CHARACTERISTICS OF MILITARY ARCHITECTURE IN THE TOUAT REGION – THE CASBAH OF OULED IHAMMED AS A MODEL

Abstract

A study of Saharan ksour reveals the greatness of their builders, while also allowing insights into the economic, social, and political life of their inhabitants, thereby portraying a society that demonstrated creativity and resilience in challenging nature, leaving behind landmarks worthy of study and preservation. The Touat region is among the most important areas in Algeria that contain numerous ksour.

Observation of the Saharan ksour in the Touat region shows that they were constructed in a manner suggesting that the area experienced continuous warfare, as evidenced by the defensive system they possess. Moreover, these ksour incorporate the most important defensive elements of Islamic architecture, inspired by the defensive systems of Islamic cities and Saharan ksour spread across the desert. In this paper, we attempt to shed light on the ksour of the Touat region, with a particular focus on one of their architectural aspects, namely defensive architecture.