My recently route in July 2017 is marked with green line. My future route is marked with red and blue. But if and when it will be done, I don't know. But, it is future. I have not hurry. Never, like on my trips I have not hurry. I want to see the places properly, not rush from one to the other place only. Even if I not know, if I return to the country, I want not try to cover all places I wish to see. I choose every time only a few places which I want to see just on that trip. Not understand why other people try to do all as like theirs life will be finish tomorrow.
Many years ago, I saw a picture of a Berber building in Ghardaia and it was such an interesting building so I could not forget it. And when I wondered where to go this summer, I remembered that, and therefore decided to go to Algeria to finally see it and which became really my main goal on this trip.
I started outside Algiers, on Palm beach in Staoueli and have been there almost the whole week so
I could know and learn a little about the country, habits, etc. before I left for Ghardaia.
Between other I also thought I can take and swim a little but it did not was as I thought because the water did not look appealing there because of so many bathing people who swirled up water that became really brown and dirty of the sand.
Algiers was a little chaotic town, with so many cars and people so it was not so much exciting. We took taxi because when I saw traffic the day we were going to pick up the car at airport, I denied to drive in the town. I would either never find those places I wanted to see, so it was better to go by taxi.
First I wanted to see Mausolee Sidi Abderrhamane Thaalibi, the founder of the Thaalibiya (now Algiers). In Morocco in Casablanca it is also Mausoleum de Sidi Abderrahmane so I wonder where he is buried, in Algiers or Casablanca???
On the picture below it is not Mausoleum, it is my mistake. I thought it was the mausoleum and took some pictures before I entered, when some officer came to me and asked to see what for pictures I did. I showed him, got to remove one and those three I could retain. Then I gone inside, but became a little confused because it was like some reception or what was that. So I asked if it is mausoleum, the officer smiled and said to me, it is next door, not here.
I went out and then I found the mausoleum immediately. I missed it before because it was just a slight entrance and there were lots of stairs down.
First I came to a tomb in the middle of a small garden, then to a larger place with many tombs. What everything was for something I do not know, there was no guide so I could not ask and writings were in Arabic so it did not tell me anything. But the place was peaceful, it was quiet, no noise from the street either. Nice view was there too.
I looked a little around, then I went back to the stairs that led in a thorny house. I started to go in, but then I heard a lot of voices, stood there and then decided not to go in. I could not speak a single word Arabic, neither French nor and suddenly it would feel if not embarrassing so strange anyway. So I turned and left the place.
We continued our sightseeing in Algeirs, to Ketchaoua Mosque, but it was under renovation so I could not go inside, got to look at only from outside.
Went a bit around the streets there, talked to a policeman who was curious from where, which country I am, etc. So we had a nice chat. But of course, I did not get a picture of him. So I instead took a picture of a shop with dates.
Then we went a little around the city. It might be nice once, French architecture was just fine. But time worked on buildings so it was a shame that no one was painted and repaired either, so it became more beautiful.
I wanted to see also Jamaa el Jedid, but it was so many cars and impossible to stop somewhere, so I saw it only from the car. But I survived.
And at last we were driving up on the hill to see Notre Dame of Africa. Unfortunately I was not lucky, it was not open yet and I would have to wait there approx 2 hours, before they should open the church, so I got to be without to see inside also. But, if I am honest, for my taste the church was a little too burly in some way.
After Algiers we did trips around, mostly towards Tripasa where I wanted to see The royal Mausoleum of Mauretania, the tomb where the Berber King Juba II and Queen Cleopatra Selene II, sovereigns of Mauretania, daughter to Mark Antony and Cleopatra, are buried.
It was not possible to go inside, the big grid was there and also locked of course.
The other I wanted to see was archaeological park, unique place of Phoenician, Roman, paleo-christian and Byzantine ruins. It was beautiful and self park was cool and refreshing because it was almost in pine forest. It would be nice to have a picnic there between all those old temples etc.
Wonderful place they chose to build theirs town, with a terrific view over the sea so they could enjoy it plus if some enemy was approaching so they could see him immediately and defense the town.
To skip and go the same way from and back to Algier I chose to go to Mostaganem where I thought I could take a bath in the sea plus do a short visit to Oran.
We took us at the hotel le Soleil Mostaganem — in Plage Abd El Malek Ramdane but I not recommend it,it was a terrible hotel and terrible Patron. You can read my review on TA: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g734460-d12461474-r509618076-Hotel_le_Soleil_Mostaganem-Mostaganem_Mostaganem_Province.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT
Only what was nice was view from the hotel, beach was a little better than on Palm beach we stayed before. But anyway, it did not look so much appealing either to go swimming.
Due circumstances I could not take a swim and did not get to Oran either, we stayed only 2 nights and instead chose to go to Ghardaia. It was nice to drive and took 2 days before I arrived at Ghardaia.
The road was very good, I was surprised over and glad also of course.
Nothing exciting happened, but when I drove over Amour Range, a part of Saharan Atlas, were clouds so low so we drove through them. And clouds were pink, such I never experienced before. We drove even through a small sand storm, but it was nothing, I experienced bigger one on my trips through the desert before.
I have to say I do not like much the scenery which was a bit boring actually and what bothered me a lot was that along the road there were always high voltage posts.
Morocco desert around Erg Chebbi I like much more than this Sahara desert, at least this piece between Aflou and Ghardaia. Even West Sahara towards Smara was much more nice and exciting also. But here it seems that Sahara is very hard, like the life must be very hard here. Really hot it was also, not like on the coast where it was a little fresh from the sea of course.
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| But, is it the door into Sahara? |
In the evening we have come to Aflou where there would be a few hotels I found on google map. At the entrance to the city was police check so I asked them and one policeman even called the hotel and notified our arrival so it was fun and kind of him.
The city was really nice, though when I watched on the goggle map at home, I thought there would not be much of the town and we probably would have to go to the next town, Laghouat, which seemed to be bigger and with several hotels. But it showed it was almost opposite, Aflou was more compact while Laghouat was just so spread out and did not look so appealing either.
Aflou is located in the Amour Range of the Saharan Atlas, at an elevation of 1,426 m, which makes it one of the highest towns in Algeria.
In case you want to stay in Aflou, the hotels name is Taiba, phone nr. +213 2996 6142 and I can recommend it warm. It is a little older, but clean it was and quite not exactly picturesque, but something like that, reminder of the old times I can say. Almost I liked it quite much.
We got two rooms because we are only friends, and regarding theirs rules only married can stay at the same room. But it was also the only one hotel where we couldn't stay together. All other hotels accepted even the friends in the same room.
Next day we arrived to Ghardaia quite early afternoon and then began searching after hotel I booked. I should rather say M'Zab valley and not Ghardaia which is one part of a pentapolis, a hilltop city among four others, Mélika, Béni Isguen, Bounoura and El Atteuf, built almost a thousand years ago in the M’Zab valley. It was founded by the Mozabites, a Muslim Ibadi sect of non-Arabic Muslims, including the Berbers.
It was quite difficult to recognize where is Ghardaia and the other ksars so I drove a little hipp hopp or how to say. Like in "Hapsy flapsy box" - disorder and mess. Then I saw police so I stayed there asking if they know about hotel I was searching. It was really difficult because they could only French, or Arabic while I couldn't one simple word of those, only English. At finish they said to me to follow them, so we came to police house after a while. One man going around could a little English so he explained that I would go inside and ask there. So I gone, came in some room there were 2 policemen. And, I stayed as a stupid, couldn't explain nothing due lack of language skill so after a while I gone out again. But I took one police with me for to speak with that man who could a little English.
They did not, however, lead nowhere, the man was gone, but it appeared another on a moped and he knew where the hotel was located so he would take us there. But the police did not let us go alone with the man, they jumped in a car and then we got an escort. It felt good that the police came along and took care of us so that nothing might be bad if the man would fool us and take somewhere or what I know. At finish we found the hotel, even the man on moped had to ask some other how we should go.
The hotel was located in one nice oasis and hotel self was one oasis self. Wonderful place it was. And we were completely alone there. Swimming pool was there also, but empty. Though the staff promised to fill it so next day I could take a swim.
Our only one neighbor
Ghardaia was a labyrinth for me so I hired a
guide, though I do not like guides, but for to not miss something, I wanted to
see, I had no choice. But after 2 days I felt me "at home" and then I
went around alone, and found what I wanted to see.
It was really interesting place with so many
historical places and stories I got to know and see a lot about. 
But, it was this I mentioned above I saw many years ago on Internet and wanted to see it in reality too. The Monument of Moufdi Zakaria, Mozabite poet from At izjen Beni isgen, author of the National Anthem.
This is a funerary Sidi Brahim Mosque at El-Ateuf, from 11 century, and meant for families who share common descendants.
"This mosque, lying at the base of the southern slope of the El-Ateuf Qsar, was built alongside Sheikh Sidi Brahim's tomb, hence its name. The prayer hall is flanked by two spaces. One, a sunken area, was the madrasa. The other, used by the sheikh of the mosque, boasts arcades of varying type which give onto the sahan, a wide claustra set in the wall leads onto the tomb."
Source: [http://www.discoverislamicart.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;dz;Mon01;29;en&cp]
Funny, entrance to madrasa for women is as the same "staircase" that children now have in playgrounds nowadays.
Vicemen's burial site in Melika is very interesting cemetery with the tombs of Sheikh Sidi Aissa and his family. These tombs take the form of touching mounds of simplicity and resembling fingers of limed mud pitted towards the sky.
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| cemetery for other people |
I do not know how it is, probably nothing important, just a nice decoration - just that the car haunted there while I wanted to take a good picture, but it was not possible. Does not have much choice, either with the car or with the post.
One part I couldn't see neither due my friend who have difficult to go, so I left him sometimes sitting somewhere and went by my self to see a little around the square and streets in Ghardaia etc. But it was only short look can I say, wanted not let him sitting too long alone.
It was almost impossible to make a good picture of the square due so many cars and shops there. It was really shame that cars were allowed to go on the square.
This picture bellow is not mine, but, in M'Zab Valley it is the Ibadi religious sect in Algeria. As a religious Muslim sect they did not subscribe to the doctrine of Sunnism and Shi'ism. And women are dressed as she on the picture, they are covered over the whole body and only one hole for one eye is open.
The M'Zab Valley was really nice oasis. Every ksar was surrounded by walls like this here bellow.
I enjoyed there even if it was probably between 45-50 degree as I saw on mobil and even people there confirmed it. Very hot it was so it was pleasant to take a bath in swimming pool after going and exploring all we could find and see.
Then it was time to go back to Algiers and I took the road from Laghouat towards Djelfa where we stayed overnight also. If it was more time it could be interesting to find this abundance of Neolithic rock carvings dating from 7000 to 5000 BC which is near the city, but it is not possible to see everything on one trip only.
The whole day we drove only through such landscape as it is here, dry, hard, stony Sahara. Until Djelfa the road was good, but then over Tall Atlas the road was small and so many cars so it was not so much funny to drive there.
The whole day we drove only through such landscape as it is here, dry, hard, stony Sahara. Until Djelfa the road was good, but then over Tall Atlas the road was small and so many cars so it was not so much funny to drive there.
Strange, the whole way I never saw one simple camel in the Sahara, only this sign, but not any living one.
First somewhere when I almost approached Blida, I think it was, I saw some camels, but not so many in any case.
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| Tall Atlas |
So it was my trip to Algeria, it was good and nice trip, but, actually I was a little disappointed of to not liked so much that piece of Sahara I saw. So next time, if it will be Algeria again, I will start in Oran and go towards Bechar to Erg Occidental also. And see even where Swiss explorer and writer Isabel Eberhardt, a woman who reinvented herself as a man, wandering in Sahara and unfortunately was killed by a flash flood in Aïn Sefra. She was only 27 years old but got a exciting life in any case.
