The to Wn of Gharda" Ia in M'zab, Algeria: between Tra Dition and Modernity

Scholars and architects have long admired the urban structure of the five towns of the Oued M'zab Valley. Originally built by the Hybadites, a schismatic sect of Muslims, the towns con­ sist of stratified masses of houses on rocky peaks, each dominated by a mosque and minaret, elevated on the skyline like a divine finger. Many common points may be discerned between the tendencies of contemporary architecture and this simple, rational architecture which expresses a unified vision of community. However, in recent decades the towns have undergone uncontrolled change that has radically disfigured their morphology. At present, Ghardiia, the most exemplary of the towns, is in great need of a conservation effort that will enable residents to better integrate the traditional and the modern. This should not be interpreted as museumification, but as a return to the aware self-control practices that once dis tinguished the life and history of the town.