Khamlia is a small village about 7 kilometres north of Merzouga, home to a community descended from sub-Saharan Africans who were brought to the region as enslaved people centuries ago. They have maintained a distinct cultural tradition — the Gnawa — built around hypnotic, repetitive music played on the guimbri (a three-stringed bass lute), krakeb (iron castanets), and voice. The music was originally ceremonial, used in healing rituals, and it has an immediacy and depth that distinguishes it from anything else in Morocco.
Several family groups in Khamlia invite visitors to their homes for a performance, typically a 45-minute session followed by mint tea and an opportunity to buy CDs and instruments. It is informal and the musicians are genuine — this is not a staged tourist show but a community sharing something they continue to practice for its own sake.
The drive to Khamlia passes through the palm oasis on the northern edge of Merzouga, a stretch of date palms and small gardens that provides a useful contrast to the surrounding desert. Combine the village visit with the piste north along the base of the dunes for a half-day loop.