Fête de la Sebiba
Duration: 8 Jours / 7 nuits
Trek includes:
– Daily walking
– Support vehicle(s)
Exclusive Family Théma 4x4/Vehicle/Minibus
Departure/Arrival Djanet/Djanet
Level 🥾 Easy - Accessible to all (hiking and 4x4)
Formalities Visa issued upon arrival in Algiers • Passport valid for 6 months after the return date
Minimum Group of 4 travelers
To the rhythm of gangas and youyous, the Sebiba Festival welcomes you to Djanet with its songs, dances, and takouba wrestling. A unique experience, fully immersed in the oasis's inhabitants.
Itinerary
To the rhythm of gangas and youyous, the Sebiba Festival welcomes you to Djanet with its songs, dances, and takouba wrestling. A unique experience, fully immersed in the oasis's inhabitants.
Inscribed in 2014 by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Sebiba Festival ⵙⴱⵉⴱⴰ is a Tuareg ceremony held at the beginning of each year in Djanet, according to the Muslim lunar calendar, from the first day of the month of Muharram until Ashura. Over 3,000 years old, the origins of this festival date back to a fratricidal war between two tribes of Tassili n'Ajjer, which ended the day news of Moses' victory over the Pharaoh reached them. A symbol of peace and unity, the Sebiba Festival now seals the harmony between the Oraren and the Traor'fitt.
For 10 days, the Sebiba ritual and ceremonies are practiced by the inhabitants of El Mihân and Zallouaz, two neighborhoods of Djanet. Dancers and singers compete in the "Timulawine" competition. The men size up and challenge each other, sword in one hand and headscarf in the other, expressing confrontation and peace. The women surround the warriors, sing to the rhythms of the gangas (tambourines), and ululate to electrify the fighters, whose footsteps stir up clouds of sand. At the end of the competition, the victorious warriors participate in the Sebiba ritual the following day. Passed down from previous generations, the Sebiba rites provide a unique opportunity to admire the traditional adornments, clothing, and headdresses of Tuareg women and men, as well as the weapons and musical instruments crafted and maintained by blacksmiths and other local artisans.
The Sebiba Festival is an important link between the Tuareg tribes of the Algerian Sahara, enhancing their cultural identity through this artistic encounter.
This tour takes you to the heart of the preparations and festivities of the Sebiba Festival, combining a discovery of the Djanet oasis and its surroundings with the Essendilène and Iherir guelta, the Tikoubaouine arch, the Djanet ksour, the rocky teeth of Timghas, and the famous crying cow of Tegharghart.
