Ksar or qṣar (
Arabic: قصر,
romanized: qṣar), in plural ksour or qsour (Arabic: قصور, romanized: qṣur), is a type of fortified village in North Africa, usually found in the regions predominantly or traditionally inhabited by
Berbers (Amazigh).[1][2] The equivalent
Berber term used is ighrem (singular) or igherman (plural).[1]
Etymology
The Arabic qaṣr (قَصَر) was probably borrowed from the
Latin word castrum.[3][1]
Ksour in the Maghreb typically consist of attached houses, often having a fortified communal
granary known as a
ghorfa or
agadir, and other structures like a
mosque,
hammam, oven, and shops. Ksur or igherman are 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 usually is
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, a village, typically with granaries within it. Ksars form one of the main manifestations of
Berber architecture.
^Wehr, Hans; Cowan, J. M. A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic (Third ed.). Ithaca, N.Y.: Spoken Language Services. p. 768.
^Binous, Jamila; Baklouti, Naceur; Ben Tanfous, Aziza; Bouteraa, Kadri; Rammah, Mourad; Zouari, Ali (2010). "X.6 Chénini (of Tataouine)".
Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia. Islamic Art in the Mediterranean (2nd ed.). Museum With No Frontiers & Ministry of Culture, the National Institute of Heritage, Tunis. p. 269.
ISBN9783902782199.