Ksar
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Ksar (also qasr, Arabic: قصر, qaṣr, plural qsur) is the Arabic term for "castle", loaned from Latin castrum.
The Berber (Amazigh) equivalent is aghrem (singular) or ighrman (plural).[citation needed]. In the Maghreb, the term has a more general meaning of "fortified village,"or "fort". Qusr in the Maghreb typically consist of attached houses, often having collective granaries and other structures (mosque, bath, oven, shops) widespread among the oasis populations of North Africa. Ksars are sometimes situated in mountain locations to make defense easier; they often are entirely within a single, continuous wall. The building material of the entire structure is normally adobe, or cut stone and adobe. The idea of the ksar as a granary is a confused notion of two things, the granary itself, found within a ksar, and the ksar, which is a village, normally with granaries within it. Ksars form one of the main manifestations of Berber architecture.
The word is part of place names across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, — the region called the Maghreb; and is particularly prevalent on the Saharan side of the various ranges of the Atlas Mountains and the valley of the Draa River. The Spanish terms Alcázar and Portuguese Alcácer are derived from this Arabic word, and appear in place names and buildings originating as fortresses.
[edit] Places named Ksar
- Ksar es-Seghir, Moroccan stronghold in the Straits of Gibraltar, between Tangier and Ceuta
- Ksar-el-Kebir, location of the Battle of Al Kasr al Kebir, influenced Moroccan, Portuguese and Spanish history
- Ksar Nalut, Libya
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Interactive 360° panorama of Ksar Ait Benhaddou (World Heritage) (Java, 0,9 MB)
- www.ksour-tunisiens.com Complete documentation of all ksour of southern Tunisia, Herbert Popp & Abdelfettah Kassah
