Timimoun - the 'Red City' that attracts tourists in North Africa.

Located approximately 1,200 km south of Algeria's capital, Algiers, Timimoun is known by the striking name – "the red city". The distinctive red color of the desert clay covers most of the houses, walls, and ancient structures, creating a unique landscape rarely seen in North Africa.

A view of the city of Timimoun.

According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Algeria, this city, with a population of over 50,000, is located at an altitude of approximately 288 meters above sea level and surrounded by vast sand dunes. Houses in Timimoun are typically built in a traditional architectural style – a walled village with narrow alleyways. The thick red earth walls help keep the city cool during the day and warm at night, suitable for the harsh climate of the Sahara Desert. Under the sunlight, especially at sunset, the entire city appears to be covered in a distinctive deep red hue.

Not only houses, but many other structures such as mosques, watchtowers, village gates, and traditional markets in Timimoun are also built with red clay, creating a uniformity in color and architectural style. The high earthen walls, vaulted ceilings, and small windows bear the distinct mark of Sahara desert culture. This red architecture not only has aesthetic value but also reflects the adaptation of the desert inhabitants to the harsh natural conditions, as the building materials are primarily sourced directly from the local soil.

Today, Timimoun's ancient red earth structures have become a major tourist attraction for both domestic and international visitors, contributing to the city's unique character – a "red jewel" in the heart of the Sahara Desert. Local authorities are currently implementing 13 tourism projects, expected to add nearly 1,400 accommodations to increase the city's capacity to accommodate tourists. The main tourist season in Timimoun runs from October to May, when the desert weather becomes cooler.

The walls of the newly built houses were also painted red.

The center of Timimoun, the "red city".

The grounds of a guesthouse in Timimoun are quite clean.

Introducing traditional local headscarves to foreign tourists.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/du-lich/timimoun-thanh-pho-do-thu-hut-khach-du-lich-o-bac-phi-20260313134308381.htm