Zarzis also known as Jarjis ( ar, جرجيس, link=no ') is a coastal commune (municipality) in southeastern
Tunisia, former bishopric and Latin Catholic
titular see under its ancient name Gergis.
To the
Phoenicians,
Romans and
Arabs the port was of strategic importance.
Geography
It lies on the coast of the Mediterranean, where the climate is mainly dry and sunny, making it a popular tourist destination mixing the old and the traditional. It has a major port where
park of economic activitiesis based.
Located at the southern end of the eastern peninsula that bears his name, the ''délégation'' (district) of Zarzis has a very large coastline. There are a variety of landscapes reflecting a great diversity of climatic conditions.
Buildings and structures
* 320-metre-high guyed mast for FM/TV-broadcasting, tallest structure in Tunisi
History
The city was known in Antiquity as Gergis and located at the western end of the
Lesser Syrtis Lesser, from Eliezer (, "Help/Court of my God"), is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Adolf Lesser (1851–1926), German physician
* Aleksander Lesser (1814–1884), Polish painter and art critic
* Anton Lesser (born 1952), Briti ...
(Gulf of Gabès), not far from the island of
Meninx
In anatomy, the meninges (, ''singular:'' meninx ( or ), ) are the three membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord. In mammals, the meninges are the dura mater, the arachnoid mater, and the pia mater. Cerebrospinal fluid is located in th ...
(current Djerba). The town may owe its name and/or origin to the Biblical tribes of
Girgashites which, according to ancient Jewish writers, had left the
Canaan at the time of
Joshua and went to settle in North Africa.
According to
Stadiasme, it had a
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
, where stood the ruins and a
citadel modern still bearing the old name albeit now pronounced ''Zarzis'', and a (navy) port.
Gergis was important enough in the
Roman province of
Tripolitania
Tripolitania ( ar, طرابلس '; ber, Ṭrables, script=Latn; from Vulgar Latin: , from la, Regio Tripolitana, from grc-gre, Τριπολιτάνια), historically known as the Tripoli region, is a historic region and former province o ...
(in the papal sway) to become a
suffragan bishopric, which was to fade, presumably at the
seventh century advent of Islam. Its ecclesiastical history is confused, due to confusion in consulting the Latin sources with the near-homonymous diocese
Girba (modern Djerba).
Titular see
The diocese was nominally restored in 1933 as a Latin Catholic
titular bishopric of Gergis (Latin) / Gergi (Curiate Italian) / Gergitan(us) (Latin adjective).
It has had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank :
* John van Sambeek,
White Fathers (M. Afr.) (1936.11.19 – 1953.03.25)
* Otàvio Barbosa Aguiar (1954.11.06 – 1956.02.24)
* Luis Aníbal Rodríguez Pardo (1956.07.28 – 1958.05.22) as
Auxiliary Bishop of
Diocese of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1956.07.28 – 1958.05.22); previously Titular Bishop of
Thennesus (1952.06.06 – 1953.06.17) & Auxiliary Bishop of
Diocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia) (1952.06.06 – 1953.06.17), then Bishop of
Oruro (Bolivia) (1953.06.17 – 1956.07.28); later last suffragan Bishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia) (1958.05.22 – 1975.07.30),
Military Vicar of
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
(Bolivia) (1961.07.26 – 1975.07.30), promoted first Metropolitan Archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (1975.07.30 – 1991.02.06), also President of Episcopal Conference of Bolivia (1980 – 1985)
* Luigi Oldani (1961.10.31 – 1976.08.05)
*
Antonio María Rouco Varela (1976.09.17 – 1984.05.09) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, Spain) (1976.09.17 – 1984.05.09) and as
Apostolic Administrator of Santiago de Compostela (1983.06.11 – 1984.05.09); next succeeded as Metropolitan Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela (1984.05.09 – 1994.07.28), Metropolitan Archbishop of
Madrid (Spain) (1994.07.28 – retired 2014.08.28), created
Cardinal-Priest of
S. Lorenzo in Damaso
The Minor Basilica of St. Lawrence in Damaso (Basilica Minore di San Lorenzo in Damaso) or simply San Lorenzo in Damaso is a parish and titular church in central Rome, Italy that is dedicated to St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr. It is incorporated ...
(1998.02.21
998.10.11– ...), President of Episcopal Conference of Spain (1999.03.02 – 2005.03.08 & 2008.03.04 – 2014.03.12), Member of Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organisational and Economic Problems of the Apostolic See (2004.12.16 – 2014.02.24)
* Patricio Infante Alfonso (1984.08.07 – 1990.12.12) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile (
Chile) (1984.08.07 – 1990.12.12); later Metropolitan Archbishop of
Antofagasta (Chile) (1990.12.12 – 2004.11.26)
*
Jurij Bizjak (2000.05.13 – 2012.05.26) as Auxiliary Bishop of
Diocese of Koper (
Slovenia) (2000.05.13 – 2012.05.26); next succeeded as Bishop of Koper (2012.05.26 – ...)
:BIOs to ELABORATE
*
Sérgio de Deus Borges
Bishop Sérgio de Deus Borges (born 4 September 1966) is a Brazilian Roman Catholic prelate, who served as an Auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Paulo and the Titular Bishop of Zarzis, Gergis since 27 June 2012 and was an A ...
(2012.06.27 – ...),
Auxiliary Bishop of
Archdiocese of São Paulo
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
(Brazil)
Economy
Economic activity of Zarzis is mainly based on
tourism, fishing and agriculture; in industry, the food sector dominates with 55 of 89 firms.
The
olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
occupies a special place in Zarzis . Production of the campaign 1999 - 2000 reached tons olives, equivalent to tons of
olive oil
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...
. This production is processed through the 57 mills of the delegation and provides more than direct jobs.
In 2011, the city is the scene of stowaway to Europe.
[ "But why do they still leave Tunisia? "Time'' this'', TSR, 23 June 2011]
The local economy is diverse—agriculture, mainly olives, oil and tourism.
People from Zarzis
*
Abid Briki Abid Briki (born 20 June 1957; ''Arabic'': عبيد البريكي) is a Tunisian trade unionist and politician. He served as Minister of Civil Service, Governance and the Fight against Corruption in the Chahed Cabinet.
Early life
Briki was born ...
(born 1957), trade unionist and politician
See also
*
Gergis and
Girba for (near-)namesakes
*
List of Catholic dioceses in Tunisia
The Catholic Church in Tunisia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
Dioceses
The Catholic church in Tunisia presently comprises only a single Latin archbishopric, in the national capital T ...
*
List of Catholic titular sees
*
Mouansa Synagogue
Gallery
Zarzis May 07.JPG
ResidenceSoltanaZarzis.JPG
Tunesien Zarzis 1 retouched.jpg
Ibarostar Safira Palms - panoramio.jpg
Zarzis2007 img 5867.jpg
Zarzis - panoramio.jpg
References
Sources and external links
GCatholic, with titular incumbent bio links; Bibliography - ecclesiastical history
*
Anatole-Joseph Toulotte
Anatole-Joseph Toulotte (7 January 1852 – 23 January 1907) was a French White Fathers missionary who was Vicar Apostolic of Sahara and Sudan from 1893 to 1897.
Under his leadership the first White Fathers missions were established in the French ...
, ''Géographie de l'Afrique chrétienne. Byzacène et Tripolitaine'', Montreuil-sur-mer, 1894, pp. 247–251
* J. Mesnage, ''L'Afrique chrétienne'', Paris, 1912, p. 170
{{Authority control
Populated places in Tunisia
Ports and harbours of the Arab League
Transport in the Arab League
Populated coastal places in Tunisia
Communes of Tunisia
Medenine Governorate