Left and right: Front view and close up of a tunic called a "mwachma" that dates to the late 19th-early 20th century. Center: An illustration of a bride wearing a mwachma with her hands raised in the position of the Jelwa. From the collection of Khaoula Mejdoub.
In cooperation with Tunisian cultural association SHAKSHUKA, SMATCH is organizing a program entitled, Mare Nostrum. The ancient Romans called the Mediterranean Sea Mare Nostrum ("Our Sea") for the simple reason they had conquered the countries that bordered it (e.g., Greece, Morocco, Spain, Carthage -- Tunisia today) and added them to their empire. While Roman law and leadership were imposed, many aspects of local culture and tradition were incorporated into Roman life and, in turn, aspects of Roman culture were passed on and absorbed by "conquered" cultures. Located across from Sicily, where the Eastern and Western Mediterranean basins meet, Phoenician-founded Carthage was a center for trade and, as a result, became very wealthy. So much so that, for nearby Rome, it posed a threat as well. Carthago delenda est ("Carthage must be destroyed") is the sentence with which Cato the Censor, a famous political figure of the Roman Republic, ended his speeches in pushing for the Third Punic War (149–146 BC) between Rome and Carthage. SMATCH believes familiarity with other cultures brings both knowledge and understanding and, in that spirit, plans to explore a particular facet of Carthaginian/Tunisian history and tradition, from Roman times across the centuries to today, through the evolution of women's clothing. A close look at Tunisian traditional dress demonstrates a fusion of elements, illustrating multiple historic/cultural "imports" that can be traced back to outside civilizations.
