Publication Date
441 AH / 1050 AD
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;dz;Mon01;27;ar
Library Location
Ghardaia, Algeria
Date
441 AH / 1050 AD
Notes
When Abu al-Hattab and the governor of Medina of Kairouan were killed on the orders of the Kharijites, the Ibadis installed his companion, Ibn Rustam, as their governor. In the year 161 AH/778 AD, the latter established a kingdom in the Middle Maghreb that extended from Kairouan to Fez, and made Tahert its capital. The word Khawarij (from the verb to go out, out) indicates a schism that follows a break with the dominant school of thought. In the year 37 AH / 658 AD, four thousand Muslims left Kufa, dissatisfied with the arbitration that had unfairly affected Ali’s rights in the caliphate, in order to benefit Muawiyah and thus let down the son-in-law of the Prophet. This incident constitutes the reason behind the rift that exists in the Islamic world to this day between the Shiites and the Sunnis. The Rustamids dominated the Central Maghreb for a century and a half. However, due to the attacks of the Fatimids, they were forced to resort initially to Sedratah (near Ouargla) and then to M'zab, where they founded, respectively, the five cities that constitute the five-axis (Ghardaia, Malika, Beni Izghen, Bounoura and Al-Atuf). Thanks to ingenious methods of reserving and distributing the small amount of available water, they established, starting in the 6th century AH / 12th century AD, palm groves and gardens that still bear witness to their good environmental control over natural resources. Built on the side of a rocky hill and founded in the year 441 AH / 1050 AD, Beni Izgin is considered the sacred city of the land of M'zab. This city was surrounded by a huge wall supported by towers, and crossed by three gates that, until recently, were closed every evening. It is believed that one of the towers, the tower overlooking the city, was built within a single day in anticipation of an attack. The dwellings of the M'zab Valley were designed in a way that allowed some daily "travelling", as they were generally built on two levels in which we find the same necessary equipment required by daily life: stove, toilets, water hall, rooms, sitting room, and loom. This arrangement allows summer residence on the ground floor, where there is shade. When the evening comes, the work moves to the second floor, where it cools down at night. In winter, the opposite happens. The same organization exists in the summer houses among the palm groves. Apart from this function, “In addition to that, camels were available to the Kharijites. These dissident extremists who set out to live their truth in the sand instead of accepting the truth of others, even in the midst of prosperity, were not concerned with searching for beauty for its own sake in their stable. This does not mean that they lacked a taste for beauty, but rather because they lacked leisure time. Their first concern is survival."
Sample Text
Ali Lafer “Beni Izgin” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;dz;Mon01;27;ar
