Lonely and imperious stone castles still stand guard
over deserted villages. Clinging to the craggy mountain
ridges, ksours and empty ghorfas await the return of the
Berber people who sought protection behind their ocher walls
and who stored their precious grain in the honeycomb like
granaries. Most of the ksours are now abandoned or inhabited
only by old people but some happily have found a new vocation
as elements of hotels, like the Ksar Haddada near Ghomrassen.
Leaving the town of Tataouine with its modern,comfortable
accommodations visitors can tour the region stopping at Ksar
Ezzara, Douiret and Chennini. On the road passing Douiret
visit a citadel that seems to be an integral part of the
mountain, still in use for storage by the villagers now
located in the valley. Further on ,the Ksar of Chenini lies
deserted, its crumbling walls high on the cliff tops no
longer guard the villagers. Here, next to the rough squat
stone mosque lies the tomb of the seven sleepers. According
to the legend seven young girls slept for two hundred years
and awakened only to find all they had loved had long
vanished, so they died heartbroken. Perhaps this is the fate
of the lonely ksars.