Yosser Saidane (University of Oregon)
The zarda of Sidi Ali Ben Aoun is an annual ritual celebration of a Sufi saint and a tribe leader (Sidi Ali Ben Aoun). The zarda takes place around the shrine of the saint on the outskirts of the region of Sidi Bouzid in central Tunisia. This event functions as a space for the performance of vernacular religion and local identity for the inhabitants of the region. It offers a case study of how religion is not a closed category of rites and rituals but is rather intertwined with folkloric economic and political factors.
Part of V3-04 Vernacular Religion and Festival, Wednesday, October 11, 7:30 pm–9:30 pm