Lateral and “Vertico-Lateral” Cave Dwellings in Haddej and Guermessa: Characteristic Geocultural Heritage of Southeast Tunisia

Abstract

Southeast Tunisia is known for different types of cave dwellings developed for centuries on the Matmata-Dahar plateau. Their formation takes into account the geological and geomorphological context of the sites. They thus provide an interesting example of geoheritage on which was developed an important cultural and architectural heritage. An interdisciplinary research—crossing geomorphological and historical/architectonical approaches—was carried out in two sites: Haddej and Guermessa. The Haddej site belongs to the Matmata area located in the northern part of the plateau. It is characterised by cave dwellings dug vertically and then laterally in the Quaternary aeolian silty deposits filling the valleys that dissect the plateau surface, which corresponds to the backslope of a cuesta. This geomorphological context gives a “vertico-lateral” cave dwellings in “Flower architecture”. The Guermessa site belongs to the Tataouine region, located in the southern part of the plateau. Cave dwellings were dug laterally in alternations of limestone, clay, marl and dolomite strata that appear on witness buttes and outliers slopes. The result is lateral cave dwellings in “Foot architecture”. Both sites offer favourable conditions for geomorphological study. They exhibit a wide range of structural landforms within the monocline structure and their surroundings present a variety of forms and Quaternary formations. These geomorphosites were assessed using the method developed by the University of Lausanne, which allowed us to assign them a strong scientific, aesthetic, cultural, educational and tourist value. Proposals for their tourist promotion were then made taking into account the lack of maintenance that reduces their cultural and tourist value.