At 600 meters in altitude north of Dhahar surrounded by mountains, the Berbers of Matmata and their neighbors n Tijma, Haddege, and other localities, built very curious dwellings. They are not fortified villages (like Douiret or Chenini) built on rocky peaks to protect themselves from Arab incursions (like ancient Matmata) ; they built houses with open air courtyards entered by open air passages through the side of the hill. The rooms are disposed radially around the courtyard and these are also

excavated from the stone ; sometimes a secondary courtyard served to house the animals : in other cases there is another floor with bedrooms and storage spaces. All of this is camouflaged underground and one can hardly suspect the existence of such a place, except for the craters formed by the open air patios.