Ghardaia is one of the pentapolis towns of the Saharan M’Zab Valley, one of Algeria’s UNESCO World Heritage sites. In the nearby walled settlement of Beni Isguen – normally closed to foreigner visitors – the local women, clad from top to toe in white, reveal only one eye to the outside world.
Local celebrations
The local populations, through the national territory, celebrate local parties anchored in the traditions of the Algerian company, we can quote the most famous among these:
- Tafsir “the colors of spring” in Tamanrasset:
Tafsit amazigh means spring, is a party of enjoyment which lasts three days celebrating the advent of the spring, it is an opportunity to organize competitions as that of the race of camels or the best craftsman. It is also during this party that the set of the inhabitants of the tassili of Hoggar meets to Tamanrasset to make relive and value ancestral traditions.
- S’boue of Timimoun:
Coinciding with the feast of Mawlid and the seventh day of the birth of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and greet him), the feast of S’boue, which lasts seven days and seven nights is punctuated by the sound of karkabous, has become over the years a great tourist attraction with circuits in the old ksour and palm groves of Gourara.
- Maoussim Taghit or the date festival in Béchar:
Maoussim Taghit is celebrated at the end of each month of October, for the harvest of the date, the main resource of the Saoura. This festival has existed for more than 19 centuries, lasts 3 days during which we hear the sounds of bendir, goumbri and folk songs.
- Pottery festival (municipality of Maatkas):
The pottery festival is held each year in June, in the town of Maatkas, near Boghni, south of Tizi Ouzou. The craft of pottery is essentially female in this region and the women of ath khelil are renowned for the quality of their works made with domestic utensils and from red clay.
- Silver Jewel Festival (Common Ath Yenni) wilaya of Tizi Ouzou:
The Ath Yennie celebrate silver jewelry during the month of July each year. The jewel is set with silver and coral, the main ornament.
- Feast of the carpet of Ghardaia:
This holiday takes place during spring break (mid-March). The capital of the M’Zab Valley is punctuated by an exhibition of the different carpets of the country, folklore evenings animated by karkabou troops and, tourist visits through the five cities of the metropolis of the M’zab valley or Béni Izguen is in the spotlight with its mythical auction market.
- Feast of S’biba (commune of Djanet wilaya of Illizi):
This festival takes place during the period of El Achoura (the tenth day of the Hegira “Moharrem” which symbolizes the victory of the Prophet Moussa on the Pharaoh of Egypt).
- Feast of Sidi Ahmed El Medjdoub Aassla (wilaya of Naama):
Celebrated in Assla in the wilaya of Naâma, every year on the first Friday of mid-October, the waâda of Sidi-Ahmed Medjdoub The ksar of Assla was built in the fifteenth century, it was a transit village of caravans going to Touat and Gourara. Assla is so named because of the abundance of honey in the city, due to the existence of uncountable hives of bees in the surrounding mountains. The capital of the Medjadba is therefore the scene of a great celebration of religious, cultural and commercial character. The waâda of the saint A. Medjdoub is celebrated since 1904. Every year, the organization improves and the number of visitors increases. The zaouïa takes care of organizing this big meeting.
- Holiday of sid hamed ben ouda ben in Relizane:
The origins and history of this festival “waâda” dates back to the dawn of time. The famous tribe of Flita, holds its traditional Taâm, named after the holy man, Sidi-M’hamed Benaouda. During this famous holiday a big Kheïma is installed as symbol of the recitation of saint Coran and hospitality.
Besides the popular events organized every year, besides hundred the other local holidays are annually celebrated in several regions of Algeria, attracting visitors of the inside of the country and the outside, they constitute) a fundamental component of the cultural tourist product.