Gabès, Matmata & the Ksour

© Lonely Planet 217 GABÈS, MATMATA GABÈS, MATMATA Gabès, Matmata & THE KSOUR & the Ksour Covering a good chunk of territory from the Gulf of Gabès to the Libyan border, this fairly remote region of southern Tunisia is a forbidding landscape of inhospitable desert, though not the sandy sort that inspires poetry and romantic fantasies. Recognisable to anyone who has travelled in the western part of the United States and to Star Wars fans, the land here ranges from scrub brush flats to low mountain escarpments, all of which looks like the ends of the earth. The area receives few visitors, most on lightning-quick Land Rover ‘safaris’ of the underground troglodyte dwellings of Matmata and one or two of the ruined hilltop Berber villages around Tataouine. It’s easy to find yourself staring at the empty fortress-like homes imagining what life would be like, so isolated not only by distance from other settlements but by the mere physical challenge of visiting the neighbours. Each of the villages has at least one ksar (the plural is ksour), the wonderfully idiosyncratic fortified stronghold that is the region’s trademark. Gabès, the terminus of the rail line, is the de facto transport centre and, while its palmeraie (palm grove) is an attractive place in which to get lost, the city’s industrial character holds few visitors in its thrall. HIGHLIGHTS Go underground, literally, visiting or even sleeping in a troglodyte dwelling in Matmata Matmata ( p223 ) Hike to the top of one of the hilltop ksour Metameur (fortified strongholds; p232 ) south of Tataouine Fall asleep in a ghorfa (a distinctive Tataouine structure once used to store grain) near Metameur ( p234 ) 218 GABÈS, MATMATA & THE KSOUR •• Gabès lonelyplanet.com History There are no commercial flights from Tunis The Ksour district, centred on the hills of or elsewhere in the country. the Jebel Dahar, has long been a stronghold of Berber culture – ever since the semi- Getting Around & THE KSOUR nomadic Berber tribes that inhabited the Most people zip around the region in a 4WD GABÈS, MATMATA GABÈS, MATMATA Jeffara were driven into the hills by the Hi- as part of a group tour. A rental vehicle al- lalian invasions of the 11th century. The vil- lows you the luxury of choosing your itiner- lages around here are among the last places ary. Public transport connects the towns in where the local Berber language, Chelha, the region, though it’s sometimes difficult to can be heard. With the deaths of elderly do more than two legs of a trip in one day. speakers, the language too is dying out. ﻗﺍﺒﺱ GABÈS Getting There & Away pop 11,700 Other than flying to Jerba and then crossing For a seaside city at a major transport cross- the Roman causeway or catching the ferry roads, Gabès does little to take advantage of to the mainland, the quickest way to the its location, at least as far as tourism goes. region is to arrive in Gabès via the train. The infrastructure of the busy port and 0 40 km GABÈS, MATMATA & THE KSOUR 0 20 miles Mezzouna Mahrès To Sousse Meknassy (100km) 2 Sened Gare 1 Sened Sakket 15 G u l f o f Pipeline G a b è s Oil Ghannouche M E D I T E R R A N E A N El-Hamma Gabès S E A Chott Houmt el-Fejej Chenini Souq Jerba A r a d Ajim 1 16 Nouvelle El-Jorf ὄὄMatmata Gulf of Mareth 107 Bou 116 Grara Matmata Haddèj Zarzis Ain Tounine Gightis Tamezret Toujane Douz Techine J e Metameur Oued b Medenine Porte du Ksar e 113 Ethaabine Hallouf l 1 Desert Ksar Joumaa Bir Soltane Beni D Ben Guerdane em 19 Ras al-Jedir Jebel Kheddache mer (143m) Ksar Tarcine Ghomrassen Taimbaïn K s o u r Nouvelle (220m) Ksar Zuara Ghilane Guermessa Tataouine Nouvelle Chenini Oued Mehabes Nouvelle Douiret Sidi Toui Ksar Ouled Saharan Soltane National Park Oil Pipeline 19 Oued Lisseli Kamour Bir Aouine Remada Kambout L I B Y A Pipeline Rd 112 Borj Bourguiba Dhéhiba Nalut.

Load more