THE PALM GROVE OF DIKHIL

The town's houses are arranged around a central square and an ancient palm grove, which provides a welcome coolness. Trees and flowers surround a water reservoir dug in 1935. The palm grove is built on a spring, said by Dikhil's inhabitants to be several hundred years old. According to legend, a group of Arab missionaries led by a sheik named Mandaitou from Arabia arrived in the region around the ^15th century. Having run out of water, the group rested on the site of today's palm grove, and Sheikh Mandaitou's horse miraculously kicked water out of the ground. Once run by the municipality, it was bought by the owner of the hotel of the same name on the other side of the road, who undertook its redevelopment. Onions, corn, palm trees and giant mimosas are grown here. The whole area is irrigated by a system of basins redistributed by underground pipes. Small enclosures house a few buffaloes and ostriches. Birds of prey and scavengers can sometimes be seen perched atop the palm trees, and this oasis is a stopping-off point for migratory birds. In the arid surroundings, the palm grove leaves an impression of blissful fertility. At the far end, however, an anonymous concrete tombstone bearing the inscription "13 DBLE" stands out. It is believed to be the grave of a soldier from the ^13th demi-brigade of the French Foreign Legion, who died after being bitten by a snake during earthworks.