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Tunisia :the Great South, a festival of encounters

Photographic reportage by Jean-Pierre DEGAS / hemis.fr

“Marhaben bikoum!”, "Welcome to you". According to the Koran, astranger is considered an envoy of god. This verse takes all itssignificance in the southern part of Tunisia. As soon has you haveset foot in Tozeur, you will not be able to turn down the offer of amint tea without hurting the hospitable feelings of your new foundfriend. In the palm grove with its 250 000 date palms, the gathererswill kindly hand out to you the Deglet Nour, the best date of thearea. The adventurer who thinks of south Tunisia as an endless sandsea is mistaken. Tozeur is the start of a trip to Chebika and Tamerza,two mountain oasis not far away from Mides watch tower and itswaterfalls nicknamed the small Colorado by the locals. Once passedthe dry lake of Chott El Jerid, a least one overnight in a bivouac isnecessary in the Nefta desert. You can then eat gargoulette lambcooked in a sealed earthenware pot buried in ashes of the sand dune.Also stop to drink coffee with the inhabitants of the undergroundhouses of Matmata or simply greet the guards of Ksar OuledSoltane, a granary of more than 300 lofts. And to fully grasp all themagic of the desert, a stopover at Douz is a must. On Thursdayswhich is market day, the nomads come to buy or sell goats, sheepsand dromedaries. And at the end of December during the Saharafestival, the Tuareg all wander about with their ceremonial clothes...

Text : Marie-France PARRA

HEMIS_301401 : Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, sand dunes of the Grand Erg, entrance gate of the desert for meharees to Ksar Ghilane

HEMIS_356702Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Chebika, mountain oasis, Marabout (a Saint's shrine)overlooking the Chott El Jerid

HEMIS_301363Tunisia, Tataouine Governorate, Ksar Ouled Soltane, former forteress and its 400Ghorfas

HEMIS_356698Tunisia, Tataouine Governorate, Chenini, cave-dweller Berber village, fortifiedcitadel overlooked by a Ksar

HEMIS_356689Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Desert Festival, Tuaregs on their Meharidromedaries

HEMIS_356687Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Desert Festival, riders with the Tunisian flag

HEMIS_356688Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, every year the Desert Festival gathers musiciansand dancers for a week of Fantasia and Berber tradition

HEMIS_301376Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Desert Festival, parade of the riders before thefantasia

HEMIS_301361Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, according to ancestral customs, reading of thekoran and sparring match in the desert

HEMIS_356675Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, cooking lamb stew in the desert

HEMIS_301362Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Berber camp, nomad woman preparing the breadand the tea

HEMIS_301369Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Nefta, Lareguett Dunes, tea ceremonial under Berbertent

HEMIS_356695Tunisia, Gabes Governorate, region of Djebel Dahar Mountain range, Matmata,Berber village, troglodytic house

HEMIS_356696Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur Palm grove, detail of a Marabout (a Saint'sshrine)

HEMIS_301395Tunisia, Tataouine Governorate, Chenini, cave-dweller Berber village, fortifiedcitadel overlooked by a Ksar

HEMIS_356703Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Chebika, mountain oasis

HEMIS_356700Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Sidi Bouhel Cave, where many scenes of The EnglishPatient and Star Wars films were filmed

HEMIS_356676 : Tunisia, Tataouine Governorate, Ksar Ouled Soltane, old fortress with 400 ghorfas (graneries) and guards

HEMIS_356677Tunisia, Tataouine Governorate, Ksar Ouled Soltane, guards of the old fortress of thedesert

HEMIS_356678Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Mides Gorges, at 8 km from Tamerza nearby theAlgerian border, the scenes of The English Patient and Star Wars films were shothere

HEMIS_301365Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Mides Gorges, near Tamerza, not far from the borderwith Algeria, hikkers

HEMIS_301364Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Nefta, Lareguett Dunes, traditional bivouac

HEMIS_356680Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Nefta, Lareguett Dunes, tourists wearing the Tagelmustto protect their face against the sun and sand

HEMIS_356679Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Nefta, Lareguett Dunes, bivouac and campfire in NeftaDunes

HEMIS_301368Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Nefta, Lareguett Dunes, bivouac and campfire in theformer settings of Stars Wars

HEMIS_356684Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, oriental pastries with honey and almond for teatime

HEMIS_356685Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, the bing central market, saffron, harissa (local hotchili sauce) and caraway bags essentials for the Tunisian cooking

HEMIS_356683Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Deglet Nour dates

HEMIS_356694Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Nefta, Lareguett Dunes, setting of the GeorgesLucas'Star Wars

HEMIS_356686Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tamerza Road, kilometre marker indicating the capitaltown of the desert

HEMIS_356681Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Desert Festival, White Mehari dromedary

HEMIS_301380Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Desert Festival, camels race, tuaregs riding whiteMeharis, pure blood camel

HEMIS_356691Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Desert Festival, Tuaregs on their Meharidromedaries

HEMIS_356682Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Desert Festival, Purebred Arabian horse, here fora traditional Fantasia

HEMIS_356692 : Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, every year the Desert Festival gathers musicians and dancers for a week of Fantasia andBerber tradition

HEMIS_301381Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Desert Festival, young dancers wearingtraditional clothes

HEMIS_301399Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, sand dunes of the Grand Erg, datte palms indirection of the oasis of Ksar Ghilane

HEMIS_356690Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, every year the Desert Festival gathers musiciansand dancers for a week of Fantasia and Berber tradition

HEMIS_301379Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Desert Festival, tuareg wearing blue indigo turban

HEMIS_356693Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, every year the Desert Festival gathers musiciansand dancers for a week of Fantasia and Berber tradition

HEMIS_301378Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Desert Festival, tuaregs riding camels

HEMIS_356697Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, typical houses made with briquettes in themedina

HEMIS_356704Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, camel caravan coming from Ksar Ghilane in thedesert

HEMIS_356701Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tamerza, mountain oasis at the bottom of AtlasMountain range, palm grove

HEMIS_356699Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Mides Gorges, hikers nearby the Algerian border, in theplace where the Georges Lucas'Star Wars film was shot

HEMIS_301366Tunisia, Gafsa Governorate, Metlaoui, touristic train, the Red lizard in the SeljaGorges

HEMIS_356711Tunisia, Gabes Governorate, region of Djebel Dahar Mountain range, Matmata,Berber village, troglodytic house, Houmi Fatma, the oldest person and the traditionskeeper in front of her house

HEMIS_301391Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, downtown, archways with arts crafts shops

HEMIS_301404Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, palm grove, datte harvest between October andJanuary

HEMIS_356705Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Tamerza Palace luxury hotel, waiter with a teatray passing through a carved door

HEMIS_356706Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Sofitel Hotel, stone mortar and pestle formaking couscous

HEMIS_356674 : Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Nefta, Lareguett Dunes, Bedouin people in front of the place where the Georges Lucas'StarWars film was shot

HEMIS_301405Tunisia, Tataouine Governorate, Tataouine, Gargoulette lamb, cooked in an earth jar,speciality of Tunisian desert

HEMIS_356707Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Sofitel Palm Beach Hotel, tea ceremonial andhookah smoker

HEMIS_366304Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, costumes parade on Kacem Chebbi Avenue forthe Sahara Festival

HEMIS_356708Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, the bing central market, saffron, harissa (local hotchili sauce) and caraway bags essentials for the Tunisian cooking

HEMIS_356709Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Desert Festival, parade of women with traditionaloutfits

HEMIS_356710Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, the souk grocers and colourful shops

HEMIS_356712Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Avenue Bourguiba, horse-drawn carriage infront of the souvenirs shops

HEMIS_356713Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Avenue Bourguiba, handicraft and carpetshops

HEMIS_356714Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Avenue Bourguiba, handicraft and souvenirsshops

HEMIS_356715Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Avenue Bourguiba, the downtown archwayswith handicraft shops, the old town minaret in the background

HEMIS_301407Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, the Medina, Bourguiba Avenue, central arterialstreet and minaret of the old city

HEMIS_356716Tunisia, Kebili Governorate, Douz, Desert Festival, Berber nomad

HEMIS_301388Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Dar Cherait Hotel

HEMIS_301389Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Dar Cherait Hotel

HEMIS_366305Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Dar Cherait Hotel

HEMIS_366310Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Dar Cherait Hotel

HEMIS_301408 : Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Mides, henna hand tattoo

HEMIS_366306Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, entry of Dar Cherait Hotel

HEMIS_366308Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tamerza, Tamerza Palace Hotel, swimming pool

HEMIS_366312Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, Sofitel Palm Beach Hotel, tea ceremonial andhookah smoker

HEMIS_301392Tunisia, Tozeur Governorate, Tozeur, traditional architecture of the Sofitel PalmBeach Hotel