Tamaghza El Gdima (Abandoned Village of Tamerza)

Tamaghza El Gdima (Abandoned Village of Tamerza)

In the barren mountains of southern Tunisia, at the gates of the Sahara desert, it rarely rains. When the rains do come, they can quickly turn to torrential downpours. In 1969, a flood lasted 22 days, forcing the inhabitants of the Berber village of Tamerza to abandon their homes and rebuild further down the valley. Today, it is still possible to see the ruins of the old village along the road going from Tozeur and the large salt lake Chott El J…