Ksour del sud Tunisia. Analisi delle componenti materiali e immateriali di una identità

The collective granaries are common, with different types and construction techniques, throughout the pre-Saharan area of North Africa. The system of fortified granaries (ksour) of South Tunisia is a complex example of the relation of the vernacular architecture, made of stone and earth, to the territory. The idea of earth constructions is at the heart of the World Heritage Earthen Architecture Programme (WHEAP), launched in 2007 from UNESCO and aimed at promoting and revitalizing earthen architectures and their preservation. Academics of some renown (André Louis, Gabriel Camps, Zaied Abdesmad) have already addressed the issue of ksour using an anthropological approach; yet, in my opinion, there is not an imaging survey-based analysis able to scientifically verify claims made by anthropologists. The goal of this research is to continue the study, conducted several years ago and published on Ksour della Regione di Tataouine, through a detailed system of comparison. Through the assessment of 70 ksour we will demonstrate the correlations between: the morphology of the Ksar and the site where it stands; the type and the clan to which it belongs; the design of ghorfa (smallest unit of storage) and its plant. Our methodology includes: measurement of some parts of the Ksar; the photogrammetric restitution of all ghorfas analyzed; the territorial description (orography, troglodyte dwellings, mosques, cemeteries, cultivated areas (jessour) and oil mills). Information sheets include graphic details about: history, site, type, territory, shape and ghorfa. We use cross-comparison of these data to verify our assumptions.