valley, and among the mentions of “the palaces of Musab (Mzab), its inhabitants of this era from Bani Abd al-Wad, Bani Tujin, Musab, and Bani Zardal, among those who joined them from the peoples of Zenata, even if their fame is exclusive. Infected. "
As for the French orientalist Cluj Pavard, he was dazzled by the beauty of the M'zab Valley, and he described it in his book "Lights of M'zab", saying, "I went to M'zab at the beginning of this year (one of the seventies), then returned to him in the spring, then went twice in the summer. Mzab has a special charm that attracts me from the depths of Paris. As a photographer, I have not seen all of the countries of the West more beautiful than Mzab.
The French engineer André River
, born in 1919, was influenced by the architecture of the palaces of the M'zab Valley, so he wrote his book entitled "Mzab studied in architecture," and from what came in the book, "When I go to the Gutter Valley I meditate and be silent." learn more