Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Djerba & Area

If you only had one craft workshop to visit on your visit to Djerba, it would be that of Chadleya and Adel Ben Mahmoud on the main street of Guellala. This pair of potters is remarkable in more ways than one. Adel is a potters from father to son, and loves passing on his art. Chadleya is Djerba's only female potter. In a society where women are still too often relegated to domestic tasks, her husband Adel is proud to have her at his side in the workshop they share. While they both mold (beautiful) one-off pieces, it's only she who decorates them with superb Amazigh (Berber) motifs. It's easy to see why "Amazighs" means free men and women in the Berber language. As well as being artists, they're also incredible hosts, having welcomed ministers and heads of state, and they're just as happy to welcome the passing traveler. There's no obligation to buy anything here: they'll insist on serving you a cup of tea, or even breakfast! You can also try your hand at making your own pottery, using the couple's potter's wheel free of charge for as long as you like. Beautiful one-off pieces of pottery are on sale in the workshop at rock-bottom prices: you'll find candleholders and small mugs from 3 DT a piece. Don't forget to set aside some time for your visit - you'll find it hard to leave!

The beautiful wild coastline stretches along the west coast of Djerba. Here, there are no buildings on the seafront, except for a few mosques that were once used as watchtowers. Take the road along the coast from Ajim in the late afternoon, heading north: you will have the setting sun in front of you and will be able to appreciate the wild landscape between the Mediterranean and the rocky landscape planted with palm trees! Stop at the beach of Sidi Jmour with its small eponymous mosque, about 16 km north of Ajim. Built at the beginning of the 17th century, the Sidi Jmour mosque owes its massive appearance to the military role it played for a long time. Indeed, the 18 mosques built on the coast of Djerba also had a defensive role. To remain discreet, these mosques had no minaret and were rather "packed", they are sometimes called dwarf mosques. They were topped with a lantern that served to send messages from one mosque to another in case of attack. This same lantern is lit today at the time of the prayer. All along the coast are also small beaches of jagged rocks where Djerbian families come to picnic. You will also meet men who practice traditional fishing. They plant palm branches in the sea forming corridors that narrow little by little to reach a trap. These assemblies of branches are judiciously placed by taking into account the marine currents. An art to be observed during your walk along the coast.

The beating heart of Houmt Souk (word for word "the souk district"). The souks in the center sell fabrics, carpets and tourist objects. Around it, the specialized souks: the souk of the boilermakers, the ironworkers and the goldsmiths. In the jewelers' souk, the craftsmen, of Jewish origin, make jewelry as in the time of their ancestors. In the south, the spice souk and the fish market (auction from 10 am to 1 pm) remain very lively, especially during the auction. In the surrounding restaurants, Djerbians cook their freshly bought fish!

Nestled in a 400 year old workshop, Amor will give you the opportunity to learn about the art of potters, crushing, mixing, and molding techniques. Jars, "Jeddiwa" (oil pot), dishes, "Rwabi" (container intended to contain or curdle milk), vases or "Serbya" (water container with a filter), Amor works all sizes. This know-how passed down from father to son can be enhanced by a short practical session.