Back to Country by Region

Chebika (Ad Speculum)

Popular opinion is often belied by reality and one of the commonplaces regarding oasis is an image of men, camels and palm trees all living around one source of water in the desert and almost camouflaged by sand. The three mountain oasis Tamerza, Mides and Chebika are magnificent examples of how far reality can doffer from preconceived ideas.

Near the Algerian border, 65 km from Tozeur, these villages rise on a spur of the mountain. In Roman times, they had been defense outposts. Chebika, whose Latin name was “Ad Speculum”, stands out on a red rocky fault, eroded by waterfalls. Despite the beauty of the original village it has been abandoned by the inhabitants who now live in modern buildings. The visitors cannot help feel nostalgia and a desire to restore this unique heritage. Efforts to do this are being made at the moment because people are beginning to realize the value of past lifestyle and culture that even modern age is showing respect. Homes were built with local materials (stone and earth) which ensured protection against immense changes in temperature existing in the region between day and night and between summer and winter.

Back to Country by Region