North Africa

North Africa is shaped by the Mediterranean coast, the Atlas ranges in the west and the vast Sahara across most of its interior. The Nile valley and delta form a major eastern corridor, while Atlantic and Red Sea shores extend the region’s maritime edge. Climate shifts sharply from Mediterranean conditions along parts of the coast to hyper-arid desert, with oases, plateaus and mountain systems structuring settlement and movement. Building traditions are equally varied: earthen and mud-brick construction, stone masonry, compact courtyard houses and fortified settlements are characteristic of many arid and oasis environments, where thick walls, shaded passages and inward-looking spaces help temper heat. In Mediterranean and mountain areas, stone, timber and lime are more prominent, while palm wood and fibres have long supplemented construction in oasis landscapes.