When you think of an oasis what comes to mind: Bing Crosby, Bob Hope on the Road to Morocco; French Foreign Legion in their white kepi with neck guard headgear; Maria Muldaur singing Midnight at the Oasis or a 1980’s Britpop band? Ghardaia is an oasis and none of the above would immediately come to mind. 376 miles from the capital Algiers and with a population of 93,423, it has palm trees and a water course and is set in the M’Zab valley surrounded by steep cliffs and miles of empty Sahara Desert. It is a modern-day commercial town which meets the needs of the five fortified settlements surrounding the valley and is home to Ibadi Muslim sect.
Surprisingly, for such a small town there is an extensive bus network stretching out into the desert communities under the auspice of ETUSG (Établissement de Transport Urbain et Suburbain de Ghardaïa). The main bus station is located in the Tagherdaït district, at the junction of Rue Emir Abdelkader and Avenue de L’A.L.N, and consists of two off-road parking areas with room for two lanes of buses in each. The five surrounding settlements are impregnable to public transport, and, in most cases, to any sort of vehicles other than motorbikes so buses terminate just outside at the main gates to the walls. Beni Isguen is the largest of these settlements. There are two distinct bus types, small TATA and Isuzu Ecobus of various ages operating in the town and large Higer or Sonacome-SNVI operating out of the valley.
The bus station at the junction of Rue Emir Abdelkader and Avenue de L’A.L.N. Only local buses now depart here. Long distance buses leave from a newer bus station on the edge of town.
The bus station just outside the main gate into Beni Isguen. Beni Isguen is a fortified settlement with defensive walls enclosing the entire community of 6800 residents, founded in 1347. The town, built on a steep hillside, features narrow streets winding between stone buildings with a central marketplace close to the main gate. Visitors are not permitted to enter the settlement without being accompanied by a guide from the community and are not permitted to remain after dark.
Isuzu Ecobus arriving at the Ksar Tafilelt, the new town terminus. Ksar Tafilelt is a district of Bounoura, a commune of Ghardaïa. Land for the new town was purchased in 1997 and work began in 2000. The town planning replicates the older towns around Ghardaia but in a sustainable way, no concrete was used in construction, but streets are wider allowing for some vehicle movements. The town is occupied by Mozabites of the Ibadi Muslim sect.
Higer KLQ6108GA on route 50, climbing out of Ghardaia on highway N1 towards New Metlili, a large recently developed town, and the airport. Other small communities are along the side of the highway giving the district a population of around 40,500.
Isuzu Ecobus Classic at rest by the oasis.
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