| Douz | |
|---|---|
| Douz Market | |
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Douz
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Tunisia |
| Governorate | Kebili |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 27,060 |
| Time zone | CET (UTC1) |
Douz (Arabic: دوز Dūz) is a town in central Tunisia, known as the "gateway to the Sahara." In previous times it was an important stop on the trans-Saharan caravan routes. Today, it is destination for tourists who are interested in seeing the desert, and a starting point for desert treks by camel, motorcycle, or four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Douz is a major palm oasis and as such a large producer of "diglat noor" dates.
Every year Douz hosts the International Festival of the Sahara, a four-day celebration of traditional desert culture. The festival, usually held in November or December, features traditional music and dancing, poetry readings, camel wrestling, and racing of horses and salugis (a type of dog, similar to a greyhound, native to the North African desert.)
Douz is home to the Museum of the Sahara, which showcases displays on traditional nomadic desert culture of the Mrazig people who now mostly live a settled life in the town.
On 19 August 2011 Tunisian security intercepted armed Libyan men in vehicles in the desert. Fighting reportedly lasted through the night, and ended on the morning of 20 August. Several Tunisian casualties were reported.[1][2] Local residents stated that army reinforcements were called from nearby towns, and helicopters assisted in the battle as well.