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M'zab. The country inside Algeria
Out of 300,000 green date palms, in a 10 km long valley, peaks 5 small cities. And each of these cities house people belonging to the Mozabites, a group known for puritanism, for homes without chairs and tables, and for high skills in trading. The puritanism still holds on, and you will discover this from the dresses of the people here as well as the surroundings . This is due to more than traditions. The French left the Mozabites more or less to their own, because they didn't participate in the struggle against the colonialists. Inside the cities, or in the fertile valley, just let your self loose. But if you enter Beni Isguen, you have to be accompanied by a guide, since this is a place for uslims only. Just as in Moulay Idriss in Morocco, you will not be allowed to stay the night. This you would do in Ghardaïa, where many restaurants and hotels can be found. As well as souvenir stalls, but beware, the Mozabites are excellent salesmen, so you could end up with a local rug, when you simply intend to look around. The architecture is special here, and you feel that you're between the mosques of the southern Sahara, and the Islamic heartland. The minarets of the sparse but effective mosque style, narrows close to the top, and have the normal air holes made to cool the interior. Kabylia. Green hillsides, killer mountains ___________________________________________ Kabylia is the most scenic of the greener parts of Algeria, and a region of strong symbolic value for Algeria. The people of Kabylia are Berbers, and they have a very strong cultural identity, an identity that has coloured the political landscape of Algeria for decades. Making a Kabylian Berber speak Arabic is very difficult, people around here speak Berber, then French, and they consider speaking Arabic as almost a disgrace. The people around here are visibly different from elsewhere in Algeria, slightly more blonde, and with women that are unveiled, and who enjoys a good deal of individual freedom, more than what is found in most European societies, when economical development is considered. Identity is built around concentric circles: you, family, tribe, Berbers. Even Berbers living in the most modest villages are strong and visibly cultivated. The landscape around Kabylia is so diversified, and so dramatic that spending at least a week here, is no problem. Summer and fall are the easiest seasons for visiting, as winters can be harsh and Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Algeria for Visitors in Middle East Travel is owned by Mubashar Ahmad Baig. Permission to republish Algeria for Visitors in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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