El Guettar, Tunisia
El Guettar | |
|---|---|
| Country |  Tunisia |
| Governorate | Gafsa |
| Population (2014) | |
• Total | 20,137 |
| Time zone | UTC1 (CET) |
El Guettar (Template:Lang-ar Al Qaṭār) is a town in central Tunisia in Gafsa Governorate. It is traditionally known for its pistachio nuts. It was the site of a major World War II battle between American forces under George S. Patton, and elements of the German Afrika Korps led by general Jürgen von Arnim in early 1943.
In the 1950s, archaeologists found a crown of balls, 4,000 silex, mammal's teeth and bones of animals laid out near a dried up watering hole which is some 40,000 years old. Testimony of devotion with regard to a spirit of the waters, source of any life, and ruins which may constitute the oldest religious "building" known in the world (Hermaïon of El Guettar)[citation needed]
