Zarzis

Zarzis also known as Jarjis (Arabic: جرجيس gergīs / zerzīs^ⓘ) 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 a park of economic activities is 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 Tunisia.^[1]

History

The city was known in Antiquity as Gergis and located at the western end of the

According to Stadiasme, it had a castle, 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

• 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
  Bolivia
  (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)
• S. Lorenzo in Damaso
  (1998.02.21 [1998.10.11] – ...), 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

• Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of São Paulo
  (Brazil)

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 occupies a special place in Zarzis where there are 1,228,700 feet occupying an area of 61,335 hectares of which 85% are in full production^{[citation needed]}. Production of the campaign 1999 - 2000 reached 59,500 tons olives, equivalent to 11,900 tons of olive oil. This production is processed through the 57 mills ^{[clarification needed]} of the delegation and provides more than 5,000 direct jobs. In 2011, the city is the scene of stowaway to Europe.^[3] The local economy is diverse—agriculture, mainly olives, oil and tourism.

People from Zarzis

• Abid Briki (born 1957), trade unionist and politician

See also

• Girba
  for (near-)namesakes
• List of Catholic dioceses in Tunisia
• List of Catholic titular sees
• Mouansa Synagogue
• Zarzis Synagogue

Gallery

References

Sources and external links

• GCatholic, with titular incumbent bio links

Bibliography - ecclesiastical history

• Anatole-Joseph Toulotte, Géographie de l'Afrique chrétienne. Byzacène et Tripolitaine, Montreuil-sur-mer, 1894, pp. 247–251
• J. Mesnage, L'Afrique chrétienne, Paris, 1912, p. 170

Media related to Zarzis at Wikimedia Commons