Algeria: M’zab Valley – Melika
M’Zab Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of a group of fortified towns (ksars), including Ghardaïa, Beni Isguen, Melika, Bou Noura, and El Atteuf. The architecture of the M’Zab Valley reflects the ingenious adaptation of the Ibadis (a Muslim sect that has lived here for centuries) to the harsh Saharan environment. The towns are all characterized by their compact, fortified layout, with houses built in a terraced fashion to provide shade and maximize airflow. The first town of the five in the valley that we visited was Melika. Melika, like the other towns in the M’Zab Valley, was founded in the 11th century by the Ibadis and has historical importance as a center of Ibadi culture and learning. Melika is known for its compact, fortified architecture. We walked up the steep and narrow streets to the main square where an elderly guy volunteered to help us explore, taking us all around the town, into the mosque, old clay houses, cemetery, and along city walls. Melika, like the other towns in the M’Zab Valley, was founded in the 11th century by the Ibadis. It has historical importance as a center of Ibadi culture and learning. Melika is known for its compact, fortified architecture.
