Overview
A closer look at Igzer Palace
An archaeological site witness to ancient architecture in the Gourara area and one of the beautiful archaeological tourist palaces in the Timimoun region, located about 20 km from the city. It features a beautiful oasis style and is a destination for many local and foreign tourists due to its tranquility and calm. The old palace “Igzer” in the municipality of Ouled Saïd, in the Gourara region of Timimoun (Wilaya of Adrar), is one of the most prominent tangible heritage landmarks still bearing witness to the traditional architectural style that this area is famous for. Igzer Palace, located 12 km from the capital of the Gourara region, Timimoun, derives its heritage and cultural distinctiveness from its distinguished location overlooking the Timimoun sebkha and the surrounding palm oasis, which have formed the livelihood of the residents practicing traditional farming as a prominent economic activity in their daily lives. The architectural design with which this ancient archaeological monument was built centuries ago using local building materials compatible with the climatic and geographical nature of the Gourara region is one of its most prominent features, as it represents a unique architectural art. The original inhabitants built it on a rocky elevation in the middle of the settlement and oasis gardens as a preventive measure allowing its residents to monitor various movements and surrounding dangers given the unstable social conditions at those past times, as explained by a member of the Igzer Association for the Preservation of Tourist and Archaeological Monuments in the Ouled Saïd municipality.