Skip to content

Keep a little mystery in your trip planning: flip this switch on and Explorer Picture Mode shows a stylized version of every place instead of the real photo, so you can go by the description and reviews first and picture it your own way -- turn it off again any time, or reveal the real photo for just one place at a time from its own page.

Create a free account to pick your own style (Vintage, Oil Painting, Illustration, and more) and have it remembered next time you visit.

Laghouat

Learn about Laghouat

A concise introduction to Laghouat, its geography, history and culture.

Introduction

Changed

Laghouat is a big oasis town (2004 pop. 360.000) at about 330 kilometers south of Algiers, where the Sahara desert really starts. It’s here that the Mounts of the Atlas and the Sahara desert combine their beauty. The city is of administrative, military and economic importance for the region, and due to the presence of its University is also known as the intellectual capital of the Sahara.

It is said that Laghouat is one of the most satisfying propositions for first-time “desert” visitors to experience the typical atmosphere of Saharan towns. In fact, when you leave the city in the south, as far as the eye can see, there’s only the desert, extraordinarily and mysteriously silent.

← Back to Laghouat overview