Oued souf, Oued, Algeria
El-Oued is the centre of a number of oases, called Souf, located in El Oued Province, which is in the amazing Great Eastern Sand Sea. The oases of El-Oued Souf show definitely an unique sample of interaction between human being and nature. In general, oases are considered by UNESCO and Med-O-Med as sample of the human genius in action. Skills, and particularly traditional know-how in coping with a hostile environment that is scarce in resources, appeared in the development of techniques enabling water to be used more judiciously, whether available permanently or cyclically.
On account of the arid climate of the Sahara, it was the groundwater reserves which made up the main source of oases. The actual location of oases took account of the possible combination of three factors, namely the level of the groundwater and the method of drawing on it, the presence of cultivable alluvial soils and protection against the wind and heat. Oued Souf Oasis has a particularity: its origin is artificial, man-made, and its cultivated lands are literally stolen soil to the dunes of the desert.
Epic Algeria Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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