Djerba: Testimony to a settlement pattern in an island territory

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis

The serial property of Djerba: Testimony to a settlement pattern in an island territory is an eminent example of spatial organization based on a dispersed settlement pattern and associated socio-economic system that evolved between the 9th and 18th centuries and reflected a symbiotic relationship between communities of diverse cultures and faiths who coexisted peacefully in Djerba and adapted their way of life to the conditions and restrictions of their water-scarce natural environment.

This distinctive human settlement pattern, which was neither totally urban nor totally rural, developed in response to a combination of environmental, socio-cultural and economic factors, and spread throughout the entire island. At the heart of this system was the combination of dispersed, low-density rural-type settlements (neighbourhoods organized according to the menzel-houma system, typical of the Ibadis, combining living quarters with family economic activities) and denser urban-type clusters (residential neighbourhoods inhabited by Jewish communities and the market district dedicated to commercial exchanges), which together formed a unique township on the island.

The houma (neighbourhood), made up of a number of menzel (family estates), was an economically self-sustaining entity that hosted agricultural and craft activities, representing on a small scale the social and economic organization of the island as a whole. The houma were linked to each other, as well as to the island's places of worship, the main trading centre and residential districts, by a complex network of roads.

Djerba's defensive orientation profoundly influenced its architecture. The massive houch (a dwelling unit) within the menzel was devoid of openings to the outside and flanked by angular towers. The island's many mosques were also designed with the ongoing insecurity in mind. With their short, squat shapes, arrow slits in the façades and crenelated terraces, they were often places of refuge and resistance. Several mosques dot the coastline, within earshot of each other, for surveillance and warning purposes and forming a first line of advanced defence; others, fortified and massive, form a second line of rear defence; still others, some troglodytic to serve primarily as refuges, were located further inland.

This traditional use of the island's territory, combined with the daily life of its inhabitants, guided by the imperative of defence and self-sufficiency, recalls the tumultuous periods of Djerba's thousand-year history, and today offers a remarkable illustration of the way local people adapted to the conditions of their environment.

Criterion (v): Djerba: Testimony to a settlement pattern in an island territory is an eminent example of spatial organization based on a dispersed settlement pattern that extended over the entire territory of the island of Djerba. The socio-economic system induced by this distinctive settlement pattern, featuring both urban and rural characteristics and dependant on complementary economic activities, is an exceptional testimony to human interaction with the water-scarce environment, and to the way the local population adapted to the challenges of insular life. It has become vulnerable to the socio-cultural and economic changes resulting from contemporary development, making its safeguarding extremely important.

Integrity

Despite the social, cultural and economic upheavals that the island has undergone in recent decades due to, among other things, the growth of the tourist industry, changing modes of transport and housing, and the partial abandonment of agriculture, Djerba has generally retained its integrity, although that of certain individual elements has been compromised. The integrity of the property could be enhanced by including uninhabited coastal areas and olive groves within its boundaries, thus reinforcing the justification for Djerba's Outstanding Universal Value. The components of the menzel-houma system, as well as fragments of the road network connecting the houma, can still be understood through the property's component parts to illustrate the dispersed nature of the rural-type settlements. The denser, urban-type clusters whose urban fabric has evolved have also retained enough structural and architectural elements to express their main characteristics. The state of conservation of most of the mosques, which have been regularly restored, is satisfactory or acceptable, as is that of the other major architectural elements of the property, such as the fondouks (caravanserai-type inns) and other religious buildings (the La Ghriba synagogue and the Catholic and Orthodox churches).  The overall integrity of the property remains fragile, requiring heightened vigilance and the mobilization of all those involved in safeguarding it.

Authenticity

Despite major changes, Djerba: Testimony to a settlement pattern in an island territory has preserved its authenticity. The original settlement pattern can still be confirmed in the component parts, although the authenticity of the houma was compromised by plot subdivisions. Most of the property's architectural components have retained their original forms and materials, but several have had their original functions altered. Some menzel continue to serve their original purpose, while many are used as second homes. Many mosques continue to be used as places of worship, but have lost their function as community centres, educational institutions or surveillance and defence structures. In urban-type clusters, gentrification can be observed, where residential spaces are transformed for tourism purposes. The natural landscape that forms part of the property has been negatively impacted.

Protection and management requirements

Djerba: Testimony to a settlement pattern in an island territory is a complex series of public and private spaces of different typologies, as well as numerous buildings serving different functions. It is legally protected by a combination of regulatory instruments covering not just the urban fabric and buildings, but also coastal zones, agricultural land, environmental policies and tourism development.

The Code du Patrimoine Archéologique, Historique et des Arts Traditionnels [Code of Archaeological, Historical, and Traditional Arts Heritage] adopted on February 24, 1994, protects the historical and traditional clusters and historic monuments. Of the twenty-four monuments included within the property's boundaries, eight are legally protected as national historic monuments. A legal process is under way to protect the remaining monuments. Their files are currently being prepared and will be submitted to the National Heritage Commission (decree no. 1475 of July 24, 1994). The seven sites of the property (five representing portions of dispersed, low-density rural-type settlements, and two incorporating parts of urban-type centres, including parts of the historic centre of Houmt-Souk and the remains of a residential neighbourhood in Hara Sghira) will benefit from a decree creating protected areas in accordance with the Heritage Code (art. 6) and the Land Use and Urban Planning Code (CATU).

The Urban Planning Code (adopted on November 28, 1994) grants high-level protection to the island of Djerba in its entirety, based on the production of relevant legal planning documents and specific zoning restrictions. A Master Plan for the Sensitive Area (SDAZS) of Djerba Island is currently being developed and is the main framework for integrated protection and sustainable development of the island, while ensuring the safeguarding of the property.

The Agricultural Land Act (decree of 1983) is an essential tool for protecting and managing the dispersed and low-density settlements, as well as the agricultural land included in the property. This protection measure was reinforced by the establishment of the Agricultural Map in 1985. The protection of coastal zones is guaranteed by Law 95-73 of July 24, 1995, on the Public Maritime Domain (DPM), whose easements are set by the Land Use and Urban Planning Code (CATU) and Law 75-16 of March 31, 1975, promulgating the Water Code and the Public Hydraulic Domain (DPH).

Further efforts are needed to improve the property's governance system and create adequate management structures that will take into account the various rights holders and stakeholders, as well as in the implementation of urgent conservation measures for the preservation of the property.

With regard to the property's management scheme, consultation within the government and with regional and local authorities has led to the adoption by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of an instrument to ensure fruitful cooperation among all the public and private stakeholders involved. This instrument consists of two ministerial decrees, one establishing the Property Steering Committee involving all the ministries and regional and local bodies concerned; the other establishing the Property Management Unit, as an executive operational body, made up of a multidisciplinary team of local representatives of national and regional institutions, selected based on their expertise and experience.