description Mélika Oasis Overview
Mélika Oasis is one of the five fortified settlements, or pentapolis, comprising the M'Zab Valley in Algeria's Ghardaïa Province. Founded by the Ibadi Mozabite Muslim sect, the town is structurally organized around central principles of community defense and egalitarianism. It is specifically distinguished by its prominent hilltop necropolis, which serves as the primary burial ground for the valley's inhabitants, and forms a core component of the M'Zab Valley's UNESCO World Heritage site.
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What is Mélika Oasis?
Mélika is one of the five fortified ksour, or walled settlements, that form the M'Zab Valley pentapolis in Ghardaïa Province, Algeria. The other four are Ghardaïa, Beni Isguen, Bou Noura, and El Atteuf, as listed by [UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/188/).
What does Mélika's traditional architecture look like?
The settlement is organized around a central mosque, with compact houses arranged in concentric circles toward the defensive walls. The mosque's minaret also works as a watchtower, reflecting the M'Zab Valley's need for community defense and desert adaptation.
Who founded Mélika and the M'Zab settlements?
The settlements were created by Ibadi communities, including Mozabite Muslims, beginning in the 10th and 11th centuries. UNESCO dates the five ksour broadly between 1012 and 1350 rather than assigning every settlement the same founding year.
When did the M'Zab Valley become a UNESCO site?
UNESCO inscribed the M'Zab Valley in 1982 under cultural criteria including architecture, community organization, and desert water management. The site's influence has been noted in the work of architects such as Le Corbusier, Fernand Pouillon, and André Ravéreau.
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