Pictures, photos & images of Ksar El Mgubel, near Teouine, Tunisia. Ksar El Mgubel is a typical Ksar, a fortified village or granary, of southern Tunisia. These Ksour, plural of Ksar, run along the edge of the northern Sahara and were built as granary stores by the nomadic Berbers that plied their trade by bringing high value goods across the Sahara desert. For nomadic people living in the arid Sahara, with rainfalls that might be ten years apart and few oasis to grow crops in, the storing of enough food to keep you alive is difficult. The Berbers solved the problem by building Ksour. Ksar El Mgubel is typical of these Berber fortified villages. It consists of ghorfas which are vaulted rooms used by the Berber people for storing grain. Each ghorfa is a self contained unit and they were built on top of each other in continuous circles or squares with doors only opening on the inside to create the 3 or 4 story high walls of Ksar Hedada. It is entered through a double wooden fortified gate. Ksar Hedada would have been easy to defend from raiding parties as the lack of wood in the desert meant that building ladders or siege equipment to scale its 4 storey high walls was impossible. From Ksar El Mgubel the Berbers would have traded across the desert with their camel trains that would take several months to do the round journey returning with Keeping their food safe was important to the Berber peoples survival as in this region it may only rain once every 10 years and areas suitable for cultivation are severely limited to oasis dotted along the desert edge. From Ksour like Ksar El Mgubel the Berber nomads could head off on their great journeys across the Sahara knowing that when they returned their food supply would be safe in the Ksar. On their return they would trade high value goods for food that would replenish their securely stored food stocks in the ghorfas of the Ksar. Summer resting camps would be set up around the Ksour as travel in the Sahara in July and August is too dangerous with the extreme heat. Unlike many of the Ksour in southern Tunisia were made famous by their use as film sets in the Star Wars movies and were renovated, Ksar El Mgubel remains a deserted ruin. No tourists visit Ksar El Mgubel and local children use it as their play ground. Its faded beauty harks back to the days when Berber traders could make a living trading across the Sahara. Buy Prints & Royalty free download images on line of Ksar El Mguebl Tunisia. Visit our TUNISIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-Photos-of-Tunisia/C0000lMpN5pUP1CM Visit our ISLAMIC ART & HISTORICAL SITES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Islam-Islamic-Art-Artefacts-Antiquities-Historic-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000WMzJTSRGkTw

Pictures, photos & images of Ksar Ez Zahra, Tunisia. Ksar Ez Zahra is typical of the fortified villages built by the Berbers along the edge of the Sahara in Southern Tunisia around Tetouine. Ksar Ez Zahra consists of ghorfas which are vaulted rooms used by the Berber people for storing grain. Each ghorfa is a self contained unit and they were built on top of each other in continuous circles or squares with doors only opening on the inside to create 3 or 4 story high walls of Ksar Ez Zahra. It is entered through a double wooden fortified gate and would have been easy to defend from raiding parties as the lack of wood in the desert meant that building ladders or siege equipment to scale its 4 storey high walls was impossible. From Ksar Ez Zahra the Berbers would have traded across the desert using Camel trains that would take several months to do the round journey. The high value goods they returned with would be traded for food that would be securely stored in the ghorfas of the Ksar. Keeping their food safe was important to the Berber peoples survival of Ksar Ez Zahra as in this region it may only rain once every 10 years and areas suitable for cultivation are servetrely limited to oasis dotted along the desert edge. From Ksar Ez Zahra the Sahara spreads away south for 1000 miles across and endless flat arid plain where it might only rain every 10 years. To live in such conditions the desert peoples had to adapt strategies for survival and the Ksar played a crucial part. Although the Berber Ksar has a very distinctive style, similar mud brick villages can be found in Mali and the Yemen showing that the desert peoples learnt from each other over great distances. The Ksour of Tunisia may look very familiar and there is a good reason for that. George Lucas recognised the evocative style of Ksour and used them as locations for his Star War movies. Ksar Ez Zahra’s remoteness and proximity to the Libyan Border make it inaccessible to most tourists to Tunisia and is rarely visited. It is both land and time locked and the severity of desert life has seen its population dwindle. Buy Prints & Royalty free download images on line of Ksar Ez Zahra Tunisia Visit our TUNISIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-Photos-of-Tunisia/C0000lMpN5pUP1CM Visit our ISLAMIC ART & HISTORICAL SITES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Islam-Islamic-Art-Artefacts-Antiquities-Historic-Sites-Pictures-Images-of/C0000WMzJTSRGkTw

Pictures, photos & images of Ksar Hedada or Hadada, Tunisia. The Berbers are a North African peoples whose civilisation stretched from Tunisia to the Atlantic Ocean in Morocco. For 500 years they ruled in Spain creating great Palaces like the Alhambra at Granada. Along the edge of the Sahara in Southern Tunisia around Tetouine Berber nomads built Ksour which are fortified villages individually known as Ksar. Ksar Hedada is typical of these Berber fortified villages. It consists of ghorfas which are vaulted rooms used by the Berber people for storing grain. Each ghorfa is a self contained unit and they were built on top of each other in continuous circles or squares with doors only opening on the inside to create the 3 or 4 story high walls of Ksar Hedada. It is entered through a double wooden fortified gate. Ksar Hedada would have been easy to defend from raiding parties as the lack of wood in the desert meant that building ladders or siege equipment to scale its 4 storey high walls was impossible. From Ksar Ksar Hedada the Berbers would have traded across the desert with their camel trains that would take several months to do the round journey returning with high value goods to trade for food that would be securely stored in the ghorfas of the Ksar. Keeping their food safe was important to the Berber peoples survival as in this region it may only rain once every 10 years and areas suitable for cultivation are severely limited to oasis dotted along the desert edge. The Berber nomads could head off on their great journeys across the Sahara knowing that when they returned their food supply would be safe in the Ksar. Summer resting camps would be set up around the Ksour as travel in the Sahara in July and August is too dangerous with the extreme heat. From Ksar Hedada the Sahara spreads away south for 1000 miles across and endless flat arid plain where it might only rain every 10 years. To live in such conditions the desert peoples had to adapt strategies for survival and the Ksar played a crucial part. Although the Berber Ksar has a very distinctive style, similar mud brick villages can be found in Mali and the Yemen showing that the desert peoples learnt from each other over great distances. The Ksour of Tunisia may look very familiar and there is a good reason for that. George Lucas recognised the evocative style of Ksour and used them as locations for his Star War movies. Ksar Hedada was the setting for the Slave Quarters Row of Mos Espa in Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace, where Anakin Skywalker lived as a boy. With money generated from George Lucas part of Ksar Hedada has been restored into a hotel which can be booked by groups no doubt in search of a Star Wars experience. Download as royalty free photos. Visit our TUNISIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse or download or buy as prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-Photos-of-Tunisia/C0000lMpN5pUP1CM

Pictures, photos & images of Ksar Ouled Soutane, Tunisia. Ksar Ouled Soutane is an old fortified granary and food storage complex that was essential for the nomadic Berber tribes that traded across the Sahara desert to assure that their food supplies were safe whilst they were away. The Berbers of North Africa were a sophisticated people that controlled Magreb, Morocco Algeria and Tunisia, as well as most of Spain at the height of their powers. Berbers were nomads and their camel trains that traded across the Sahara desert brought high value products north which brought them wealth and allowed them to build a civilisation of great power. There is an obvious problem of food supply if you are a nomad in the arid conditions of the Sahara desert. Goods could be traded for food along the coast but where would you keep it during the months it took to cross the Sahara and return. The Berbers evolved Ksour (plural of Ksar) or fortified villages to protect their food supplies whilst away. A Ksar consists of ghorfas which are vaulted rooms used by the Berber people for storing grain. Each ghorfa is a self contained unit and they were built on top of each other in continuous circles or squares with doors only opening on the inside to create 3 or 4 story high walled Ksar. It would be entered through a wooden gate and would house a small mosque for nomads to pray at. Ksour would have been easy to defend from raiding parties as the lack of wood in the desert meant that building ladders or siege equipment was impossible. Ksar Ouled Soutane is situated on a barren hill overlooking the beginning of the Northern Sahara, in the Tataouine district in southern Tunisia. From Ksar Ouled Soutane the Sahara spreads away south for 1000 miles across and endless flat arid plain where it might only rain every 10 years. To live in such conditions the desert peoples had to adapt strategies for survival and the Ksar played a crucial part. Although the Berber Ksar has a very distinctive style, similar mud brick villages can be found in Mali and the Yemen showing that the desert peoples learnt from each other over great distances. The Ksour of Tunisia may look very familiar and there is a good reason for that. George Lucas recognised the evocative style of Ksour and used them as locations for his Star War movies. Ksar Ouled Soutane was the setting for the Slave Quarters Row of Mos Espa in Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace, where Anakin Skywalker lived as a boy. Although Star Wars has bought Ksar Ouled Soutane a steady trickle of Star Wars fans, its remoteness and proximity to the Libyan Border make it inaccessible to most tourists to Tunisia so Ksar Ouled Soutane is deserted, apart from a couple of resident guides, most of the time. Download as Royalty free photos Visit our TUNISIA HISTORIC PLACES PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to browse https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Pictures-Images-Photos-of-Tunisia/C0000lMpN5pUP1CM

Pictures, photos & images of Mides Gerge, Tunisia. Mides is situated in the Djerid region of south west of Tunisia, right on the border with Algeria. Mides is a small mountain oasis amidst this dry and arid desert region. Mides has an impressive gorge which has been sculpted out of the rock by the river torrents of former ages. The main gorge is 3km long and was part of the natural defense of the original village. The water carved its way through these cliffs, leaving wonderful shapes and natural monuments to be enjoyed today. The amazing shapes and contrast of colors in the pink rocks makes this a stunning natural landscape. The canyon was used for filming Raiders of the Lost Ark and The English Patient. One surprising feature of Mides gorge is its waterfall. Springs rise in the oasis of Mides and a small stream runs through the oasis over a rocky cliff into the gorge. If it rains the stream swell to a torrent and the gorge is flooded and beomes a lake for a short time. Buy Prints & Royalty free download images on line of Mides Gorge Tunisia

Pictures, imahes and photos of the Sahar Desert sand dunes near the oasis of Ksar Ghilane, southern Tunisia. The oasis of Ksar Ghilane is the last watering place before travellers plung into the great Saharan sand dune belt of the Grand Erg Oriental. Ksar Ghilane also marks the southern limit of the Roman Empire and the ruins of the small fort of Tisavar lay near the Oasis. Fort Tisavar was part of a chain of Roman forts that runs along the bounries of the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis. The Romans liked their luxuries and a posting to the fort must have seemed like such a depressing prospect until soldiers descovered that the nearby oasis of Ghilane has thermal ponds, and there was nothing a Roman liked more than spending the day lying in thermal baths. An erg is a sea of san dunes coming from the arabic “ary meaning “dune field”. There are several in the Sahara and the Grand Erg Oriental stretches from some 600 km wide by 200 km north to south. The Grand Erg Oriental is mostly in Algeria but it spills over into Tunisia. Winds have swept desert sand into heaps which have formed low hills known as dunes. The common dune of the Sahara desert are known as seif dunes. These dunes have long, sharp ridge lines and cross-winds may alter the height or width of the dunes, with the slope being steep on both sides. Seif dunes often form long rows with parallel ridge lines following the wind's direction. To the north of the oasis of Ksar Ghilane are flat desert plains with pathces of scrub which camels feed off. Immediately to the south of the oasis the dunes start and it is only the palm trees on the edge of Ksar Ghilane that stop it being buried by the shifting dune belt. Buy Prints & Royalty free download images on line of Ksar Ghilane Tunisia

(updated 2021) Pictures, photos, images of the Roman Mosaics of the Bardo Museum, Tunis, Tunisia. The greatest museum collection of Roman mosaics can be found in the Bardo museum in Tunis and pictures and images can be seen in this photo gallery. Virtually the whole museum is dedicated to an incredible collection of Mosaics from the great Roman cities of the Roman Province of Africa Proconsularis. Africa Proconsularis was one of the most important wheat producing areas of the Roman Empire. Great cities were built from the wealth generated from wheat, olive oil and wine production. The floors of the great public buildings such as the baths and the great villas were decorated with sumptuous mosaics. The North African Roman mosaic makers reached such a high standard in mosaic making that their services were in demand by the wealthy all across the Roman Empire. The incredible preservation of Roman mosaics can be seen in this picture and image gallery. The subject matter of the Roman mosaics at the Bardo museum are typical of mosaics from all parts of the Roman Empire. They range from incredibly intricate geometric patterns to massive tableau depicting scenes from ancient mythology. The scale of the mosaics at the Bardo is impressive, whole walls are covered with massive mosaic panels some of which are 2 storeys high and can be viewed from two levels. The Bardo museum also has rare early Christian Roman mosaics from the churches of the region. Download pictures and images of the Bardo Museum Roman mosaics as stock photos or buy as photo art wall art on line. USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardo_National_Museum_(Tunis) Visit our ROMAN MOSAIC PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Roman-Mosaics-Art-Pictures-Images/C0000LcfNel7FpLI Add photos of Hittite Art from Adana Museum using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or, if you prefer, download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/roman-mosaic.html - Type - Bardo - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding background colour, place, etc

(updated 2021) Add photos of Roman Sculpture of the Bardo Museum Tunis of Antalya Museum using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/greco-roman-sculptures.html . Type - Bardo - into LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box - Refine search by adding a subject, place, background colour, etc. Pictures, images, photos of the Roman statue artefacts of the Bardo National Museum, Tunis, Tunisia. The collection of Roman statues at the Bardo is small but interesting. The Roman statues prove how uniform the Roman Empire was with statue styles in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis looking identical to statues of the Northern Empire. Africa Proconsularis was a rich Roman province and could afford fine artefacts. The Bardo National Museum has a “modest Venus” statue of that is the same as Venus statues in the Capitoline & Louvre museums. The Bardo National Museum contains sculpted busts of Roman Emperors. It contains a rare bust of Emperor Vitellius, excavated from Althiburos, who only ruled from circa 20 April to Dec 69AD, and Emperor Gordian first, excavated from Carthage who only ruled for 3 months in 238AD. Browse or download pictures of the Roman statue artefacts of the Bardo National Museum, Tunis, on line as stock photos or buy as photo art prints. USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardo_National_Museum_(Tunis) Visit our ROMAN WORLD PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download or buy as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/The-Romans-Art-Artefacts-Antiquities-Historic-Sites-Pictures-Images/C0000r2uLJJo9_s0

Pictures images and photos of Roman Christian Mosaics held at the Bardo Museum Tunis. The Bardo National Museum in Tunis houses an important collection of Roman Byzantine early Christian funerary mosaics. The importance of North Africa as an important centre of early Christianity is often overlooked, mostly due to the conflicts between the Pope in Rome and the Eastern Roman Byzantine Empire. Western history has ignored the Roman Byzantine Empire largely that's to Edward Gibbon whose enlightenment sensibilities were incensed by the immoral lives Roman Byzantine Emperors lived. The early Christian church grew though in the Eastern and northern Mediterranean and many fine examples of early Christian art come from these areas. One of the most important fathers of the Church who helped shape the development of Western Christianity and Western philosophy was St Augustin who came from Hippo Regius Roman North Africa (present day Algeria). North Africa was one of the heartlands of early Christianity up until it was conquered in the 6th century by Islam. The early Roman Byzantine funerary mosaics are rare examples of early Christian devotion and give us an insight into early Christian thinking. The Roman Byzantine mosaics at the Bardo are not as highly crated as the Roman mosaics that preceded them but they are very touching in their simplicity and devotion. When the deceased are depicted they are shown in a simple way wearing simple dress which suggests that these early Christians were not ostentatious people. The dogmatic iconography of the Eastern Orthodox Church is visible in the careful use of symbols in the walk in fonts from Dougga as well as recurring symbols of lit candles that represent eternal life. Birds are common to many of the mosaics possibly inferring that the deceased soul has flown to heaven. There is a simple beauty in these early Christian mosaics that contrasts with the flamboyant Roman mosaics that preceded them and the high art of the Roman Catholic Church that followed. USEFUL LINKS: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardo_National_Museum_(Tunis) Visit our ROMAN MOSAIC PHOTO COLLECTIONS for more photos to download as wall art prints https://funkystock.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Roman-Mosaics-Art-Pictures-Images/C0000LcfNel7FpLI Add photos of Hittite Art from Adana Museum using ADD TO CART button as royalty free download or prints or, if you prefer, download from our ALAMY STOCK LIBRARY page at https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paul-williams-funkystock/roman-mosaic.html - Type - Bardo - into the LOWER SEARCH WITHIN GALLERY box. Refine search by adding background colour, place, etc