Takrouna ( Berber: ⵜⴰⴽⵔⵓⵏⴰ ;

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: تكرونة) also spelled as ''Ta Kurunna'', is a small

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

in the Sahel region of

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. It stands on a hill at approximately 200 metres above sea level, overlooking the

Gulf of Hammamet Gulf of Hammamet () is a large gulf in northeastern Tunisia. Geography The Gulf of Hammamet is located south of the Cape Bon peninsula. To the other side of the Cape Bon peninsula is the Gulf of Tunis The Gulf of Tunis () is a large Mediterra ...

, Hergla and Sousse to the east, Djebel Zaghouan to the north, and the Kairouan plain to the south.

History

The name Takrouna is believed to have originated from a tribe that immigrated to

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

in the

8th century The 8th century is the period from 701 ( DCCI) through 800 ( DCCC) in accordance with the Julian Calendar. The coast of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula quickly came under Islamic Arab domination. The westward expansion of the Umayyad E ...

. Following the expulsion of the

Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or ...

in 1609, the descendants of these immigrants settled on the hill that the

now occupies. Takrouna was the site of the last major action by

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

troops in

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during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, before the surrender of Italy and Germany. Following the Battle of the Mareth Line (16-31 March 1943),

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forces were driven back into

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. On 19 April New Zealand forces prepared for an assault on Takrouna, then held by the Italian CCLXXXV Paratroopers Battalion "Folgore", elements of the Italian 66th regiment and one German platoon. At dawn on 20 April, Lance-sergeant Haane Te Rauawa Manahi led a platoon on an attack up the hill, and successfully overran the Italian defenses. Manahi then left to locate reinforcements, returning with a section of C Company and another platoon, successfully resisting an Axis counterattack. Manahi and his section descended from the hill, but despite the reinforcements the New Zealand forces lost the hill to a second Axis counterattack on 21 April. Manahi returned in the afternoon and, with artillery support, retook first the ledge and then the village on the summit, taking 300 prisoners. Over 550 New Zealanders lost their lives in the battle.

Demographics

Six families of Berber origin live in the village with one family of

n descent.

Economy

The inhabitants practice

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

and

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

of alfa and Berber carpets

Popular culture

Takrouna was the location of the film ''Sabra and the Monster from the Forest'' by Habib Mselmani. The painter Ali Bellagha also contributed to the construction of the museum Dar Gmach.

References

{{coord, 36, 09, N, 10, 20, E, display=title, region:TN_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki Ancient Berber cities Catholic titular sees in Africa Roman towns and cities in Tunisia