About This Museum
The Museum of Tamazret is perched at the highest point of the village of Tamazret, a few kilometers from the famous troglodyte town of Matmata, in southern Tunisia.
This small yet captivating museum offers a unique glimpse into Amazigh (Berber) heritage and traditions. Established in 1999 by Mr. Mongi Bouras, a local artisan and passionate guardian of his culture, the museum was created to preserve and share the rich cultural identity of the Amazigh people.
Inside, visitors can explore an impressive collection of objects, textiles, and tools reflecting everyday life in southern Tunisia. Highlights include hand-embroidered shawls, traditional Amazigh slippers, and the iconic bakhnoug-a woven woolen wrap worn by women, bearing symbolic motifs. Each piece is lovingly crafted by Mr. Bouras himself. His wife also creates exquisite skhab necklaces made of fragrant beads, available as unique souvenirs.
Museum of Tamazret : a journey into Berber culture
The museum is housed in a traditional semi-troglodyte dwelling, typical of the region’s ancestral architecture. A guided tour with Mr. Bouras brings the museum to life through storytelling and cultural insights. After the tour, guests can enjoy a homemade meal at the table d’hôtes, featuring local specialties like krabbiz, olives, dates, and mint tea.
The Museum of Tamazret is more than just a museum-it’s a living testimony to a proud and enduring culture.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Museum of Tamazret is a small community museum founded in 1999 by Mongi Bouras, a local teacher, in the Berber village of Tamazret near Matmata. It is housed in a semi-troglodyte (partially underground) traditional dwelling and presents the material culture, textiles, and daily life of the Amazigh (Berber) people of the Matmata region.
The collection includes Amazigh weaving textiles, traditional slippers (babouches), bakhnoug wrap-garments, agricultural tools, household objects, and documentation of the oral traditions and customs of the Berber mountain villages. The museum building itself, a semi-troglodyte structure, is part of the experience.
A semi-troglodyte dwelling is partially carved into the rock and partially built above ground, combining the insulating properties of the rock with above-ground living spaces. The Matmata region is famous for its fully underground pit-houses (ghorfa), but semi-troglodyte forms are also traditional in the area.
Yes. The museum offers a table d'hôtes (shared-table meal) featuring local Amazigh food, providing visitors with an authentic taste of Berber mountain cuisine as part of the cultural experience. Pre-booking is recommended.
Tamazret is a mountain village about 45 km northwest of Gabes and 10 km from Matmata in the Matmata Hills of southern Tunisia. A hire car is the most practical way to reach the village. The drive through the dramatic troglodyte landscape is itself a highlight.
Yes. Tamazret, Matmata (with its famous underground houses and the hotel where Star Wars scenes were filmed), and the granary fortresses (ksour) of Ksar Hadada and Ksar Ouled Soltane can be combined into a memorable day in the Berber south of Tunisia.
