On the islet of fertility amid the lifeless Sahara, trees bloom and water flows.
The romantic image of an oasis is usually a palm tree near a crystal clear water reservoir, where travelers replenish water supplies.
Ulad-Said in Algeria with palm groves and orchards is an extremely attractive place. The contrast of the oasis with the surrounding landscape is striking: the Great Western Erg is located nearby. Huge dunes rise like waves in the sandy sea, the ruthless sun brings the daytime temperature in the summer to 49°C and above.
Ulad-Said grows vegetables, grapes, figs, peaches and oranges, as well as the most valued culture here - the date palm. In palm groves, you can still see the pillars of the ancient slave market, which once built irrigation canals, or foggara, which the local land owes its fertility. Foggara flows water, which accumulated underground in a huge sandy "sponge", reaching in some places a thickness of 1800 meters.
About the date palm say that she loves to have a head in the fire, and legs in the water. Like without a camel, without it it is difficult to imagine life in these parts, so it is treated with reverence. She entered many myths and legends.
One of the legends says that Allah created a palm from the clay, which remained after the creation of Adam. Another legend claims that after Adam was expelled from paradise, God ordered him to clip his hair and nails and bury them. A little time has passed, and on that place a beautiful tree with juicy and sweet fruits has grown.
The tree of Life
It is also said that date palms maintain close family relations with each other. If one tree perishes, then his friends standing nearby, mourn and cease to bear fruit. The female tree will certainly die if you cut down her fiancé.
Dates are the main meal of local people. No part of the tree is wasted. The trunk is used as a building material and for firewood, ropes are made from coarse fibrous bark, petioles and leaves go to hedges and roofs, and baskets, bags, sandals, knit brooms are made from leaves.
From the juice of some varieties, a sweet syrup turns out, and from the juice of young palm trees ferment a pleasant wine that quickly hits the head. Even the date stones go into action: they are fried, grinded and cooked from them date coffee - a good substitute for hot tea in the cold evenings in the desert.
How the water flows in the desert
For centuries, residents have used underground water supplies, breaking through the tunnels - foggara, through which water is fed to oases. They can reach a length of 15 km, and in depth up to 30 m. They were built mostly by slaves with the most primitive tools. A big problem is maintaining the tunnels in order. They often clog up, they have to expand.
To reduce the loss of water due to evaporation, it is removed to the surface from the foggar only near the irrigated land and distributed over the plots.