Zaghouan

If you set sail on Zaghouan and decide to visit the majestic Temple of the waters, take time also to stroll a little in the village. The capital of the region is a beautiful Andalusian village that seems to have frozen in time. Little disfigured, the village did not take advantage of its exceptional situation.

A proximity to the sea and the two main tourist regions of Tunisia: Hammamet and Sousse Port El Kantaoui Zaghouan is a village situated on a mountain of 600m. The view from the terrace of the plot is impregnable. The more athletic of you can commit to climb Mount Bou Gobrine. Just be aware that there is no marked path and you can only climb. You need a car to pick you up. The climbing is quite sporty but very enjoyable. Do not commit yourself alone and especially without warning!

In spring, the mountain is full of flowers. There are perfumes of thyme and rosemary absolutely stunning. Many varieties of orchids are also likely to surprise many of you. No fewer than 19 varieties are listed. They are mostly known to the teams of “Association Hiking and Environment of Zaghouan”. To learn more about their programs, visit: http://www.are.org.tn Located in the center of the city, the Association is an inexhaustible source of information about the region. Its aim is the promotion of ecological and responsible tourism.

Grouped around the association, active speleologists explore the gulfs of the surroundings. They organize caving outings. Reservations are possible. Non-sports refrain. With the Association, it is also possible to discover the surroundings by mountain bike. We propose you an unusual “Circuit de l’Eau” as well as the visit of cellars where cave drawings are still visible but alas tend to disappear. If you decide to spend the night in the area, know that you can shelter in the rural lodging the “Dar Zaghouane” or the “Ksar Ezzit”. A charming hotel which is about fifty kilometers away.

To reward the effort, know that Zaghouan is a village where you can eat for little money. In the main street, many typical restaurants serve grilled lamb, (to buy at the butcher) chicken, merguez and even fish depending on the market. Do not hesitate to ask for the salad “méchouia” of the day, the “keftagi” and even grilled vegetables. Even if the fries are too big, rarely golden and enhanced with a cloud of cumin that one does not necessarily like, it does not matter. This perfect menu.

As a dessert, swallow yourself up to the public fountain. In a tiny shop one sells traditional “Kaak Ouarka” and tasty perfumed with wild rose flower water. This cake is a specialty Andalusian and Zaghouan is just as famous for this pastry as for its honey and its floral waters. In the city, one discovers with amusement stalls rather funny. ON is exhibiting moulinex or old irons. In Zaghouan, there is even a magnificent grocery store that dates more than a century. There is an old refrigerator worthy of a museum! Before leaving Zaghouan, we propose you to visit the marabout of “Sidi Ali Azouz”. Its dome of glazed tiles is cut in the city center. The interior of the building is an example of beautiful stucco work embellished with ceramic tiles.

To return to the Temple of the waters, know that it was erected under the Emperor Hadrian. “It is a hemicycle of 30 m opening, whose interior gallery was to shelter statues; In the center, the temple itself had to enclose the statue of the divinity protecting the source. Below the temple, a settling basin stopped the water before it was distributed by the aqueduct. This one, probably built under Hadrian, from 120 to 131, was restored in 203 under Septimius Severus, before being damaged by the Vandals and rebuilt by the Byzantines. The Arabs cut it off at the time of the invasions and it was only restored under the reign of the Fatimids in the 10th century, then rebuilt in the 13th century. Long 123 km, the aqueduct is a magnificent achievement of the Roman genius, of which one will find, in the alley as well as the return towards Tunis, the skill of the techniques used for its construction. “. Amel Djait

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