The ancient history of Tunisia tells of the Berbers, the masters of the territory that is now part of the modern state. Over time, due to the appearance of various conquerors on Tunisian soil, the indigenous inhabitants were forced to move away from these intruders into the deepest reaches of the desert. The Dahar mountain range, or rather its "surroundings," became a long-standing refuge for the tribe. The Berbers built their dwellings directly beneath the mountain slopes. Fortunately, the local clay offered favorable conditions for "construction"—it was relatively easy to dig, yet not so fragile and unreliable, as rain had no effect on its structure. In the mid-19th century, the French, who had colonized Tunisia, began calling the locals troglodytes.
One of the most famous settlements of the descendants of the Berbers that has survived to this day is the village of Matmata. Upon entering the village, it may seem as if nothing remains of those underground structures, but in fact, this is not the case. If you see the attractive, snow-white houses, compact гостиницы And restaurants—be aware that this is the new part of the village. About half a century ago, the government decided to provide modern living conditions for the descendants of the Berbers, thereby creating a modest, but still, infrastructure for potential tourists. However, not everyone from the old village moved to the new Matmata. Several hundred families still use the caves as their primary residence, just like their ancestors.
After driving through the new part of the village, which takes 15-20 minutes, you'll finally see those very same clay troglodyte houses. However, inside, the modern houses of the Berber descendants still looked more like village dwellings, but they certainly couldn't be called caves. The same seemed true for the locals, who were very welcoming and sociable, bearing little resemblance to those African tribes, morally and psychologically removed from civilization. What can we say, even in old Matmata, many new residents have already arrived, providing themselves with comforts practically no different from those in the city, installing satellite dishes, building garages, and so on.
After such an eventful trip, you realize that Tunisia is a country where life is not boring, even in ancient settlements.
