About Us

The Centre for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Tataouine is a brand new Centre created to share knowledge about the region’s unique local traditions, encompassing both tangible and intangible heritage. A visit to the Centre offers insight into the people of Tataouine, their way of life, customs, and rich cultural expressions, particularly through their daily practices and craftsmanship. Divided in multiple rooms, the centre will take you into a visual and interactive journey to uncover the history of this frontier territory and discover how its inhabitants managed to transform a once inhospitable landscape into a hospitable home. They observed nature closely and shaped it to their advantage—while always maintaining respect for it. Their understanding of the mountain’s geology is a striking example of human genius. The craftsmanship they developed is truly distinctive. The mergoum, for example—a traditional textile woven from wool and coloured using natural dyes—or the various objects crafted from reeds demonstrate the community ability to harness natural materials to create products that are deeply emblematic of their heritage. At the Centre, you will also have the opportunity to try your hand at traditional crafts, shop natural and locally made products, and learn about new tourist routes being developed across the region. Each section of the museum is enriched with additional content on this website. Here, you can delve deeper into the heritage of Tataouine, explore the region’s unique culture in greater detail, access further information about the area, and shop for handcrafted products made from organic and natural materials. The Centre is the culmination of years of archaeological, cultural, and anthropological research carried out in the region by a consortium of experts—formerly known as the Partnership of Heritage—from Tunisia, England, Libya, and Ireland. Specialists in archaeology, anthropology, geology, and related disciplines joined forces with a shared purpose: to document and safeguard Tataouine’s extraordinary heritage in the face of growing threats posed by climate change.