[8] In her 1963 book, La Force des choses, the French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir described Ghardaïa as "a Cubist painting beautifully constructed".

[7][8] The M'Zab valley, in limestone plateau, was inscribed under the UNESCO Heritage List, is a unique conglomeration of five cities confined in area of 75 km² situated 600 km to the south of Algiers, the capital of Algeria.

They were forced to leave Tahert consequent to a devastating fire in 909 (it is reported that destruction was caused by the founder of the (Shi'ite) Fatimid Dynasty[6]).

The habitation was planned with meticulous details to precise layouts defined by set principles of community living within a defensive environment.

The five villages set up with identical planning concepts were Ghardaïa, Melika, Beni Isguen, Bou Noura and El Atteuf.

[3][4][6] However, during the summer season the inhabitants migrated to a "citadel" outside the fortified villages, in an informal setting of artificial palm grove, a cemetery and a mosque.

On the social aspect, it is the only Ksar, along with Melika, that housed not only Ibadites Berbers, but also Malekits Arabs and a Jewish community until the Algerian Independence.

To build the Ksar, the founders of Ghardaïa, a small group of people, under a Cheikh, chose a hill 200m south of the M'Zab Oued for defensive purposes.

According to the public agency in charge of protecting the M'Zab Heritage, Ghardaïa has seen four phases of evolution until 1882, when it was annexed by the French army.

Ghardaïa's ancient water distribution system was devised by the Mozabites, as a response to the ephemeral flows of its oueds (rivers).

Realising the preciousness of this natural resource, the Mozabites developed a unique hydraulic system of tunnels to harvest rainwater and divert it to the oases.

The region is marked by large temperature differences between day and night, and summer and winter ranging from lows of 5 °C (41 °F) to highs of 46 °C (114.8 °F).

[13] The residents have preserved the original medieval architecture remarkably well; the valley to which Ghardaïa belongs is part of an official World Heritage Site.

[8] The city is called "the pearl of the oasis", and is one of the most important tourist regions in southern Algeria due to its ancient cultural heritage.

Apart from tourism, the Wilaya of Ghardaïa also draws anthropologists, architects, researchers and historians to explore its rich cultural, anthropological and architectural uniqueness.

[17] The Mozabites of Ghardaïa have their distinct identity of traditional costume of saroual loubia (baggy trousers) and chéchia (headgear).

[13] Every spring, the commune of Metlili-Chaamba, 31.3 km (19.4 mi) from Ghardaïa, celebrates the "Day mehr" when people from all over the country attend and participate in a camel race.

[6] They practice a different way of praying, worshipping of God, and designing mosques compared to Malikis, who form the majority of Algerians.

[19] The White Fathers, a Roman Catholic missionary society, live in a hermitage near the old city, and have a collection of books on the Sahara.