Testour Coun Try : Tunisia

Si te : Testour Coun try : Tunisia

C ON TE N TS OF TH E F I L E

Synthesis Architectural typologies present Country’s accepted significant sites

History and general information Current state of vitality and preservation Transformation process Interventions and rehabilitation programmes Bibliography Lexicon

SYNTHESIS

It is the uncontested capital of Moorish architecture. Several publications take it as the representative of this typology. Countr map y Regional scale Local sc ale

ARCHITEC TURAL TYPOLOGIES PRESENT

House in Testour

COUNTRY’S ACCEPTED SIGNIFICANT SITES

Tunis Testour Nabeul (Cap bon) Sfax

Tozeur (Djérid) Matmata Le Djebei (Tataouine) Djerba Detail of the urban fabric

This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. 1/3 Tes tour

HISTORY AND GENERAL INFOR MATION

Testour was founded on an archaeological site in the 17th century, with the arrival en masse of the Moors, who brought with them from Spain their language, traditions and architectural typology, creating a town with a grid system of streets and sloping tiled roofs.

 Surface ar ea of the site The old part of Testour is about 15 ha.

 Geographical co-ordinates  Height above sea l evel 70 – 107 m

 Lithology Terrasses inférieures f ormées d’alluv ions, niveau supérieur encroûté.

.  Population 15 000  Population densit y 50 hab./ha Av erage annual maximum temperatures 27,2 ºC (july) Av erage annual minimum temperatures 10,6 ºC (december) Averag e of maximum temp eratures during the hottest month for 10 years  Averag e of minimum temperatur es during the coldest month for 10 years  Averag e rainfall 524 mm (1927-1939) .  Averag e number of days of rain p er year

 Specifi c ch aracteri stics

 Traditional economic activities Agriculture, petit élevage.

 New economic activities Agriculture, commerce et services.

 Site’s communications with its terr itor y Un important réseau de voirie dessert le territoire.

CURRENT STATE OF VI TALI TY AND PRESERVATION

The town continues to be a busy market f or the surrounding farming region. There is, however, some stagnation, even « suspense » as to the future of the site and its architectural heritage. Work has been carried out on some houses, though with no ref erence to traditional techniques or materials. We would emphasise the fact that the major tile-producing industry in Testour is definitively at an end, as the last tile f actory was closed down two years ago.

TRANSFOR MATION PR OCESS

Testour, like many of Tunisia’s inland villages, has been hit by an exodus to the city, especially to Tunis, less than 100 km away. This means that the building transf ormation process has been fairly slow. However, although slow, this process does exist and is tending to slowly disf igure the traditional buildings.

INTERVEN TIONS AND REHABILI TATION PROGRAMMES

The site has always been a focus of interest. It is currently a subject studied by students in Tunis. Post-graduate studies in heritage preservation.

Contacts

• Commune de Testour. • Institut National du Patrimoine, 4 Place du Château. 1008 Tunis.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

KHARRAT, F. ; SAMET, N. Pour une architecture appropriée et un développement intégré :étude et projétation à Testour et Oued Jedra. Tunis. Thèse ITAA UT, 1986. 2 volumes. SAADAOUI, A. Testour du XVIIème au XIXème siècle, histoire architecturale d’une ville morisque de Tunisie. Tunis : Faculté des Lettres de La Manouba, 1996.

LEXICON

File created: 23/02/01 File last modified 03/05/01