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Matmata Caves at Matmatat-Al-Qadimal, Tunisia
(Ar.-Berb. Māṭmāṭa)
A panoramic photograph of desert spaces captures a blue sky, palm trees, and even the warmth of the sun. However, it fails to document the caves located underground in the Matmata region of Tunisia.
Description
Matmata Caves
Early and current photographs of the Matmata caves show them to be located in crater-like spaces. These underground abodes shelter inhabitants from the heat and winds of the area. Traveler photographs of the caves in Matmata depict small living quarters along the sides while maintaining open spaces in the center. White walls surround the inside of the crater-like space as well as the interior rooms. Doorways to different rooms vary from rectangular to arched tops in shape. In many of the rooms, Berber symbols [Fish and Hand] are painted, signifying protection of the home. [1] These caves have been arranged to accommodate travelers, allowing their guests to experience the beauty of Berber architecture.
Jews in Matmata
In 1881, Tunisia became a protectorate of France through the Bardo treaty agreement. During the 19th century, a Jewish community was established in the Matmata district of Tunisia. [2] Jews from Djerba and Gabès moved to the Matmata region in search of opportunities in the fabric and alafa plant trade. [3] This increased the population of the existing Jewish community in the area. Relationships between Arabs and Jews in Matmata consisted of economic partnerships and moneylending, demonstrating possible amicable-like relationships between each other. In 1909, the Jewish population was 165 and later in 1936, decreased to 128 people. [4] In 1943, direct Nazi occupation prompted many Jews from Gabès to take refuge in the caves of Matmata in order to escape the WWII warfare. [5] During the years that commemorated and followed the establishment of Israel, Jewish communities faced attacks on their businesses and markets. In 1952, a group of 105 Jews left to Israel, further decreasing the Jewish population of Matmata, Tunisia. [6]
Sources
Notes
[1] “The Berber Cave Homes of Tunisia,” The Natural Building, Homestead and Natural Living World, accessed August 2018, http://naturalhomes.org/berber-caves.htm.
[2] Haim Saadoun, “Matmata”, in: Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, Executive Editor Norman A. Stillman, First published online: 2010, accessed 2018, http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopedia-of-jews-in-the-islamic-world/matmata-SIM_0014890?s.num=2&s.q=Matmata.
[3] Shmuel Spector and Geoffrey Wigoder, The encyclopedia of Jewish life before and during the Holocaust Jerusalem: K Sered (New York: Yad Vashem, 2001), accessed August 2018, 800.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Guy Bonné, “The Caves of Matmata,” Cantorguy/BLOG, January 2018, accessed 2018, https://cantorguy.com/blog/86-the-caves-of-matmata.
[6] Shmuel Spector and Geoffrey Wigoder, The encyclopedia of Jewish life before and during the Holocaust Jerusalem: K Sered, 800.
Bibliography
Bonné, Guy. “The Caves of Matmata.” CantorGuy/Blog. January 2018. Accessed August 2018. https://cantorguy.com/blog.
Bruun, Daniel. The cave dwellers of southern Tunisia: recollections of a sojourn with the Khalifa of Matmata. Translated by L. A. E. B.W. Thacker & Co.; etc., etc., 1898. Accessed August 2018. HathiTrust.
“The Berber Cave Homes of Tunisia.” The Natural Building, Homestead and Natural Living World. Accessed August 2018. http://naturalhomes.org/berber-caves.htm.
Haim Saadoun, “Matmata”, in: Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, Executive Editor Norman A. Stillman.
First published online: 2010. Accessed August 2018.
Meddeb, Abdelwahab, and Stora, Benjamin, eds. A History of Jewish-Muslim Relations : From the Origins to the Present Day. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013. Accessed August 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central.
Spector, Shmuel., and Wigoder, Geoffrey. The Encyclopedia of Jewish life before and during the Holocaust Jerusalem: K Sered. New York: Yad Vashem, 2001. Accessed August 2018.
Additional Reading
The cave dwellers of southern Tunisia: recollections of a sojourn with the Khalifa of Matmata by Daniel Bruun.
Photos courtesy of Chrystie Sherman 2016
Write-up prepared by Jessica Ramon August, 2018