DAY TOUR TO TATAOUINE AND CHENINI FROM GABES
DISCOVERY OF THE BERBER REGION
Chenini
The inhabitants of Chenini have always been Berbers Zenatas.
From Roman times the Zenatas occupied the confines of the plateaus from Tripolitan South to the Jebel Amour
in Algeria. When the Hilalians came, they were among the first
to take refuge in their ksar built at the end of the 12th century (590
Hegira). Chenini's ksar would only be one phase of the evolution of the Zenatas community, what we see (or guess through
the ruins) could be the transformation of a similar institution which would have preceded. This Old Berber village is a very beautiful and also the most visited site, located 18 km west of Tataouine, perched on a ridge. You will discover the cave dwellings, built in the rock, the village melts in color
of the mountain rock.
Tataouine
Is the capital of "the Berber region of southern Tunisia", the starting point to discover the ksour (plural of Ksar) and the neighboring Berber villages as part of your excursion: "Discovery of the Berber region".
The oasis of Tataouine is first of all a simple relay on the caravan route between Gabès and the other Sudan. Known as
the "door of the desert", its name means "eyes" in Berber: Tiṭṭawin
is indeed the plural of the Berber word tiṭṭ which means "eye".
The building that makes Tataouine famous is the military penal colony
of the French army which it shelters until 1938, year of the abolition of the bagnes in France. It hosted Bat 'd'Af', including
the recruits were ordinary convicts or soldiers punished for indiscipline, the conditions of detention had the reputation of being very harsh.
This former prison was replaced by a barracks of the Tunisian army.
Around Tataouine, the villages are perched on top of the rocky hills. The Berbers fled the plains at the time of the invasions,
and transformed the caves of these hills into cave dwellings.
Ksar Hadada
South of Tataouine, Ksar Hadada extends its ghorfas, one-storey cereal granaries. The rounded domes of the roofs, the buttresses that support the walls are typical of Berber architecture. Stairs allow you to go from one level to another.
Do not hesitate to climb on the terraces to enjoy the panorama
around. This place also served as a setting for the filming of the film "
Star Wars ". This fortified village served in 1997 as a backdrop for the slave district of Mos Espa, the legendary village of Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, in the film
La Menace Fantôme, in 1999. It is located 5 km north of Ghomrassen,
it consists of 380 Ghorfa on one floor.
The citadel of Guermassa
Guermassa originally housed a rural mountain society. The people who built this type
of fortified villages (ksour) in the region are called the Jbaliya (mountain people).
The residents of the new village are now Arabic speaking Tunisian with own regional features in this southern region, Berber (chelha) The Ksar has "allowed the Berbers to keep while building customer relationships and protection with the Arab tribes ”arrived in the eleventh century with the Hilalian invasions. It is built at the top
from the mountain to fulfill several functions: Military, ksar citadel fortress, it protects the village by serving as a place of refuge against enemies, site of observations in all directions from the village difficult to access. Economic: collective attic for the use of a
or several tribes, it makes it possible to preserve or store in the ghorfas the various harvests, wheat, dates, olive oil, etc.
During the drought years, you will need a 4x4 to reach the old Guermessa, this Berber village clinging to the hillside, a village unfortunately less preserved than the others. But the panorama from the top of the citadel is magnificent.
CHENINI DAY TOUR FROM GABES
PRIVATE TOUR ON A DAY
PROGRAM
-
Departure from your place of stay in Gabes for Ksar of Medenine
-
Visit of Ksar Hadada, (Scenery from Star Wars films)
-
Visit the citadel of ksar Guermassa.
-
Lunch in a restaurant in the village of Guermassa
-
Guided tour of the hilltop village of Chenini
-
Return to your place of stay in Gabes
TATAOUINE AND CHENINI
DISCOVERY OF THE BERBER REGION
This private tour includes lunch, drinks
Price per person, based on 4 people 65 €
Price per person, based on 3 people 70 €
Price per person, based on 2 people 105 €
The price includes: Transport in a 4x4 car based on a minimum of 2 people per car, lunch, driver,
the services of an ONTT licensed guide.
The following are excluded from the price: Drinks of all kinds.
All that is not mentioned in the section "the price includes".
