Tunisia –Andalusian tradition, People of “Testour” prepare their graves and coffins in their life

Testour – Beja 06/12/2020

People of Testour city, Tunisia, have a different philosophy of life and different traditions of death. People of the city are eager to construct their graves and prepare their coffins in their life, and they name it “Manzool”, which means the empty grave. This tradition goes back to the Andalusians. Rasheed prepares his grave next to his father’s believing that the inevitable fact of death pushes him to do so now, while the gravediggers prepare it upon the request of the people who even try the position of lying inside it. Digging the “Manzool” and preparing it consumes 2 days at the cost of 125 USD. The “Manzool” is covered by a layer of Cement to protect it from rains until the death of its owner, it’s opened or the burial.