Ksar or qṣar (), in plural ksour or qsour (), is a type of fortified village in North Africa, usually found in the regions predominantly or traditionally inhabited by

Berbers Berbers, or the Berber peoples, also known as Amazigh or Imazighen, are a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arab migrations to the Maghreb, Arabs in the Maghreb. Their main connec ...

(Amazigh). The equivalent

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

term used is ' (singular) or (plural).

Etymology

The Arabic ''qaṣr'' () was probably borrowed from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

word .

Architecture

Ksour in the Maghreb typically consist of attached houses, often having a fortified communal granary like those in Algeria, or the

ghorfa A ghorfa () is a type of communal granary found mainly in southern Tunisia. Similar structures are also found in northeastern Libya. They are associated in particular with Berber settlements in these regions. They consist of a collection of vault ...

and

agadir Agadir (, ; ) is a major List of cities in Morocco, city in Morocco, on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just north of the point where the Sous River, Souss River flows into the ocean, and south of Casabla ...

types known in Tunisia and Morocco respectively, beside other structures like a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

hammam A hammam (), also often called a Turkish bath by Westerners, is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited from the model ...

, oven, and shops. Ksur or igherman are widespread among the

oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

. Ksars are sometimes situated in mountain locations to make defense easier; they often are entirely within a single, continuous wall. The

building material Building material is material used for construction. Many naturally occurring substances, such as clay, rocks, sand, wood, and even twigs and leaves, have been used to construct buildings and other structures, like bridges. Apart from natur ...

of the entire structure usually is

adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...

, or cut stone and adobe. The idea of the ksar as a granary is a confused notion of two things: the granary itself, found within a ksar, and the ksar, a village, typically with granaries within it. Ksars form one of the main manifestations of

Berber architecture Berbers, or the Berber peoples, also known as Amazigh or Imazighen, are a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arabs in the Maghreb. Their main connections are identified by their u ...

References

External links

www.ksour-tunisiens.com
– complete documentation of all ksour of southern Tunisia, Herbert Popp & Abdelfettah Kassah {{Islamic architecture Arabic words and phrases Arabic fortifications Berber architecture Fortifications by type Sahara Castles Ribats

Etymology

Architecture

See also

References

External links