The M'zab, or Mzab ( Mozabite: ''Aghlan'', ), is a

natural region A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate. From the ecological point of view, the naturally occurring flora and ...

of the northern

Sahara Desert The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...

Ghardaïa Province Ghardaïa () is an Algerian province located in the north of the Algerian desert. Its administrative center is the city of Ghardaia, located south of the capital Algiers. Its total area is estimated at , from north to south, and from east to ...

, Algeria. It is located south of

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

and has approximately 360,000 inhabitants (2005 estimate).

Geology

The M'zab is a

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

, centred on the Wad M'zab (''Oued Mzab'') valley.

History

The Mozabites ("Ath Mzab") are a branch of a large

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

tribe, the Iznaten, which lived in large areas of middle southern Algeria. Many

Tifinagh Tifinagh ( Tuareg Berber language: ; Neo-Tifinagh: ; Berber Latin alphabet: ; ) is a script used to write the Berber languages. Tifinagh is descended from the ancient Libyco-Berber alphabet. The traditional Tifinagh, sometimes called Tuareg Tifi ...

letters and symbols are engraved around the Mzab Valley. After the

Muslim conquest of the Maghreb The conquest of the Maghreb by the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates commenced in 647 and concluded in 709, when the Byzantine Empire lost its last remaining strongholds to Caliph Al-Walid I. The North African campaigns were part of the century ...

, the Mozabites became Muslims of the

Mu'tazili Mu'tazilism (, singular ) is an Islamic theological school that appeared in early Islamic history and flourished in Basra and Baghdad. Its adherents, the Mu'tazilites, were known for their neutrality in the dispute between Ali and his opponents ...

school. The indigenous Christian population persisted until the 11th century. After the fall of the

Rustamid The Rustamid dynasty () (or ''Rustumids'', ''Rostemids'') was an Ibadi dynasty of Persian origin which ruled a state that was centered in present-day Algeria. The dynasty governed as a Muslim theocracy for a century and a half from its capital Ta ...

state, the Rustamid royal family with some of their citizens chose the Mzab Valley as their refuge. However, the Rostemids were

Ibadi Ibadism (, ) is a school of Islam concentrated in Oman established from within the Kharijites. The followers of the Ibadi sect are known as the Ibadis or, as they call themselves, The People of Truth and Integrity (). Ibadism emerged around 6 ...

and sent a

preacher A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who Open-air preaching, preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach com ...

(Abu Bakr an-Nafusi) who successfully converted the indigenous Mozabites.

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

conquered Algeria in 1830. The M'zab was annexed to France only in 1882 and reverted to Algerian indigenous rule in summer 1962 upon its national independence. Ghardaia (Taghardait) is the main town and capital of the M'zab, and El Atteuf (Tajnint) is the oldest settlement in the region. Beni Isguen (At Isgen) is the most sacred Berber Islamic town. It prohibits all non-M'zabites from various sections of the town, and all foreigners from spending the night within its walls. Melika (At Mlichet) is populated by a kabily town named Mlikch which is until now located near Bouira, and it contains spacious cemeteries and a historical Mosque in the centre of the

ksar Ksar or qṣar (), in plural ksour or qsour (), is a type of fortified village in North Africa, usually found in the regions predominantly or traditionally inhabited by Berbers (Amazigh). The equivalent Berber languages, Berber term used is ' ( ...

, and

Bounoura Bounoura (, Berber: ⴰⵜ ⴱⵓⵏⵓⵔ, At-Bounour, البونور) is a town and commune in Ghardaïa Province, Algeria. According to the 2008 census it has a population of 35,405, up from 27,775 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 2.5%. ...

(At Bounour) is a historical ksar which contain Azwil palm grove, while El Guerrara (Igraren) and Berriane (Iberguen) have been part of the M'zab since the 17th century.

Architecture

There are five '' qsur'' "walled villages" (''ksour'') located on rocky outcrops along the Wəd Mzab collectively known as ''the Pentapolis'', founded between 1012 and 1350. They are:

Ghardaïa Ghardaïa (, ) is the capital city of Ghardaïa Province, Algeria. The commune of Ghardaïa has a population of 93,423 according to the 2008 census, up from 87,599 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 0.7%. It is located in northern-central A ...

(''Tagherdayt''), the principal settlement today; (''At Isjen'') (Arabic: بني يزقن); Melika (''At Mlishet'');

(''At Bunur''); and El Atteuf (''Tajnint''), the oldest of the five settlements. Adding the more recent settlements of Bérianne and El Guerrara, the ''Mzab Heptapolis'' is completed. The combination of the functional purism of the Ibāḍī faith with the way of life necessary near an oasis has led to a strict organization of land and space. Each citadel has a fortress-like

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

, whose

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

served as a watchtower. Houses of standard size and type were constructed in concentric circles around the mosque. The architecture of the M'zab settlements was designed for egalitarian communal living, with respect for family privacy. The M'zab building style is of Libyan-Phoenician type, more specifically of Berber style and has been replicated in other parts of the Sahara. In the summer, the M'zabites migrated to 'summer citadels' centred on palm grove oases. That is one of the major oasis groups of the Sahara Desert and is bounded by arid country known as chebka, crossed by dry river beds. The M'zab Valley was listed as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 1982, as an intact example of traditional human habitat perfectly adapted to the environment.

Society

The insular nature of the Ibāḍiyya has preserved the area, and Ibāḍī Sezzaba continue to dominate the social life of the area. A federal council, ''Majlis Ammi Said'', unites representatives of the seven settlements as well as

Ouargla Ouargla (Berber: Wargrən, ) is the capital city of Ouargla Province in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria. It has a flourishing petroleum industry and hosts one of Algeria's universities, the University of Ouargla. The commune of Ouargla had ...

, an ancient town located 200 km South-East of the Mzab valley. This council forms a federative body for religious, social and, increasingly, cultural matters. The religious federal council represents an “Islamic type of government” that is unique today. Numerous details of Ibāḍiyya social life are ruled by this Islamic government, such as the weight of gold given as a dowry to a woman (maximum 60 g) to the length of wedding celebrations (three days). The council makes decisions on details such as

dowries A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...

, celebrations, dress. It used to impose punishments including

exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

and a form of ''tabriyya'' "

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...

" in which the offender may not interact with his fellow citizens. However, with economic, social and political integration to Algeria, those sanctions are less effective, and tend to have more impact on women. The local language of the Mozabites is Mozabite (Tumẓabt), a branch of the Zenati group of

Berber languages The Berber languages, also known as the Amazigh languages or Tamazight, are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They comprise a group of closely related but mostly mutually unintelligible languages spoken by Berbers, Berber communities, ...

. Ghardaya is also one of the four large military and administrative territories into which southern Algeria is divided.

Demographics

The Sezzaba are Ibadis.Glassé, Cyril. 2008. The New Encyclopedia of Islam. Walnut Creek CA: AltraMira Press, p.39

Notable people

* Moufdi Zakaria, Algerian poet, author of the National Anthem

References

External links

UNESCO Advisory Body Evaluation
{{Authority control Geography of Algeria Berber history M'zab Valley Geography of Ghardaïa Province