Jemmel Municipality Completes First Phase of Old Town Development Project
The municipality of Jemmel, in the governorate of Monastir, has completed the first phase of the old town development project, with a total cost of approximately 350,000 dinars. This ambitious project aims to enhance the city's historical and cultural heritage and strengthen its tourist attractiveness.
According to Moez Ben Amara, Secretary General of the municipality, the works involved paving approximately 5,400 square meters of alleys and lanes around the sanctuary of the saint "Om El Zine El Jamalia" and the great mosque, with polished stone, after removing the bituminous concrete coating.
A call for tenders will soon be launched for the second phase, which will cover an area of 4,200 square meters, with an estimated budget of 350,000 dinars, following the preliminary agreement obtained from the Fund for Loans and Assistance to Local Communities. Additionally, a decorative lighting program will be implemented in the already developed areas to enhance the aesthetic and security aspects of the neighborhood.
This project is part of a global strategy to integrate Jemmel into the tourist circuit of the Monastir region, by enhancing its wealth of traditional crafts, intangible heritage, and historical monuments.
The old town of Jemmel covers an area of approximately 50,000 square meters, and its complete development would require an estimated investment of between 4 and 5 million dinars, over a period that could stretch up to ten years, depending on the current pace of implementation of the phases.
The financial support of local governance is also highlighted: the municipality received a grant of nearly 50,000 dinars from the governorate of Monastir, which enabled the extension of the first phase works to the surroundings and courtyard of the great mosque. Furthermore, the local civil society, particularly the Jemmel Youth Chamber, actively contributed to the paving of part of the project.
Historically, Jemmel is one of the oldest cities on the Tunisian coast. Founded in 1160 by Abdel Haq ben Alnas Al Koumi, brother of the Almohad caliph Abdel Moumen ben Ali Al Koumi, it houses the tomb of the latter, located near the Mosque of the Moroccans, in the district known as Souk Ezzeit. This mosque, also called the Palace Mosque, is the main witness to the exploits of the Almohads in Tunisia, particularly during the Battle of Mahdia.
