Who has never been in awe of the natural beauty of a sand rose, this blend of sand and salt (mainly gypsum). Carved by Mother Nature in the deserts? Known especially for its annual festival of the sand rose which is held at the end of April, the region of El-Bhour, 45 km from the city of Ouargla, has one of the most active cultural centers in the wilaya, even southern Algeria.
The sand rose festival is the most important annual event of this center which is located in the heart of the national deposit of sand roses, according to data from the direction of industry and mines of Ouargla which issues the permits. exploitation of sand rose deposits.
It goes without saying that the sand roses of El-Bhour are famous for being of high quality from the point of view of the hardness of the mineral object, its resplendent pinkish color, but also from the very nature of the sculpture that nature shapes as it pleases under a specific land. A label that connoisseurs appreciate a lot, especially since the flowers are often sculpted “front and back” – and which can be found in several renowned sites such as El-Ogla, Chabha, Ben M’himid and Gherss Boughoufala.
The gypsum, in the case of sand roses, occurs in intersecting saccharoid lenses and encompassing grains of quartz. They are found in particular in sebkhas, temporary salt lakes fed by runoff or groundwater.
The roses then crystallize at the top of the water table, about one meter below the surface of the ground, where the largest and best formed samples are found. Several mechanisms can contribute to the rise of roses to the surface where their stay will be brief. Subject to the combined action of weathering, erosion and dissolution, the calcium sulphate is quickly drawn into the subsoil where it will once again contribute to the formation of new and delicate sand roses.
Bedouin region par excellence, El-Bhour is also the country of camel races and popular poetry which is celebrated every year, during Okadhia de Benaioua, one of the most famous poets of the region.
-Kamel Bouslama-
The people of the Sahara Desert believe that Sand Roses have an internal energy that is used for protection, wealth and purification as they are Nature’s design. They can be put at home for the same beliefs or they can simply be used as unique and rare ornaments for attractive home decoration.
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