Hidden Algeria – The Sahara

The third chapter of this Algerian odyssey is a travelogue that covers over 1200 miles – from the ‘Door of the Sahara’ in the ancient berber settlement of Ghouffi to Assekrem, which literally means ‘the end of the world’, situated in the southernmost point of Algeria’s Sahara. The great desert is an arid but varied landscape where cultures, both religious and nomadic, have adaped to the unforgiving climate over thousands of years. We tour the berber castles of Timimoun and the circular Mozabite cities of the Mzab valley. We learn about Islam’s ancient sect, the Ibadi who have sought eternal refuge in the desert. We visit the Touaregs of Tamanrasset and hear the sweet music of the Imzad instrument, rounding off our  great travels with the incredible story of Charles de Foucauld, a foreign legion officer who found God in the volcanic mountains of the Ahoggar.