Douiret

Douiret is built up a steep hillside southwest of Tataouine, houses and storage cells cut into the soft rock in terraces below a ruined ksar on the summit, and it was almost entirely abandoned in the twentieth century when the population moved to a new village on the plain. A whitewashed mosque with a square minaret stands out against the ochre rock. A few restored houses now take guests, and the old village is walked through rather than lived in.

What you actually see

• The terraced village - houses and cells cut into the hillside in tiers.
• The white mosque - the whitewashed mosque standing against the ochre rock.
• The hilltop ksar - the ruined fortified granary on the summit.
• The cave houses - dwellings dug into the soft rock of the slope.

When to go

October to April is comfortable; summer is extreme. Late afternoon gives the best light. The climb is steep and exposed.

Honest expectations

The village is largely ruined and the buildings are unsafe to enter. There is no shade and the climb is hard work. Facilities are limited to a couple of restored guesthouses.

Nearby

Chenini is north, and Tataouine is northeast.