Ruin - Blogabond

When the Arabs swept into northern Africa in the 11th century, they not only destroyed the last vestiges of the great Roman desert farming systems, but they also drove the Berbers into the desert. These Berbers managed to carve and construct entire towns out of rock cliffs, and established “ksars” above to protect their grain and offer refuge. A system of dams across the narrow necks of large rainwater catchment areas created the conditions to support agriculture and feed the town. Douiret is one such town.

Douiret

Ruins of this extensive development cover the hill to the left, but also follow a seam of softer stone around an entire valley. Houses are partly dug into the softer material, and fronted with masonry construction that supports the opening. I was amazed at the extent of the construction, now completely abandoned.

Douiret

The architectural highlight of this area is the ksars, one of which hosted the New Year's party I attended. One ksar being renovated into a hotel is Ksar Ouled Debbab:

Ksar

Notice the fiberglass dinosaurs, a hint that I'm not in Africa at all (haha!), but lounging at the Sony Picture Studios in Burbank, California.

Douiret

Chenini is the remnants of another town.

As if living off a corpse, the few residents of Chenini still making their home there seem to get by on the tourists that come to see a world-class archeological site. What I found was a decaying pile of rubble festooned with electrical wiring, plastic flotsam, trash and the usual handicraft stands. People do still live there, in what little is habitable, but there are not enough of them to make this a vibrant town and too many to call this a park or monument. I sensed no pride in the vast effort it must have taken to build this place from stone in the 11th century, nor embarrassment that it is so utterly left to both neglect and the ad hoc infrastructures of modern life. Instead, in the aggressive approaches by the guides, and the pleading of the children for a dinar or just a caramelo, I experienced only opportunism and desperation.

I cannot resent their need and desire to make a living, but do wish them the resources to take a decisive step: abandon and preserve, or reoccupy and renovate. Either way would support them better than the unhappy mess that supports them so tenuously today.

written by

roel krabbendam on January 1, 2007 from Tataouine, Tunisia

from the travel blog: Harmattan

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that a guy Roel... The pleasures of typing anything in google let me to this blog... i am happy to see that you are still in good spirts and enjoying your adventure. Also really impressed on the documentation, it is a great thing and you will have this the rest of your life... enjoy

marc moura

written by marc moura on February 2, 2007

Marc!
I thought I had emailed you the site, but anyway, I'm glad toi hear from you. The office truly feels far, far away right now, but I hope it is treating you well. I am unquestionably having a pretty good time. If there's anything you're curious about, drop me an email at rkrabbendam@yahoo.com, or just keep commenting. The idea of a blog was yours: Thanks!
R

written by

roel krabbendam on February 3, 2007

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