Douiret Berber village

The Berber village of Douiret is located in the southeast of Tunisia, about 20 kilometers from the city of Tataouine. It is divided into two parts: the old village, made up of troglodyte dwellings carved into the hills, and the new village located on the hillside.

The Old Troglodyte Village

The old village consists of small dwellings called ghiren (plural of ghar, meaning cave). These homes are named after their owners’ family names.

In 2008, only two families still lived permanently in the old village, which had been abandoned since 1974. Today, there are no longer any fields, and the rainwater drainage gutters are no longer maintained.

The Strategic Role of the Ksar

The ksar of Douiret allowed the Berbers to sustain themselves while establishing protection and client relationships with Arab tribes that arrived in the 11th century during the Hilalian invasions. It was built on top of the mountain to serve several purposes:

Military: The ksar, or citadel, protected the village by serving as a refuge against enemies. Its location provides an overview of the area and is hard to access.

Economic: The ksar served as a communal granary for storing crops (wheat, dates, olive oil, etc.) during drought years. The ghorfas (storage rooms) were used for preservation. Small niches between the vaults of the ghorfas allowed the concealment of valuable items.

Social: The ksar was also a social meeting point, where the inhabitants played a game called Kharbga (a variant of checkers played with stones) and shared stories. It was also a place for commercial transactions.

The People of Douiret

Douiret was originally inhabited by a rural mountain society known as the Jbaliya (mountain people), who built fortified villages called ksour.

Today, the inhabitants of the new village speak primarily Tunisian Arabic, with regional variations specific to the southern region. Some still speak Berber (Chelha)