THE SQUARE OF GHARDAÏA MARKET

The marketplace of Ghardaia called “Azghar Ougharme” meaning outside the city, is located on the southwestern outskirts of the Ksar. Frequented by caravan traders from distant lands, this place remains to this day the most dynamic market of the entire region. The market square was founded around the year 1884.

Rectangular in shape with a surface to about 3400 m2 this place is surrounded by a shopping arcades in various shapes and dimensions, in which we find shops and small businesses.

The streets leading to the market place have an economic role in their nearest part of the souk. In the past, each type of commercial activity was in an limited area and there were vegetables on the street, the street grocers, street tailors, embroiderers that, etc. while the place was open for the sale of products from outside such as salt, spices, wheat, wool, livestock, etc.

The market place had in the past an area of prayer “M'çalla” elevated and facing the west side. The middle of the northern half of the square is the "Houita" which is a line of boulders embedded in the ground and arranged in a semicircle of about 5m radius. These stones were once the seats of each member of the “Djemaa” (assembly of notables of the Ksar) who settled there to discuss the affairs of the city.

In October 1997 the market place - for the first time in its existence, knew a large-scale rehabilitation and restoration thus restoring its true historic face (meeting place for exchange and conviviality).

This has affected all components of the market place starting with the architectural treatment of facades corrections, restoration of damaged elements, consolidation of beams and ripe, plastering, tiling. The main purpose of this operation being promotion and rehabilitation of the local architectural heritage.