Taghit

Taghit is the picture most Algerians have in mind when they think of the Sahara: an old ksar of red mud brick stacked on a rocky spur, a dense palm grove below it fed by a seasonal river, and immediately behind, rising higher than the town, the dunes of the Grand Erg Occidental. The contrast between the green of the palms and the sand wall behind is what makes it. The ksar is partly ruined and partly restored, and its lanes and covered passages can be walked. Neolithic rock engravings of cattle, antelope and hunters are cut into outcrops a few kilometres out, some of the most accessible rock art in the country.

What you actually see

• The ksar on its spur - red mud brick above the palm grove.
• Dunes rising behind the town - the erg wall directly at the edge.
• Neolithic rock engravings - cattle and antelope cut into nearby outcrops.
• The palm grove - the irrigated gardens below the ksar.

When to go

November to March; a small desert festival is held in the cooler months. A day or two. Sunrise and sunset on the dunes are the reason to stay overnight. Summer is extremely hot.

Honest expectations

Parts of the ksar are collapsing and unsafe to enter. Accommodation is limited and basic. Getting to the rock art needs a vehicle and a guide. Access to the wider desert requires authorisation. Summer heat is severe.

Nearby

Beni Abbes is east; Bechar lies north.