Cherchell

 Cherchell,

Our first stop of the day was ay Cherchell, the former Roman capital. We had a view of the harbour before going int the National Public Museum of Cherchell. It had some mosaics, some household goods including several oil lamps and a lot of statues.

Lots of statues...

...multiple beautiful mosaics.

We went for a walking tour of the city centre. There was a temple that had had a checkered history. It was later converted to a church in Roman times but converted to a mosque with the arrival of Islam. During the French occupation, it became a church but at independence, it reverted to being a mosque. We walked through some back streets and through the market.

We had a meal of mixed fish overlooking the harbour in Tipasa on our wau back to Algiers. 

A map of Roman Tipasa. After lunch we had a guided tour of the 2^nd century Roman ruins of ancient Tipasa with a local museum guide to see baths, temples, the main thoroughfares, merchants houses and the third largest basilica in Africa dating from the Roman Christian era.  

We were heading back to Algiers but had a stop at the Mauritania Mausoleum. It is claimed that it was built for Cleopatra’s  and Mark Anthony’s daughter, Cleopatra Selene but there is no definitive evidence. 

Then we had an evening meal in a hotel near the airport and checked in for our 00.30 flight which was delayed to 01.45.

Timimoun

 Timimoun 

There was a hot air balloon and kite festival so the town was crowded. 

We had got up early to see the balloons take off but they had got up even earlier...

...and there were two small smudges in the sky that could be seen with the naked eye but my camera didn't record them.

You can't visit teh desert without taking a photo of a camel, two young lads riding home after seeing the balloons take off. 

The fougara water system was explained. A source high up in the mountains is found and tunnels with a gentle gradient built to transfer water from the source to the village and fields. There are wells along the route of the tunnels as seen in the photo for access to remove dirt during excavation and for access to remove blockages of cave-ins.

The oasis, village and in the centre, the abandoned ksar, the former fortified village before the danger of bandits and raids by other villlages receded and people moved into the oasis to be nearer their fields and palms.

                                      

A close up of the ksar.

One of our drivers on a slab of rock sticking out over a steep slope.

Some desert vegetation.

More palm trees.

The distribution system at the end of the tunnels in the village

Our drivers always took a chance to have some fun in the 4x4s doing what they were designed for.

The fortified central warehouse where dates and valueables were stored... 

...and a side view.

It was a kite festival and the children in the village had kites...

which they were only too happy to show off in flight...

...and another photo of the same kite.

Then we had some 4x4 fun in the dunes, racing up and down slopes, skidding from side to side, cresting a ridge at speed not knowing what was on the other side, although of course the drivers knew the area well. 

One of our vehicles...

...we had a chance for a walk about to take photos.

And back at the festival site, it was take off time. There had been insufficient wind earlier but it had picked up and kite owners were sending their kites up.

Three of the many kites that were to follow...

...another colourful kite.

That afternoon we walked into the main centre, carefully avoiding things that we would see tomorrow morning. We passed the original mub brick built fortress, whose outside walls were covereed in mud applied by hand. 

The city sign in the centre.

The outside of the governors residence. 

The Road to Timimoum

 The Road to Timimoun

It was a long drive day, 624 kilometres from Ghardaia to Timimoun.

Views of the Sahara Desert...

...bleak and devoid of vegetation...

...sand dunes...

...or just sand.

The church at El Menia.

Inside the church.

The grave of Charles Foucauld. He was beautified in 2005 and canonized in 2022 after a second miracle was confirmed. 

We arrived in Timimoun at dusk and it was busy as there was both  hot air balloon festival and a kite festival. 

Ghardaia and the M'Zab Valley

 Ghardaia and the M'Zab Valley 

The main market in Ghardaia, which lent its name to the city and the province.

Another view of the market square. 

An alley way, purposefully curved to avoid becoming a wind tunnel during a sandstorm. 

A well with two palm trees, to capture split water, one established, the other a small palm ready to take over when the big palm dies or is blown over.

Another alleyway through what used to be one of the gates into the centre until the town expanded and a new encircling wall was built. 

A view of the minaret at the summit of the hill. 

A view of the covered market.

A minaret of another village to the right and a watch tower to the left. 

A desert fox, the size of a small dog but with oversized ears to hear the fainstest rustle of prey in the dark. 

Te entrance to Beni Isguen, the only hilltop village to retain its encircling wall in its entirity. 

The market square where at this time, there were no stalls but a public auction was taking place with the goods to be sold sitting on the floor and the auctioneer calling out prices and bids. He takes 10% of the selling price. 

This is the main street from the main gate and market to the mosque. To the right is a short passage with three doors to homes set back from the main thori=oughfare to maintain some sense of provacy from the noise of passing pedestrians. 

A detail of an ornate door.

A watch tower in the walls from the inside...

,,, a view of the same tower from outside of the walls. 

 

A view from the base of the tower to a neighbouring tower in the middle distance and another minaret on the horizon to the right.