Tozeur


Tozeur is a city in southwest Tunisia. The city is located northwest of Chott el Djerid, in between this Chott and the smaller Chott el Gharsa. It is the capital of Tozeur Governorate. It was the site of the ancient city and former bishopric Tusuros, which remains a Latin Catholic titular see.

Etymology

During the Roman era, Tozeur was known as Tusuros or Thusuros, and it was part of the Roman province of Byzacena in Africa Proconsularis.
Several hypotheses exist regarding the origin of the name Tozeur. One hypothesis links the name to the Egyptian pharaoh Tausret, whose name means “the powerful one” in ancient Egyptian. Following her reign as the last monarch of Egypt’s Nineteenth Dynasty, Tozeur is said to have been paid as tribute by the Kingdom of Kush in her honor. This theory is supported by architectural similarities between Tozeur and ancient Egyptian cities, particularly the use of sun-dried and kiln-fired mud brick.
The Tunisian philosopher Youssef Seddik has also suggested an ancient Egyptian origin, proposing that the prefix “T” is commonly found in toponyms such as Thebes, Tamazret, while “Ozeur” may be a latinized form of Osiris, the ancient Egyptian deity.

History

During the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire and in the Vandal Kingdom, Tozeur was the site of Tusuros, in the Roman province of Byzacena.

Bishopric

At this time it was the seat of a suffragan bishopric, called Tusuros.
Located in the Sahel hinterland of the Byzacena coastline, close to the towns of Aquae and Nefta and south of Capsa and Ad Turres, Roman Tursuros became an important center of Donatism.
The bishopric ceased to function following the seventh-century arrival of Islam. The remains of an ancient church are visible in the foundations of an old mosque.
Four bishops are historically documented
After the Umayyad conquest of North Africa in the late 6th century and early 7th century, the city became part of the Umayyad Caliphate, and later the Abbasid Caliphate.
Al-Tijani described Tozeur in the 14th century:
"Tozeur is the capital of the Djerid region, and there is no forest in the Jarid lands larger than it or with more abundant water. Its water originates from springs that emerge from the sand, gathering outside the town in a wide valley, from which numerous streams branch off. Each stream further divides into channels that the inhabitants distribute among themselves according to established ownership divisions, with known shares of water. They have appointed trustworthy officials from among their righteous men to oversee the distribution, allocating the water by the hours of day and night according to a well-known and established system. Many of its people reside in its palm grove, and there is a stark contrast between the buildings within the grove and those inside the town. The structures in the grove are larger and more refined. Inside the town, there are two mosques for Friday prayers and a single bathhouse. Their main gathering place for leisure is at a location they call Bab al-Manshar, which is among the most beautiful spots for recreation because it is where the waters converge."

Titular see

It was nominally restored in 1933 as Latin titular bishopric of Tusuros / Tusuro / Tusuritan of the Roman Catholic Church.
It has had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal rank:
  1. Joseph Leo Cardijn , Founder of the international Young Christian Workers then without prelature; later created Cardinal-Deacon of ;
  2. Giovanni Benelli as papal diplomat: Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Senegal, Apostolic Delegate to Western Africa and Roman Curia official: Substitute for General Affairs of Secretariat of State ; later Metropolitan Archbishop of Florence , created Cardinal-Priest of Santa Prisca ;
  3. Thomas Cajetan Kelly as Auxiliary bishop of Archdiocese of Washington ; later Metropolitan Archbishop of Louisville , died in 2011;
  4. Paul Lanneau, first as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels , then as emeritus;
  5. Bishop-elect Amilton Manoel da Silva, Passionists as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Curitiba.

    Climate

Tozeur has a hot desert climate typical of the northern edge of the Sahara. The annual average rainfall is, and the annual mean temperature is, making the city both hot and dry year-round. The weather is usually settled and sunny throughout the year. Summers are extremely hot, with daily highs often exceeding in the shade, and the sirocco may push temperatures close to. During winters, it can sometimes freeze at night and just before the sunrise, as the temperature may drop below.

Modern city

With hundreds of thousands of palm trees, Tozeur is a large oasis. Dates are exported from Tozeur. In ancient times, before the advent of motorized vehicles, the oasis was important for the transportation through the Sahara, which took place in caravans. The name of the city in antiquity was Tusuros, it was an important Roman outpost. The Medina quarter of Tozeur, contains traditional architecture, fashion and workmanship.

Architecture

Tozeur, in common with the surrounding Jerid region, is noted for its yellow/brownish brickwork as well as its patterns in geometric designs which form the facades of most buildings in the old city and the new tourist zone.
The Medina quarter of Ouled El Hadef is an example of the local brickwork which is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Tozeur. It was inhabited by both Muslim and Jewish communities, namely the Saadoun family. While the Jewish community no longer resides there, the Medina of Tozeur stands as a testament to a long history of coexistence.

Sport

Tozeur has a football club who plays in the First Professional Federation of Football in Tunisia, the team is called LPST. In 2010–2011 season the club almost made it to the First Professional Federation of Football.

Economy

Overview

Although still the largest part of the local economy, dates and farming are becoming less appealing to the young, who are more often employed in tourism. Tourism is heavily developed and promoted, and Tozeur is considered a center of "Desert tourism". The annual "International Festival of Oases" takes place in the town in November and December each year.
The government initiated two large-scale projects:
  1. Tapping of deep aquifers by wells. This led to the depletion of most natural springs and abandonment of the traditional irrigation canals. Tozeur's oasis has been irrigated based on an open surface canal system designed in the 13th century by engineer Ibn Chabbat. This traditional irrigation system is currently being replaced by a system of concrete pipes. Water that was traditionally free to farmers is now being sold to offset the cost of these projects and pipes.
  2. The second part of these local projects is the initiation of new oases around town. These oases' productivity is very low and their future highly unstable. This situation is slowly leading to the decay of the old oases with productivity plummeting and the health and future of the oases questionable.
The region around Tozeur is seeing a large influx of unemployed workers and their families from the once rich phosphate region of Metlaoui, Gafsa and Om Laarayes in hope of work in the tourism sector. The phosphate mines are no longer productive and thousands of workers were laid off after the government sold them to European investors.
Overall the region, and Tozeur in particular, is going through a tough time. The region is embracing the unstable tourism economy and shying away from its traditional agricultural based economy. During the first Gulf War the sector suffered with a loss of large number of workers and an increase in unemployment. The same happened during 11 September 2001 attacks and the Iraq War.

Transport

The city is served by buses, taxis, railway, louage, and Tozeur–Nefta International Airport with national and international services from London, Paris, Rome and few other European countries. Tozeur lies on the edge of the Sahara desert. Tourism activity is higher in the fall and winter months with Douz Festival among others in late December
The city is also served by a railway station that was built during the French protectorate period. it is connected to Tunisia’s national rail network via Line 13, which links it to major inland cities such as Gafsa, Métlaoui, and Sfax, and ultimately to the capital, Tunis.

Education

Universities

Tozeur contains a university campus with two institutes affiliated with Gafsa University.
The city hosts a variety of educational institutions, including primary, middle and secondary schools administered by the Ministry of Education, as well as several private schools.

People from Tozeur

  • Aboul-Qacem Echebbi , was a Tunisian poet. The current Tunisian anthem is based on one of his poems.
  • Abu Yazid Makhlad ibn Kayrad, from the Berber Zenata tribe, nicknamed Sahib al-Himar, who led a mostly Berber revolution against the Fatimid ruler al-Qa'im. The revolution, almost a success, was finally crushed by the caliph al-Mansur bi-Nasr Allah.
  • Ibn Chabbat, also known as Mohamed Ben Ali Ben Mohamed Ben Ali,, was a writer, historian, engineer and respected Tunisian social figure in the 13th century. Ibn Chabbat's main contribution and legacy is an open surface canal system for equitable water distribution in the oasis that is still in use today.
  • Rabbi Pinhas Saadoun, a rabbi, from one of the last Jewish communities in Tozeur.
  • Ibn al-Kardabūs, jurist and historian of al-Andalus
  • Isma'il Hedfi Madani, renowned sufi master.
  • Brahim Dargouthi, novelist. "Nafta", a city located in the governorate of Tozeur, formerly, was known as the cradle of knowledge in North Africa. It is the "Koufa" of Africa.