Rehabilitation of Traditional Housing and Local Development in the Sahara – Ksar of Tamentit (Wilaya of Adrar)

Currently, the Saharan regions of Algeria are undergoing significant transformations in their urban patterns, if not entirely, at least partially. As a result, the ksour—traditional dwellings highly adapted to their Saharan environment—are the first to experience these changes: some have completely disappeared, while others are deteriorating, even though certain ksour have undergone restoration operations (see CRASC Notebook No. 32 on Ksour).

The Ksar of Tamentit (Wilaya of Adrar) is among these ksour threatened with disappearance (see photos in the Annexes). This ksar is located in a commune of the same name, 12 km from the wilaya’s capital. The commune covers an area of 13,700 km², and according to the 2008 General Population and Housing Census (RGPH), it has 9,578 inhabitants.

The main objective of this study is to initiate a long-term rehabilitation project for the Ksar of Tamentit, starting with the rehabilitation of one of its houses. This house will be transformed into a “house-museum” housing traditional local objects and tools and will serve as the foundation for a tourism project contributing to local development. Furthermore, in line with this local development approach, the establishment of a specialization in ksour rehabilitation will be considered at the professional training center.

At CRASC, three projects were conducted in the southwestern region of Algeria:

Project 1: “Ksour of Southwestern Algeria: Urbanization and Social Change” (2010–2013)This research focused on several ksour in southwestern Algeria: Ghassoul and Boussemghoun (Wilaya of El Bayadh), Tiout (Naama), Kenadsa and Meghoul (Bechar), Timimoun and Tilouline (Adrar). Through multiple approaches, the researchers documented the current situation of these ksour, characterized broadly by geographic expansion, demographic growth, and uneven urban degradation. Some ksour have been uninhabited for a long time, while others are still inhabited. The research also highlighted the role of the state in the current condition of these ksour.

Project 2: “Environment and Socio-Economic Transformations of Oasis Spaces: The Case of the Foggaras in the Touat Valley (Wilaya of Adrar, Algeria)” (2013–2015)The main objective of this research was to describe, analyze, and evaluate the socio-economic and environmental aspects of the foggaras in the Touat region using multisource data. The study highlighted several constraints on the oasis ecosystem: demographic pressure in large oasis settlements, problems managing water in the traditional system, deterioration of foggaras, partial abandonment of oases due to natural constraints (e.g., sand encroachment), abandonment due to human-induced constraints, issues regarding agricultural land (traditional and new agricultural plots), and challenges in implementing certain agricultural development policies.

Project 3: “Rural Housing between Public Actions and Private Initiatives in Southwestern Algeria” (2014–2016)This project addressed the evolution and transformations of rural housing in southwestern Algeria, focusing on five communes: Moulay Larbi (Wilaya of Saida), El Kheiter (Wilaya of El Bayadh), Tiout (Wilaya of Naama), Mechraa Houari Boudienne (Wilaya of Bechar), and Fenoughil (Wilaya of Adrar). Several axes were examined: rural development and planning policies, demographic evolution, housing morphology and modes of dwelling, strategies for accessing land and housing, and the impact of housing programs on rural development. A notable observation was the shift in housing styles from traditional forms, with their construction methods, materials, and social/family structures, to “cloned” urban forms in both construction and planning/consumption patterns.

These three projects provide a valuable reference and research basis on these Saharan regions, but they did not propose concrete rehabilitation projects for either ksour or foggaras. Therefore, our project aims in this direction: to propose a rehabilitation project for a ksar, coupled with a tourism project contributing to the region’s local development.

Project Objectives:

Conduct a monographic study of the Tamentit region and its ksar.Implement a rehabilitation project for one house in the ksar.Introduce a specialization in ksour rehabilitation at the professional training center.Develop a local tourism development project, including the design of a tourist guide.