Tunisia Way

Flora: The djebel Ichkeul would be the relic of an old forest of olive-trees and wild caroubiers, who would have covered the majority with the plains and of the hills of the north of Tunisia 3000 years ago. It is the lake flora which seems to have drawn much more the attention of the scientists, which analyzed its diversity, its richness and its importance both for fish the water birds). In the lake, the watery plant most important remains Potamogeton pectinatus, which forms large spots and which constitutes the food of thousands of ducks. One finds also the scirpe, Scirpus maritimus, which constitute the biotope of predilection of Greylag goose, emblematic species of the national park, as well as the buffalo, which nourishes its bulbs. One belonged more than 600 plant species in addition to 21 watery. - Fauna: The wildlife of the park is very rich although the ordinary visitor always does not have the possibility of meeting her, because it is, by nature, discrete. The buffaloes with their big size remain the principal attraction of the park. A complete inventory of the avifauna exists, even if often individuals of accidental species are observed. It is important to stress that the ornithological interest of the park was divided, by the specialists, in two major periods: (I) the period relating to the reproduction of the birds, which goes from March 15th to September 15th, and (II) the period of wintering, which goes from September 15th to March 15th and, which includes also the phase relating to the migration (migration of autumn and migration of spring). More than 225 species of birds were observed with the national park.

The park is rich in cultural heritage. It is extremely possible which the resources of the lake have, since always, exploited by the Man. This is noted, for the Roman epoch, by the presence of supposed traces of harbor installations on the banks of the lake, but also of the old careers on the jebel. Today still, one finds on the level of the lake and particularly on the Tinja wadi, a very old activity of fishing of which the knowledge to make, the techniques used, are very old. In addition, various hot sources spout out with the foot of Djebel Ichkeul. The principal ones (`Ain' indicating the source), Ain Atrous, Ain Neggrez, Ain Echffa, Ain Sbia, Hammam Sidi Abdelkader and Hammam Sidi Ben Abbots, are located at the level of the north-eastern point of the djebel. But of other sources, of less fame, also exist on the south-western slope. These hot sources were already used by the Romans. One also speaks about the legend of the forty marabouts who would protect the mountain from Ichkeul.