Tozeur Brickwork

Having printed off some Tunisian photos for Ian to show to his Dad (I'm at home with chest infection - on the antibiotics now), time to upload some more images here. In the Ouled el Hadef quarter in Tozeur, the houses are constructed of yellowish handmade bricks, protruding in ornate geometrical designs in relief - the shapes and motifs repeated on local carpets and shawls.
First used in Syria and Iraq during the 8th Century , the only other place it is practised today is Iran(we saw some in Yazd ). The pattern-making bricks create small patches of shade , generating convection currents that cool the surface. Practical as well as picturesque!