Ouled el-Hadef clearly has one of the most impressive desert quarters in Tunisia. This area is almost unchanged over the centuries, and some of the houses are from the 14th century. The house and decoration style is even older. Most houses are two storeys, and there are fairly few with houses towards the street. When they do have windows, they are made of mashrabiyya (small palm pieces put together in intricate patterns), which lets some light in, and casts decorative shadows on the inner walls. Light is commonly let into rooms from inner courtyards, all in correspondence with a very conservative view of women and family life.
