El Hamma

History

The town is in the ancestral lands of the Beni Zid tribe and their neighbors the Matmata tribes. The Matmata (Berber: Imatmaten, ) are a tribal confederation of Berber tribes, specifically Beni Faten, living mainly between Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. The ancestor of Matmata is called Maskab and nicknamed Matmat. In ancient times the Matmata inhabited the plateaus of Mindas, around Ouancherich (current Ouarsenis), and Mount Guezoul Tiaret and the great interior plains of Tunisia today. They became powerful at the beginning of the eleventh century, and actively participated in the war between Hammad ibn Bologhine and Badis Ibn El Mansour. Leo d'African visited El Hamma in the mid-sixteenth century noting that "It evokes the extremely hot spring that flows a mile and a half from the city and forms the stream that runs through the city in its middle in wide canals." File:El Hamma G.jpg|El Hamma File:Le Bordj El Hamma.jpg|El Hamma in 1886 The English explorer Dr. Thomas Shaw who, as early as 1743, spoke of the city in these terms: "The city of El Hamma is four leagues west of Gabes: the Tunisians have a small fort and a garrison because it is one of their border places [...] There are several baths, which each have a roof covered with straw, and in their basins, which are about twelve feet square and four deep, there is, for the convenience of those who bathe, stone benches a little to below the surface of the water." Victor Guérin described the town in 1862 "At one o'clock, we arrive at El Hamma. This oasis is made up of several villages, which are: El Kasr, the most important of all, Dabdaba, where we ask hospitality to Sheikh, Soumbat, Zaouïet El Madjeba and Bou Atouche. Palm plantations watered by running water surround these villages. These waters come from four…

Geography

Located along the Gabès-Kébili road, and at an altitude of about fifty meters, the town borders the Chott el-Fejej. It is one of the natural outlets of the great Albian Aquifer. The oasis has several sources which together form the El Hamma ouads which are 300 meters from each other. Among these are Aïn El Bordj, Aïn Chaaliya and Aïn Abdelkader. A small mountain range 220 meters above sea level separates El Hamma from the Gabès.

Most-observed species

• Culicoides odiatus Austen, 1921

  Culicoides odiatus Austen, 1921 · Insecta
  2
• Culicoides kibunensis Tokunaga, 1937

  Culicoides kibunensis Tokunaga, 1937 · Insecta
  2
• Culicoides imicola Kieffer, 1913

  Culicoides imicola Kieffer, 1913 · Insecta
  2
• Anopheles melanoon Hackett, 1934

  Anopheles melanoon Hackett, 1934 · Insecta
  2
• Anopheles daciae Linton, Nicolescu & Harbach, 2004

  Anopheles daciae Linton, Nicolescu & Harbach, 2004 · Insecta
  2
• Anopheles beklemishevi Stegnii & Kabanova, 1976

  Anopheles beklemishevi Stegnii & Kabanova, 1976 · Insecta
  2
• Anopheles labranchiae Falleroni, 1926

  Anopheles labranchiae Falleroni, 1926 · Insecta
  2
• Trumpeter Finch

  Bucanetes githagineus (M.H.K.Lichtenstein, 1823) · Aves
  2

Most recent

• M 4.2 — 2026-01-13
  12 km WSW of Mezzouna, Tunisia
• M 4.4 — 2025-04-09
  24 km WSW of Mezzouna, Tunisia
• M 4.7 — 2025-02-03
  20 km W of Mezzouna, Tunisia
• M 4.1 — 2022-09-08
  21 km N of Skhira, Tunisia
• M 5.1 — 2018-05-21
  23 km SSW of Mezzouna, Tunisia
• M 4.2 — 2008-05-29
  44 km NNE of Kebili, Tunisia