ksour

village

Also known as: quṣūr

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "ksour" refers to fortified villages or towns, often found in North Africa. These settlements typically feature an old walled quarter (ksar) situated on a hill, overlooking a more modern town.

Two notable examples include:

Ksar el-Boukhari in Algeria, a commercial center for pastoral peoples, known for its wool, livestock, and cereal trade, as well as a local carpet industry.1
Ksar el-Kebir in Morocco, a city with a history dating back to Greek and Carthaginian times, featuring one of the oldest mosques in western Morocco. It is a significant market for the Loukkos River valley.2

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Morocco
Traditional regions
…fortified adobe villages known as ksour (Arabic: quṣūr, “castles”). Nomadic camel herding was once an important economic activity in the Saharan zone, but government policies, desert warfare, multiyear droughts, and other extenuating factors have caused this way of life to disappear almost completely.
Read More
…fortified adobe villages known as ksour (Arabic: quṣūr, “castles”). Nomadic camel herding was once an important economic activity in the Saharan zone, but government policies, desert warfare, multiyear droughts, and other extenuating factors have caused this way of life to disappear almost completely.
Read More