Oasis in Sahara
We spent some time in the oasis visiting its towns. We stayed in Beni Isguen and started our excursion there. The town was founded in the middle of the 11th century by a Berber Muslim heretical sect. Its name means “the sons of those who keep the faith”.
We went to several of these towns. All of them built the same way according to the rules established in the said 11th century. The houses have thick walls and tiny windows, their height does not exceed 7.5 meters, the colors are traditional. Narrow winding streets, mosques, wells, a market place in the town’s center, a high wall around the town.
The descendants of the Muslim heretics who first to settle in this place to this day live a secluded life; they rarely leave the oasis. This region was only recently opened to tourists. The locals are not used to see foreigners in their towns. Visitors can only be there until the sunset and with the guide who knows where to go. Some parts of the towns are off limits.
The towns are governed by elected councils. Each council has its own sphere of activity – trade, religion, education, etc. All businesses pay a small tax on their profits. This money goes into the communal fund for the needy. Say, if someone wants to marry but has no money for the wedding, this person can get financial help from the fund.
When the community gathers for a prayer in the mosque they cannot start praying if there is an unresolved issue within the community. The community that cannot pray together is not respected and nobody wants that.
Nothing goes to waste here. Food scraps are fed to animals. If someone does not have any animals, they will give their food waste to a neighbor who has. In return, the neighbor gives them milk, eggs, or something else. Waste water from the shower and toilet goes into two separate containers. Shower water is used for technical needs. The fluid from the toilet is let to evaporate while the hard stuff dries up and becomes fertilizer. This is how it has been done for centuries. People adjusted to harsh conditions in the desert. These days, one can see airconditioners in the house walls. However, in many aspects the way of living in this area has not changed much.
The locals practice two forms of Islam. One group is the traditional Berber Muslims. Their women are dressed in all black but they do not cover their faces. The other group is the M’zabites. Their standards of religious purity are high. This group is extremely strict, egalitarian, and separatist; they speak their own language. Their women never leave the community. They wear all white including a large cloak on the head that leaves only one eye open. Seeing us, the M’zabites women pressed themselves against the wall, then carefully walked past. Sometimes, feminine curiosity took over and I saw how the only visible eye turned from one side to another to get as much as possible of a view of the foreigners.
I marvel sometimes how I get to see such extraordinary places. I was born and grew up behind the Iron Curtain. In my youth, I could only dream about traveling all over the world but somehow it happened. Dreams do come true.