DAY TOUR TO CHENINI AND TATAOUINE FROM GABES

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

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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".