| Ichkeul National Park الحديقة_الوطنية_بإشكل | |
 | |
| Area type | National Park |
|---|---|
| State | Tunisia |
| Surface | 126 km² |
| Foundation year | 1977 |
Ichkeul National Park is a protected area located in the Northern Tunisia belonging to the assets ofUNESCO.
To know
The park includes the homonymous lake and the wetlands that surround it.
In the park area there are spas dating back to the Middle Ages, still used by some people.
Geographical notes
The park, which covers a rectangular area of 11.4 by 20 kilometers, rises around Lake Ichkeul (بحيرة اشكل), a lake located near the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
The lake has the particularity of being fed by six wadis in fresh water during the winter and being connected to the Mediterranean Sea through the Bizerte lake (in the Tinja channel) during the summer, which greatly increases the salinity of the water. The lake is the last vestige of a chain of lakes that once stretched across the North Africa.
Flora and fauna
Lake Ichkeul and the park's marshes are a major landing place for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds each year. Among the "guests" of the lake you can see ducks, geese, storks and pink flamingos.
The dams built on the tributaries have caused severe changes to the ecological balance of the lake and marshes. The dams have markedly reduced the flow of water into the lakes and other pools of fresh water, causing the patches of ciperaceae to give way to plants more accustomed to salt water. These changes have limited the influx of migratory birds due to the limited availability of plants.
Background
This park was a game reserve during the reign of the Hafsides dynasty in the 13th century and then became the property of the public domain in the early 20th century.
The park has been a biosphere reserve since 1977 and is part of the world heritage of humanity in Tunisia since 1980. Between 1996 and 2006 it was included among those in danger, in fact the site was threatened by the construction of dams on the rivers upstream which increase the salinity of the water disturbing the ecosystem. Tunisian authorities have ended the agricultural use of the lake's waters, reducing salinity and allowing many bird species to return to the park. This project removed the park from the World Heritage List in Danger.
How to get
By car
- From Bizerte take the RN 11 road, southwest towards Mateur. After crossing Tinja the road cuts the railway. The national park entrance is on the right, 50 meters further.
- From Tunis, take the RN 7 a Mateur. There turn right onto the RN 11 road heading north towards Bizerte. The entrance to the national park is 50 meters before crossing the Mateur railway.Tinja.
Permits / Rates
How to get around
What see
Inside the site there is a small museum.
What to do
A couple of trekking routes are available in the park area.
Shopping
Where to eat
Where stay
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
- Bizerte - The northernmost city in Africa.
- Marnissa - Seaside resort.
- Teskraya - Site suitable for diving.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Ichkeul National Park
Commons contains images or other files on Ichkeul National Park
