The village of Guellala is Djerba's main pottery center, and the main street is lined with ceramic workshops displaying their wares to visitors. It's said there are approximately 450 local potters living here, making it well worth visiting at least one workshop to get a feel for this ancient craft.
The traditional Guellala ceramic products are unglazed storage jars, modeled on ancient amphora, but these days there is also a predominance of brightly painted pottery.
The clay used by the potters is excavated from shafts up to 80 meters deep, dried out for two or three days, and then broken up and mixed with water (freshwater for red pottery, saltwater for white).
The pottery is left to dry for 60 days before being fired for four days in semi-underground kilns, in which it remains for another ten days to cool gradually.
If you're in the mood for some shopping while on Djerba this is the place to go.
Guellala is also home to the Guellala Museum, which is focused on local culture. Within the museum, various dioramas do a good job of explaining Djerba's traditional lifestyles and cultures. The collection of different traditional costumes is particularly good, though the displays themselves are a bit tired.
The museum is a popular stop for plenty of tour buses from Djerba's resorts, so if you can, visit early to miss the crowds.
