1908 Cook's Practical Guide

Pages 392 – 396 From Mahdia the steamer passes Ras Capoudia, and in about ten hours arrives at Sfax , a city of Phoenician origin, and the Roman Taparura until the eighth century. The Arab historians El Bekri and Edrisi speak of Sfax as a nourishing and important city, with monumental buildings, manufactories, wealthy inhabitants, fertile gardens, souks, fisheries, etc. The town sustained five bombardments at different periods, the last being in July, 1881, when a landing was effected by the French. Sfax was the only place on the coast that offered any resistance to the French occupation, but a French squadron of nine ironclads and four gunboats soon silenced the guns of the Casbah, and the town quietly submitted. The Europeans who had taken refuge on board English or French men-of war during the bombardment returned to the town, as did also the Arabs who had retired to the country, but the Bedouins fled to Tripoli. Since 1881 the trade and commerce of Sfax have made rapid strides, and the present population is estimated at about 66,000 inhabitants, of whom 5,000 are Europeans, including 1,500 French. The modern name is said to have been given from the Arabic wordfakous (cucumber) on account of the abundance of this vegetable in the neighbourhood. Sfax, however, has riches of greater value than cucumbers in its harbour, commerce, and countless olive trees. The European quarter is situated near the new port and along the seashore, where the great development and improvements are going on. Here are installed the public offices, schools, market, churches, theatre, and many handsome private houses. The first-class port constructed by and under the management of a joint-stock company, the " Compagnie des Ports de Tunis, Sousse, et Sfax," is well sheltered by the Kerkenna Islands , and is accessible by vessels of very large tonnage. During the necessary excavations and building operations in 1897, several Roman ruins were unearthed, mosaics of the Christian period, large basilica, and baptistery. The Arab town, into which no Europeans were allowed to enter before 1832, is surrounded by a crenelated wall flanked by round and square towers. Here there is no change or improvement. The streets are as narrow and dirty as ever, the souks noisy, animated, and in some respects picturesque. The principal mosque dates from the year 200 of the Hegira, and its lofty minaret is seen from all directions. Outside both the European and native quarters are delightful suburbs, occupied by residents preferring to return to their houses and gardens after the business is over in town. Sfax has two fairly large hotels, the Hotel de France and the Hotel Moderne, oil presses, daily markets for the sale of cattle, oil, alfa, sponge, wool or provisions. British Vice-Consul .—S. Leonardi. There are also Consuls or Consular Agents at Sfax for Austro-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Italy, Holland, Sweden and Norway. Time permitting, a drive in the suburbs will be found interesting (carriages 12f. to 15f. per day). Start from the vegetable market by the Gates road to the village of Picville , and on to the Public Garden , laid out with considerable taste, partly as park and shrubbery intermingled with flower beds, and partly as a pepiniere or nursery garden. It is planted round two enormous reservoirs or Fesquias , the water from these, with the additional supply brought in pipes from the wells of Sidi-Salah (16 kilometres beyond Sfax), being sufficient for the consumption of seventy or eighty thousand people. Some distance beyond the garden, and opposite the camp of the Spahis, within a walled enclosure of several acres, are five or six hundred bottle-shaped reservoirs called Nasrias , gifts to the town by wealthy Arabs. The cisterns are maintained in good order by the municipality, and the water is supplied to those who prefer it to that from Sidi-Salah. A longer excursion can be recommended to the plateau of Bokaat el Beida to obtain an idea of the immense olive forests, covering a district of 70 or 80 kilometres around Sfax, the property of the state. Carriage, for the drive, 30 kilometres, 12f. Since 1871, the Beylical Government have by liberal concessions greatly encouraged the cultivation of olive trees on this land (originally called " Les Terres Sialines," the property having once belonged to a family named Siala), and in 1881 there were 18,000 hectares planted with 380,000 trees, but at the present time all the available land is under cultivation, with the estimated number of 1,400,000 trees. Boats can be hired for an excursion to the Kerkenna Islands, the Circinx Insvlee of the Romans, where Hannibal and Marius took refuge, and where Sempronius Gracchus, the lover of Julia, daughter of Augustus, was banished, and put to death by Tiberius. From 4 to 5 hours must be allowed to reach the nearer of the two principal islands (Gharbi). The two islands, Cherka and Gharbi , now separated by a considerable channel, were formerly joined by a bridge, traces of some of the masonry being still visible. Gharbi is about 18 kilometres, or 11 miles, from the coast, and both islands are chiefly noted for their valuable sponge fisheries. The inhabitants, some 9,000 in number, a mixture of many nationalities, are very industrious, engaged principally in sponge and other fishing, in the manufacture of alfa mats and baskets, and in making wine from dates of inferior quality. The several villages of the islands can b visited by boat or mule, guides can be obtained, but there are no hotels or inns of any kind. The most notable antiquities on the islands consist of cisterus and towers, but a very elegant white marble ossuary of the first century has been recently discovered, and removed to the museum at Sfax. Sfax to Gafsa and Metlaoui Dis. in kil. Stations from Sfax Sfax ..................................................................................................... --- Oued-Chaffar ....................................................................................... 29 Maharès ............................................................................................... 36 Oued-Chahal........................................................................................ 50 Graiba (buffet) .................................................................................... 63 Mezzouna ............................................................................................ 98 Maknassy............................................................................................. 123 Sened ................................................................................................... 158 Aïn-Zannouch...................................................................................... 178 Gafsa ................................................................................................... 205 Metlaoui............................................................................................... 243 This light railway, the property of the " Compagnie des Phosphates et du Chemin de fer de Gafsa," but open to the public, runs almost parallel with the sea as far as Mahares, a native village surrounded with olive plantations, and then turns inland, afterwards running almost due west to Gafsa and and Metlaoui. At Graiba there is a buffet, and arrangements may be made with the Railway Company for excursions by automobile to Gabes, either from Sfax or Graiba. Fares from Sfax to Gafsa (two trains a day) 12f. 30c., 17f. 45c., and 22f. 95c.; return, 17f. 20c., 24f. 40c., and 32f. 15c. Gafsa , the capital of the Djerid , once the powerful city of Capsa , destroyed by Marius, and afterwards restored by the Byzantines, is a curious old town pop. about 5,000) surrounded by one of the most beautiful oases of date and other fruit trees in the Sahara. Market on Wednesday. The only building of interest is the Casbah, a native structure of the Middle Ages, probably erected on still more ancient foundations. There are several thermal springs, a source of supply for several ancient piscinas. But the chief attractions of Gafsa are its lovely walks and environs. There is a beautiful view from the heliographic station on the DjebelOrbata (a day's excursion with mules ; provisions should be taken) at an altitude of 3,838 feet. The ascent and descent occupy about 4 or 5 hours, and El Guettar, the starting point, is about 2 hours' journey from Gafsa. The same railway extends to Metlaoui , 38 kilometres further inland than, and almost due west of, Gafsa. Fares from Sfax 14f. 60c., 20f. 65c., and 27f. 20c.; return, 20f. 40c., 28f. 90c., and 38f. 10c . The whole line was built in 18 months. In the near neighbourhood are the phosphate quarries worked by the Company owning the railway, and the concession extends from Gafsa as far as the Algerian frontier. The quantity of phosphate seems almost inexhaustible. In 1905, 520,000 tons were exported, representing a value of about 10J million francs. (To inspect the works apply to the engineer in charge at Metlaoui.) From Metlaoui the grand gorge of the Seldja may be visited in from 4 to 5 hours (distance from the station to the entrance of the gorge 7 kilometres) on mules. The lower part of the defile is comparable to that at El Kantara (see p. 230). Gafsa to Tozeur, 86 kilometres. Train to Metlaoui, 38 kilometres, thence carriage or mules, the conveyance or animals being sent forward the previous day. Gafsa to Tebessa, 184 kilometres. Within a radius of 15 or 20 kilometres of Sfax are sites of several Roman towns, in some of which remains of considerable interest maybe examined. At Thyna ,the ancient Thaena , 12 kilometres on the Gabes road, are ruins of a large fortress, of an amphitheatre, and many Roman inscriptions have been discovered by the " Direction of Antiquities." Ruspce , Usilla , Taparura , Oungha , and Oleastrum are all places of interest to antiquarians. Cook's Practical Guide to Algeria and Tunisia With Maps, Plans, and Illustrations. London: Thos. Cook & Son, Ludgate Circus, E.C. Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., Ltd. Algiers: Thos. Cook & Son, 3. Boulevard de la Republique Retrieved on January 16, 2010 from http://books.google.com/books?output=text&id=_D5FAAAAYAAJ .

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