Douz | |
---|---|
Commune and town | |
Coordinates: 33°27′N 9°1′E / 33.450°N 9.017°E | |
Country | Tunisia |
Governorate | Kebili Governorate |
Population (2014) | |
• Total | 38,537 |
Time zone | UTC1 ( CET) |
Douz ( Arabic: دوز ⓘ) is a town in the Kebili Governorate in the south of Tunisia, known as the "gateway to the Sahara." [1] By road it is located 31 kilometres (19 mi) southwest of Blidet, 125 kilometres (78 mi) southeast of Tozeur, and 475 kilometres (295 mi) south of the Tunisian capital of Tunis. [2]
It has been called the "ultimate palm oasis", because it has over 500,000 palm trees in the area, and it is a major producer of "diglat noor" dates. [3] In previous times it was an important stop on the trans-Saharan caravan routes. Today, it is a destination for tourists who are interested in seeing the desert, and a starting point for desert treks by camel, motorcycle, or four-wheel-drive vehicle. [3][ self-published source] [1] [4]
Every year Douz hosts the International Festival of the Sahara, a four-day celebration of traditional desert culture. The festival, usually held in November or December, features traditional music and dancing, poetry readings, camel wrestling, and racing of horses and salugis. [5] Douz is home to the Museum of the Sahara, which showcases displays on traditional nomadic desert culture of the Mrazig people who now mostly live a settled life in the town. [5] [6]
The majority of inhabitants of Douz are from Arab descent ( Banu Sulaym) [7] Douz is the home of Mrazig people.
Media related to Douz at Wikimedia Commons
Douz | |
---|---|
Commune and town | |
Coordinates: 33°27′N 9°1′E / 33.450°N 9.017°E | |
Country | Tunisia |
Governorate | Kebili Governorate |
Population (2014) | |
• Total | 38,537 |
Time zone | UTC1 ( CET) |
Douz ( Arabic: دوز ⓘ) is a town in the Kebili Governorate in the south of Tunisia, known as the "gateway to the Sahara." [1] By road it is located 31 kilometres (19 mi) southwest of Blidet, 125 kilometres (78 mi) southeast of Tozeur, and 475 kilometres (295 mi) south of the Tunisian capital of Tunis. [2]
It has been called the "ultimate palm oasis", because it has over 500,000 palm trees in the area, and it is a major producer of "diglat noor" dates. [3] In previous times it was an important stop on the trans-Saharan caravan routes. Today, it is a destination for tourists who are interested in seeing the desert, and a starting point for desert treks by camel, motorcycle, or four-wheel-drive vehicle. [3][ self-published source] [1] [4]
Every year Douz hosts the International Festival of the Sahara, a four-day celebration of traditional desert culture. The festival, usually held in November or December, features traditional music and dancing, poetry readings, camel wrestling, and racing of horses and salugis. [5] Douz is home to the Museum of the Sahara, which showcases displays on traditional nomadic desert culture of the Mrazig people who now mostly live a settled life in the town. [5] [6]
The majority of inhabitants of Douz are from Arab descent ( Banu Sulaym) [7] Douz is the home of Mrazig people.
Media related to Douz at Wikimedia Commons