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Tunis (AFP)
Unesco announced on Monday it was adding the Tunisian resort island of Djerba to its list of World Heritage Sites because of its ancient ruins, whitewashed villages, mosques, churches and synagogues. The United Nations’ cultural organisation took the decision in Saudi Arabia, during its 45th world heritage committee meeting.
The Czech town of Zatec, which is renowned for a local flavour of hops, has also been added. Czech Republic now has 17 inscriptions on the list.
Djerba covers an area of 514 square kilometres, and is the largest island off North Africa. It combines desert areas bordering the Mediterranean with agricultural land growing palm and olive trees.
It is considered to be the mythological island in Homer’s “Odyssey” where Ulysses and his companions encounter the lotus eaters. It also featured in “Star Wars” as parts of the planet Tatooine. Unesco’s website said: “the distinctive human settlement of Djerba demonstrates the way local people adapted their lifestyle to the conditions of their water-scarce natural environment”.
Zatec is the north-western town to some 19,000 people. Saaz Hops, whose name comes from the German form of Zatec, is a variety known for its aroma and sold as far away as Japan. “Just inscribed... Zatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops, Czechia. Bravo!” the cultural organisation said on social platform X.
Tunisia’s culture ministry also welcomed what it called the “final acceptance” of Djerba, saying the Unesco decision “does justice to the joint efforts” of both the authorities and civil society. Unesco’s Falt said there had been a “long and tortuous path” leading to Djerba’s inscription because of “seven areas of the island and 24 monuments”.
The island has Carthaginian and Roman ruins and also traditional houses known as “houch”, which have an interior courtyard and ingenious systems to collect rainwater. Djerba is known for its religious diversity. It has churches, synagogues including the Ghriba, the oldest in Africa, and fortified mosques from the Ibadi school of Islam, some of which are underground.
