Djerbahood & the heritage of Erriadh
Around Dar Ines — Midoun, island of Djerba
Erriadh, about fifteen minutes from the villa, brings together two faces of Djerba: Djerbahood, a whole village turned open-air street-art museum, and the Ghriba, one of the oldest synagogues in the world. With Guellala’s pottery and the menzels of the countryside, it is the “heritage” outing of the stay.
Djerbahood, a village turned gallery
In 2014, the Paris gallery Itinerrance invited more than a hundred artists from some thirty countries to paint the white walls of Erriadh. The project, named Djerbahood, turned the village into an open-air gallery: monumental murals, painted doors, calligraphy, stencils — even in courtyards and on domes. A second edition, in 2022, added new works.
The visit is on foot, with no set route: you get lost in the lanes on purpose, hunt for hidden works, double back. Allow one to two hours. Early morning or late afternoon, the low light and cooler air make the walk more pleasant — and the photos better.
The Ghriba, a place of pilgrimage
On the edge of Erriadh stands the Ghriba synagogue, considered one of the oldest in the world: tradition dates its founding to the arrival of priests from Jerusalem after the destruction of the First Temple. The interior, with its blue columns and ceramic tiles, is deeply serene.
Every spring, at Lag BaOmer (33 days after Passover, usually in May), it hosts a pilgrimage that gathers Jews from Tunisia and around the world. The rest of the year the visit is quiet; modest dress is requested and there is a security check at the entrance.
Guellala, Djerba’s pottery
In the south of the island, the village of Guellala has been the centre of Djerban pottery since antiquity. Its workshops still shape jars, dishes and gargoulettes from local clay, fired in traditional kilns. You can watch the throwing and buy directly from the potter.
The Guellala museum, on a hill above the village, presents the island’s traditions — weddings, costumes, crafts — in lively displays, with a view reaching to the sea.
Menzels and country mosques
Between the villages, the Djerban countryside is dotted with menzels, the traditional farmhouses with thick walls and white domes, surrounded by olive and palm trees. Some can be visited or have become guesthouses. The small fortified mosques, such as the Fadhloun mosque, show a unique architecture, at once defensive and austere.
It is this landscape — white walls, blue doors, domes and palms — that inspired the building of Dar Ines.
Planning the outing
Erriadh is about 15 minutes from Dar Ines by car, Guellala about thirty. A fine half-day loop: Djerbahood in the morning, the Ghriba, then Guellala and its museum before heading back for lunch at the villa or in Houmt Souk.