The old ksar — the original fortified quarter of Timimoun — is the place to wander first. A maze of narrow alleyways between rust-red mud-brick houses opens into small squares with a single tree, a well, a couple of old men sitting in the shade. The walls are decorated with the geometric pinnacles and slit windows of the Soudano-Saharien style, a tradition that crossed the Sahara from medieval Mali.
The ksar is still inhabited, which gives it its quiet life — bread baked in courtyard ovens, children running between the doorways, prayer call rising from the small mosque tucked inside. Visitors are welcome but should walk slowly and ask before photographing people. A local guide, easily arranged from any hotel, will get you into corners you would otherwise miss and explain which families built which house.