The ethnographic museum of Sidi Zitouni or “Museum of Djerba’s Traditional Heritage” is among a series of similar projects undertaken by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage Preservation since many years. Yet, the policy oriented towards the valorisation of the cultural heritage had started as early as the Independence with the option of endowing the different regions of the country with museums of arts and popular traditions. At this epoch, in 1969, the mausoleum of Sidi Zitouni was chosen in Djerba to host the first collections acquired for this end.
The reorganization and the renovation of the old museum would allow taking advantage to establish the first step of cultural circuit projected on the island. Thus, the museum’s vocation is to serve as a platform for the discovering the traditional Djerbian heritage as a whole like economic activities, architecture, landscapes, ways and customs, etc. In addition to exposition, it provides information that is susceptible to inspire people to visit the island, which would allow them to discover this heritage.
It is an essential component of a whole plan implemented on the field to facilitate the circulation between patrimonial spaces and edifices, their identification, and access to them.
During the conception of the new museum, it has been opted to the conservation of anterior monuments for their patrimonial value after eliminating late additions. As for the collections, they were transferred to new premises.
This project presents the concretisation of a certain number of objectives including mainly:
- To ensure a permanent action of complete information and communication about the island and its heritage
- To create a reference place for cultural and artistic meetings
- To offer an adequate framework for colloquia and discussions that have a cultural or patrimonial theme
- To publicize the Djerbian cultural heritage and go beyond its image as a simple island of strolling and dreams
-  Sensitise the youth and stimulate their interest in the heritage and its riches through carrying out activities that would increase visiting museums