El Maiz is generally considered the most picturesque of Figuig's seven ksour, with its ochre earthen walls in better condition than many of the others. The name comes from the Berber word for water, reflecting the ksar's access to a particularly productive spring.
Wandering through El Maiz is the best introduction to the social logic of these desert fortifications. Each ksar was once a self-sufficient unit — grain stores, a mosque, a community oven, stables — all contained within walls that could be closed against raiders. The irrigation channels running through the palm gardens between the ksour are equally ancient and still in use.