Medinat Alzahra Parc

Medinat Alzahra Parc is a Tunisian theme park located in the delegation of Kalâa Kebira, in the Sousse Governorate. It was built by Sotoparc, a subsidiary of the Tunisian group of Lofti Mlayah, in collaboration with Philippe de Villiers and the teams of the French historical theme park Puy du Fou. The park opened in April 2008, while the first performance of its nighttime show took place in August 2006. The project was initially designated under the name "Almedina Elzahra, la cité retrouvée" and was intended to offer a show similar to Puy du Fou's La Cinéscénie, capable of accommodating 3,000 spectators. It was developed on a ten-hectare site with an investment of twelve million Tunisian dinars, equivalent to eight million euros. The park's concept draws on selected periods of Tunisian and Maghreb history, including the Punic Wars, Carthaginian civilization, the French protectorate of Tunisia, the Vandal Kingdom, and the Roman province of Africa. Its installations include a museum of popular traditions, an astronomy tower, a souk, the ramparts of the sultan's palace, and a Bedouin camp. Craft demonstrations are held occasionally. The main show takes place in the evening and combines fantasia, lasers, sound, and light. Dinner shows are also organized. During the day, the park offers horseback rides, cycling trails, archery, and children's activities. Medinat Alzahra Parc is a privately owned attraction operated by Sotoparc under the Lofti Mlayah group. It represents a notable example of Tunisian-French cultural and commercial collaboration in the leisure and tourism sector, bringing the Puy du Fou-style historical spectacle to North Africa.

The origins of Medinat Alzahra Parc trace back to June 20–21, 2003, when Philippe de Villiers received several Tunisian business leaders in Vendée, including Abdelhamid Sarraj, president of the Riviera group, which is established in Port El-Kantaoui, among other locations. In August 2003, Le Parisien revealed that Villiers had agreed to collaborate on the creation in Tunisia of a park modeled after Puy du Fou. The sound and light show was planned for 2004, and the theme park for the following year. Philippe de Villiers praised the "reciprocal civilizational values" of the two countries. The agreement between Sotoparc and Puy du Fou was signed in Sousse on October 4, 2003, in the presence of Marc Chatry, chairman of the board of the Puy du Fou company, Philippe de Villiers, and Mondher Zenaidi, the Tunisian Minister of Tourism. The project also included the reconstruction of a traditional medina offering crafts and modest shops. The park, then designated under the name "Almedina Elzahra, la cité retrouvée," was to feature a show similar to La Cinéscénie capable of accommodating 3,000 spectators. It was to be built on a ten-hectare site with an investment of twelve million Tunisian dinars, or eight million euros. In 2004, the leaders declared they were collaborating with Sotoparc, a subsidiary of the Tunisian group of Lofti Mlayah. Their goal was to create by 2005 a sound and light show telling a story of the country and the Maghreb. The Medinat Alzahra Parc, realized on the basis of Puy du Fou, was mentioned for the follow-up with a budget of 8.1 million euros borne by Mlayah. Laurent Albert of Puy du Fou announced: "Our contribution consisted of writing the script and texts with historians, producing the soundtrack and images, and creating prototypes of the most elaborate costumes." In September 2004, work was underway in a thirty-hectare olive grove where teams were building the foundations of a hemicycle planned for 5,000 people. Inaugurated by Tunisian Minister of Tourism Tijani Haddad, the first performance of the Tunisian show inspired by La Cinéscénie took place on August 19, 2006, on a 5-hectare site. The theme park opened in April 2008. The French creatives were involved only in the realization and not in the follow-up: "our role will end on the day of the inauguration. We will not be operating the site." The park's concept selected certain periods of the country's history to illustrate its themes, such as the Punic Wars, Carthaginian civilization, the French protectorate of Tunisia, the Vandal Kingdom, and the Roman province of Africa. Installations include a museum of popular traditions, an astronomy tower, a souk, the ramparts of the sultan's palace, and a Bedouin camp. Craft demonstrations are held occasionally. The main show takes place in the evening and combines fantasia, lasers, sound, and light. Dinner shows are also organized. During the day, horseback rides, cycling trails, archery, and children's activities are offered.

• 2008

  April: Theme park opens.

• 2006

  August 19: First performance of the Tunisian show inspired by La Cinéscénie, inaugurated by Minister Tijani Haddad.

• 2004

  Leaders declare collaboration with Sotoparc; goal to create a sound and light show by 2005.

• 2004

  September: Work underway in a thirty-hectare olive grove for a 5,000-seat hemicycle.

• 2003

  June 20–21: Philippe de Villiers receives Tunisian business leaders in Vendée, including Abdelhamid Sarraj.

• 2003

  August: Le Parisien reveals Villiers agrees to collaborate on a Puy du Fou-style park in Tunisia.

• 2003

  October 4: Agreement signed in Sousse between Sotoparc and Puy du Fou.

Historical and cultural theme park inspired by Puy du Fou, offering immersive experiences of Tunisian and Maghreb history.

• Nighttime sound and light show

  Main evening show combining fantasia, lasers, sound, and light.

• Dinner shows

  Organized dining experiences with performances.

• Museum of popular traditions

  Exhibition of traditional Tunisian culture.

• Astronomy tower

  Observational tower.

• Souk

  Traditional market area.

• Sultan's palace ramparts

  Reconstructed historical fortifications.

• Bedouin camp

  Recreated nomadic encampment.

• Horseback riding

  Daytime activity.

• Cycling trails

  Daytime activity.

• Archery

  Daytime activity.

• Children's activities

  Daytime activities for kids.

1. 1Medinat Alzahra Parc - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Medinat Alzahra Parc - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org