El Golea

El Golea is an exotic oasis town located in central Algeria and is the southern gateway to the Sahara Desert. It is also still known as, The Little Paradise, which is fully deserved by definition. The palm trees and desert roses are something that will bring you unforgettable memories.

Residents of El Golea enjoy the best drinking water in all Algeria. In markets you can find a wide assortment of fruits such as dates, oranges, cherries, plums and peaches. In most such towns only dates are grown and available.

Unfortunately because of the civil war of 1992 tourism in Algeria suffered a seriously and opportunities to travel alone across the country are limited. People here have very different manners.

In the 10th century, these places were populated by Berber tribes, who built the city, Gardaya. To this day in the hills of the city-oasis you can be see the preserved remains of their protective gear.

Strict is the religion of Islam, forcing local women to move around the streets shrouded by the only thing visible on their body, the eyes.

There are interesting things to do for the tourists, for example rock painting. The Saharan Atlas, which existed for nearly 5000 years, consist mostly of images of hippopotamus, buffalo, elephants and other animals that at that time had not yet disappeared from the North Africa region.

One of the most popular places in El Golea is the tomb of the Muslim saint, Mulan Hass. Mulan was a nobleman who was committed to three pilgrimages to the holy land of Mecca.

Close to town, about 2 km away lies the first Catholic church built in the Sahara in 1938.