On the Tunisian island of Djerba there is one very interesting place - the village of Gellala or Guellala, better known as the village of potters. The village is famous for its pottery, ceramic dishes and other clay products.
Tunisian ceramics and pottery of course you can find in any corner of the country, but the capital and a founder of the ceramics is this village located on the island of Djerba. Besides, this is the biggest village on the island according to the number of pottery workshops.
In and around the village are located such famous sights as:
- a workshop for the manufacture of ceramic products, which can be visited to see the production process of pottery and kiln and clay caves which extract the clay;
- one of the best of the island's museums - the ethnographic Museum of Guellala/Mussee de Guellala, visit which you can clearly learn about the life and traditions of local people;
- and of course, visit the center Hellali with numerous souvenir shops and a small colourful shops, where to see and buy Souvenirs and other products pottery.
It is about these three interesting areas Guellala we will cover in this article.
To visit the village potters as you can with the tour, while paying more than $ 25 per person. Often a tour in Gelalo firms combine with a visit to other attractions of the island: the synagogue of El-Mushroom, the ancient Roman road connecting the island with the mainland and the Bazaar in the island's capital Houmt Souk. Or to go independently by taxi. The cost of a taxi trip depends on the distance of approximately 6-10 Dinar (DT).
Independent visit to the village will be much more interesting and will not be limited in time.
The taxi driver may offer to take you across the three main facilities of the village and wait near each, on the grounds that close to taxi no. Stand their services will average 25-30 DT, you can bargain and drop the price a few Dinar. Partly he is right. The fact that the workshop and Museum are not located in the centre of the village, and near them you will hardly find a taxi. But, if you want to save, you can exit near the pottery workshop, she will be the first place your visiting, then walk down the road towards the village centre and visit the Museum, and has a strap that ties behind to walk to the centre Gilluly to walk to catch a taxi in the opposite way.
The route for Gellala suggest the following way to take a look first at the pottery then visit the Museum and already in the end walk around the center of Guellala.
Approaching the village, on the side of the road you will see stylized pottery workshops. Those will be two, on both sides of the road. Past not pass, everything in them screams and says that you are on the spot.
A small and very attractive pottery workshops, everywhere clay jugs and pots, even within the walls of workshops.
Here is the detailed show and tell as made ceramics.
First, you will demonstrate the process of making clay mugs,
then hold and show a furnace in which burned clay products
will hold in a dark underground cave where passing through narrow passages with a candle in hand, show me how to make clay, where clay is bad, and where suitable for skill
In the photo, petrified red clay is not suitable for clay products, but the light is good, you can take it and begin make crafts))
The main part of the workshop is, of course, the pottery shop, where, after a little sightseeing, you can purchase traditional painted ceramic dishes - plates, cups, saucers, bowls etc., various Souvenirs, pots, jugs and small vessels for storage of wine, olive oil and spices.
Here you will demonstrate interesting ceramic camel, in which the top pour one liquid from the bottom of the second, everything inside is mixed, and then, from the bottle, follows already ready substance, such as whisky-Cola. The whole joke of a camel in that Bay one fluid, it is impossible to pour from the bottle, while the second hole will not get other liquid.
In a small courtyard workshop also quite interesting,
here a well
various clay pots,
Desert rose
Can Popo camels and, of course, to take some pictures for memory
Of pottery need to take a taxi or walk along the road towards the village centre and on the right side, on the hill, you will see a large white building. Don't pass it by! Look here! It is well-known and best on the island, the Museum of folk traditions in Hellala.
Visiting this Museum was one of the most interesting, memorable and educational events on the island of Djerba. In the Museum everything is alive and colorful, without a doubt, it will be interesting for both children and adults of all ages.
The Museum illustrates the unique, vintage and a little strange lives of the inhabitants of Djerba. All of this is presented in several halls of the Museum, which displays scenes from the life of gerbiceva.
The entrance to the Museum is paid. The price of admission 7 DT, photos or videos - 2 DT.
Here you can see colorful scenes from the life of the inhabitants of Djerba
For example, Djerba held weddings and holidays, both to bear and raise children, or how was the process of circumcision in boys babies. Everything looks pretty realistic.
And the whole process of life of gerbeau, their craft, life and lifestyle. How to cook couscous and bake bread in an old clay oven "the herd", grind grain and prepare food, weave traditional blankets "melapi", work and rest
In a separate building of the Museum is located a stylized workshop-press olive oil, where you can see the process
All the rooms of the Museum are grouped around a Central courtyard under the open sky with bright flowers, trees and benches.
In the courtyard you can ride in the "sled" that pulls a live camel and try yourself in the process of disking the soil
At the main entrance to the Museum is a cafe for those wishing to relax, eat or enjoy a refreshing beverage
About 2 kilometers from the Museum of Guellala is the homonymous village. In the village centre there are numerous stalls and shops selling all the same ceramics. Here the streets are lined with painted plates, jugs and all sorts of colourful ceramics.
In addition to the pottery shops in the village will also be interesting just to walk and breathe the color gerbeshi life
For us, a visit to the village potters Guellala and all its attractions, has become one of the most memorable events on the island Greba. We received a lot of positive emotions and unforgettable impressions, and also learned a lot of new and unusual of life of local residents.
Visit Hellali, we, with all confidence, I can recommend to everyone as guests on the Sunny Tunisian island Greba. Believe me, you will have something to remember!
