Tozeur

After traveling a distance through the totally barren chott, a large pelerine became visible in the distance. Soon we would enter Tozeur, one of the most popular travel destinations in Tunisia. After reading some books on Tunisia and seeing photos of Tozeur, I was eager to see the elaborate brickwork in that distinguishes the town. Once part of a defensive line that guarded the southwestern boundaries of Roman Africa, the town prospered during the great trans-Saharan route between the 14th and 19th centuries.

The Tozeur Palmeraie
Prior to visiting the old town, we took a horse-cart drawn tour through a section of the Palmeraie Tozeur’s Palmeraie is the second largest in the country with around 260,000 palm trees spread over an area around 10 km. Each section is privately owned. In addition to date palm trees, the section we visited had bananas, fig trees, pomegranate, and orange trees – now in fragrant blossom. The air inside the Palmeraie seemed fresher and cooler: in the summer, it may be only around 70° in the pelerine, while outside it may be around 120°! The Tozeur pelerine is watered by more than 200 springs that produce almost 60 million liters of water a day. Using a complex system devised by a mathematician in the 13th century AD, each tree receives water for 6-7 hours a week. Driss added that there are over 3,600 distributors of water such as the pipes we saw that distribute the thermal water. Around each tree the ground was mounded into a short wall, preventing the water from flowing away.
Once we were deeper into the Palmeraie, we stopped for a demonstration. To guarantee the best date and largest quantity, the male tree reproductive part is cut and put into the female treetop. Bees then do the rest, completing the pollination. By counting the “steps” of the tree bark and knowing that 2 steps equals one year, you could determine the age of a tree. A worker in the pelerine demonstrated how quickly and adeptly he could climb up to the top of the tree to reach the dates, using his bare feet to secure footing on the rough peaked shape of the bark. An Italian tour member tried to climb up with his shoes – it just didn’t work. The workers of the Palmeraie get a percentage of the date harvest, up to 50%.

The Tozeur Palmeraie has over 260,000 palm trees

Tozeur Medina

Although used in the Berber rugs and architecture of the area, the diamond shape, a symbol of power, can be traced back to the Byzantines. In the 14th century medina, we once again were treated to a maze of narrow alleys. This medina, along with the desert landscape around Tozeur was the setting for a large part of The English Patient. Women, dressed in local dark clothing and shawls quietly walked together in the empty street. Two siblings pushed their young brother in a milk crate. Instead of the white-walled buildings, traditional brickwork used protruding bricks to create intricate relief patterns. In the ceilings of the covered alleys, we could see the date palm tree trunks that were used as ceiling supports. The diamond was frequently used as a motif. This style is found only in Tozeur and in nearby Nefta. The pattern created by a variation in brick height and arrangement was enhanced by the angle of the bright sun.

After our stroll of the medina, we toured the Dar Charait Museum. Here we saw a series of replicas of scenes from the Tunisian life, past and present. Rooms included the bedroom of the last bey, a palace scene, a typical kitchen, a hammam, and wedding scenes with the beautiful local costumes. In one room was a fountain with an eight-sided star bottom. Driss explained that the 8-sided star is an Arab symbol (cultural and not necessarily tied to religion), which was derived from the Chinese, while the 5-sided star is Moslem.

Narrow alleys and wooden water spouts

Brick design influenced by the window shape

An enormous pot decorated in Tozeur brick patterns marks the hotel section

The hotel we stayed at, like others in the area, had a swimming pool. Although the waters are welcomed after a hot day in the desert sun, one can't help but think about the impact that these hotels are having on the local environment. Retaining enough water for the palmeraie and stopping the ever-growing Sahara are two major challenges for the area.

Chott El-Jerid

About 28 km north of Douz and one of the main towns prior to crossing the Chott, Kebili was a good place to spend the night. Although we didn’t have time to explore the town, I did enjoy the beautiful carved plaster designs in and around the dining hall. The ancient town of Kebili, according to Driss, was Rome’s second slave trade city in Tunisia. Some Roman mosaics and sites have been found here. Hot thermal springs are still used in the hammams, the public bathhouses. Early the next morning, we began crossing the Chott, an immense salt lake (once part of the Mediterranean Sea) covering an area of almost 6,700 sq km. Stretching in a series of salt lakes from the Gulf of Gabés westward into the Algerian city of Biskra, the Chott takes up a huge amount of land.

A paved road travels through the flat Chott devoid of any vegetation

A potty house and small café were the only signs of civilization for miles

Having read that the Chott El-Jerid can create some stunning optical effects (such as mirages) in the radiant Tunisian heat, it was disappointing to see the overcast sky. Ever closer to the Chott, the sparse, scrubby vegetation soon gave way to nothingness. Carthage was the unfortunate recipient of this destructive material, when Rome sprinkled the salt on the city as punishment for its defiance. Now, the salt is put to good use; around 350-420 tons of it is exported to Scandinavian countries as road salt, and some now is used as table salt. Huge piles of salt dotted the lake that had mostly dried up. Along the way we passed some tourists floating on their backs, enjoying the buoyancy of the salt and the hot spring water. On one side of the flat paved road, a rowboat lay stranded on the dry salt lake next to the rose-colored water. The scene reminded me of frozen lakes in a Wisconsin winter, except for the unnatural-looking colored water that had not yet dried up. Around the edges, salt began to crystallize and form interesting shapes. To one side was a huge mound of salt with a Tunisian flag on top. As I crossed the flat road, there was a large stand with more tourist goods, including the “sand roses,” formed of gypsum that has dissolved from the sand and then crystallized into patterns that resemble flower petals. The primitive Berber doll and leather camel were just too interesting to pass up. The water on this side of the road was colored a deep turquoise.

A canoe is marooned on the expanse of the chott

Close-up detail of the rose-colored water and crystals