Algeria diary. M'zab valley, where time moves slowly.

After the desert and the ruins now it's time to visit the ancient towns of M'zab valley.
Welcome to Ghardaia! It is located in northern-central Algeria in the Sahara and lies along the left bank of the Wadi M'zab.

The name of Ghardaïa has its origins in a female saint named Daïa who lived in a cave (ghār) in the area before it blossomed into a town inhabited by Ibadi Muslims who came to escape persecution from the Fatimid Caliphate in the north.

In this ancient hill top town time has stood still since 1043 A D. One of the most traditional practices of Islam that I have seen. No outsiders are allowed to visit without a local man. Men and women are kept strictly separated from a young age. Some women completely cover themselves in one piece of white cloth ( Haika) leaving one half of one eye visible. Strictly no photography of people. One woman accused me of taking her photo as she saw the phone in my hand. I wasn't.

The houses have no roofs and made of clay and palm trunks. The plaster outside is lashed with palm leaves so that they form bubbles which act as insulation. The inside is painted blue, which can be seen here. All houses must be of same design and same height to strictly enforce social equity. Water distribution is strictly regulated by ancient laws to ensure fairness.

The mosques are the centres of lives. Five towns were built in the M'Zab valley originally, later two more were added. It was a fascinating culture.

There is something about shopping in a thousand year old market in an ancient town along the Caravan route of North Africa that can never be replicated in a glitzy five storey shopping mall of Dubai. Some pics from the souk of Ghardaia, the principal town of the M'Zab valley. The north African caravan trade route from Sudan to Mali went through the area. Our superb guide Said clearly had faith in our abilities, so he just told us to explore and come back after an hour. This would be disastrous in Cairo or Istanbul, but here we didn't feel unsafe or about to be conned at all.

How I miss the colours, the hustle bustle, the haggling, the sense of satisfaction after bringing down the price and the interaction with the shopkeeper. What a difference from online shopping.

We met a lovely young chap called Oussama who could speak English and told me he took his father to the Max hospital in Delhi for treatment. I was surprised. Algerians usually go to France for better treatment. Oussama told me about the younger generation who are moving away from France and he found India a lot more likeable and cheaper than France. As someone born in India, I genuinely felt good.

We tried many things. M'Zab valley is famous for rug making and stitched clothes. Sadly we didn't have any space in our suitcase for rugs. But definitely space for Daglet Nour, the best date in the world. The variety of olives on display blew me away. I had become a great admirer of barbequed olives. The butcher shops of course won't pass health and safety inspection but who cares. The biggest crowd was in front of the butcher shop selling camel meat. One camel can easily feed fifty to sixty people. I passed it on.

I needed some Dinar from the black market. The shop keeper/ money changer Idris tried his best to give me the lowest exchange rate but I have become a pro by now ! On the way out of the black market money changer I waved at a young policeman sitting in his car. He also waved back. I felt reassured that Idris had not given me counterfeit notes as police were clearly keeping an eye on him.

As mentioned in my earlier posts on Algeria detailed trip report with all logistics are shared in TripAdvisor Algeria forum.

I miss Algeria.