Djerba (also transliterated as Jerba, Jarbah or Girba ) is, at 514 km², the largest island off North Africa, located in the Gulf of Gabes off the coast of Tunisia.

Description

The climate is mild and the soil well cultivated. Its largest city is Houmt-Souk, with a population of around 60,000.

Djerba is a popular tourist destination, particularly for French, German, Italian and Czech tourists. It is one of the few remaining places in Tunisia where a Berber language is still spoken. Another factor drawing some tourists to Djerba is the 1977 location of the Mos Eisley exterior scenes in the first Star Wars movie, filmed in the town of Ajim. Djerba also has an ancient Jewish community and Synagogue.
Coffeehouse

The beautiful island is noted as a center of the Islamic sect al-Ibadhiyah and is also noted for its Jewish minority, which has dwelt on the island for more than 2,500 years, although populations have declined recently due to emigration to Israel and France since 1967. The group of Jews were a close group of Cohanim, a tribe in Judaism and they remained Cohanim up until recently-not losing their traditions. The El Ghriba synagogue is the oldest and one of the most famous in the world, and has been a synagogue for 2,000 years.
Sunset on Djerba

In the early 20th century the island of Djerba had a population of forty thousand, several hundreds of whom were Maltese Catholics earning a livelihood as sponge-fishers.

Djerba is also known for its exceptional beaches, landscapes and hotels.