The Gourara region around Timimoun contains dozens of ksour — fortified mud-brick villages — set in small oases linked by foggara. The nearest, such as Ouled Saïd, Aghlad and Ighzer, can be reached in an hour or two on a half-day driving loop from town, with stops to walk through the alleyways and meet the date farmers who still maintain them.
Each ksar has its own micro-character: some are largely abandoned and slowly returning to the desert, others remain fully inhabited, and a few have minor saints' shrines or annual zerda festivals tied to them. The Gourara is also one of the strongholds of the Ahellil — a polyphonic vocal tradition recognised by UNESCO — and a Sufi musical heritage that, with luck and timing, can be heard at a wedding or religious gathering.