Tunisian harvest festival celebrates tradition and skill
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In the Tunisian town of Sers, in the Kairouan Governorate, residents celebrate the end of the wheat harvest with the “Zarda” festival, a gathering of feasts, horsemanship, and traditional music.
After weeks working in the fields, people from Sers and surrounding areas come together in a public square to participate in the festivities. The Zarda festival combines displays of horsemanship with Tunisian traditional music and tables laden with couscous and lamb served to visitors.
Local artisans sell traditional sweets and folk music groups play bagpipes and drums during the event. Mahrez Ayari, a Sers native living in the capital Tunis, returns annually to document the festival and its heritage through photography. He emphasizes the importance of preserving the cultural and historical traditions of the town, which dates back approximately 7,000 years and includes nearby archaeological sites like the Jelmoudia tombs in the village of Las.
Families like the Tawati clan pass down the art of horsemanship through generations, participating in displays both locally and internationally, not for payment but to maintain regional customs and connect with friends.
