Douz is a small town of around 17,000 inhabitants – a population of Bedouins and semi-nomads that is greatly outnumbered by hundreds of thousands of date palm trees; Douz is a large producer of dates.
Once an important stop on the trans-Saharan trade route, today Douz is a starting point for desert treks by camel or 4WD thanks to its geographical location close to a vast field of sand dunes known as the Grand Erg Oriental. The town also lies on the south-eastern banks of Chott el Djerid, which means “Lagoon of the Land of Palms” in Arabic and is an enormous and incredibly beautiful salt lake.
Douz’s colourful Thursday market is a great place to explore traditional local crafts, including camel-skin crafts and Berber jewellery. Come December, the town hosts the annual International Sahara Festival that celebrates the rich Berber culture and Saharan way of life. No matter when you visit, Douz offers much to discover.
