Biskra Oasis

Biskra is an Algerian oasis city in Biskra Province at the northern edge of the Sahara. It is often called the “Queen of the Zibans” and is known as a northern gateway toward the desert.

Its position at the northern edge of the Sahara made it a natural stopping point between northern Algeria and the desert regions farther south. The surrounding Ziban oasis belt also made Biskra an important agricultural and travel center.

Yes. Gide visited Biskra in the 1890s, and the oasis is associated with his 1902 novel The Immoralist. The town also attracted writers, artists, and travelers during the late nineteenth century.

Water from underground sources supports palm groves, gardens, and settled agriculture in an otherwise arid region. Date palms are a defining feature of the Biskra landscape and the wider Zibans.