Country Tunisia | Governor Tataouine Governorate | |
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Map of Tataouine
Tataouine (Berber: Tiṭṭawin; Arabic: تطاوين Taṭāwīn) is a city in southern Tunisia. It is the capital of the Tataouine Governorate. The below-ground "cave dwellings" of the native Berber population, designed for coolness and protection, render the city and the area around it a tourist and film makers' attraction.
Contents
- Map of Tataouine
- Tataouine tunisia tunis vista travel
- Tataouine city tunisie
- Etymology
- History
- Culture
- Popular culture
- References
Tataouine tunisia tunis vista travel
Tataouine city tunisie
Etymology
The name Tataouine means "water springs" in Berber language and is sometimes transliterated as Tatahouine, Tatahouïne, Tatawin or Tatooine. The city is sometimes also called Fum Taṭāwīn (فم تطاوين), alternatively spelled Fumm Tattauin, Foum Tatahouine, Fum Tatawin, or Foum Tataouine, which means "mouth of the springs".
History
From 1892 to 1951, Tataouine was the garrison town of the French penal military unit known as the "Battalion of Light Infantry of Africa". After the French established the town, a mosque (built in 1898) and homes were built in Tataouine.
On June 27, 1931, a meteorite of unusual achondrite type and green color impacted at Tataouine; about 12 kg of fragments were found. The meteorite consists largely of the mineral enstatite, and is of the rare Diogenite type.
In March 2015, it was briefly reported that ISIL was using Tataouine as a military base, but later these claims were denied by the Tunisian government as false.
In September 2016, a new oil field was found south of the town by the Italian company Eni.
Culture
The Ksour Festival (French: Festival international des ksour sahariens) is an annual festival held in Tataouine in March. In Tataouine some people speak a Berber dialect.