Aromatic Tourism

This is a new type of tourism becoming quite popular of recent years and perhaps particularly attractive to Japanese and other Asiatic tourists. Kairouan has the greatest number of nurseries where aromatic and medicinal plants are grown, particulary on the heights of Oueslatia. These plants in turn are used to produce essential oils.

Essential oils are oils with strong aromatic properties, having highly volatile molecular structures, permitting them, when applied to the skin, swallowed, or inhaled, to penetrate easily into the organism. Once these essences have entered the blood stream, they are naturally vehicled to their most propitious destination (heart, kidneys, lungs, skin, etc.).

One drop of essential oil from -

• mint “nana” applied to the temples relieves headaches. Drinking infusions of mint calms palpitations, intestinal fermentation, liver troubles, dizziness, general weakness, hiccups, chronic bronchitis, stubborn cough. It is also an expectorant.
• juniper "araâr" works on joint and muscle pain. Infusion from the berries is drunk as a cure for gout, arthritis, sciatica, gall stones, cystitis, prostate trouble, cirrhosis, albumen in the urine, diabetes, and excessive menstrual bleeding.
• eucalyptus "kalatous" which has a beneficial effect on the lungs and bladder, an dis antiseptic, helps digestion, opens the appetite, is efficient against fevers, the flu, colds, bronchitis, and coughs. It is also effective against urinary infections, other urinary and genital afflictions, inflammation of the throat, as well as asthma.
• fennel "besbes" opens the appetite, works on gastritis, enteritis, and all internal inflammations, parasites, headaches, chronic migraines, anemia, general fatigue, bile troubles, kidney problems and bladder problems.
• rosemary "kelil" can be used for tea and works against vertigo, overwork, loss of memory, kidney stones, nevralgia, urinary retention, palpitations, edema, painful periods and obesity.
• thym "zaâtar" . Also used for tea, and works against intestinal fermentation and gas, heart problems, anemia, overwork, anxiety, flu, neurasthenia, and worms.

Many studies have validated the efficiency of essential oils in the treatment of different conditions such as cough, sinusitis, asthma, headache, skin diseases, as an antiseptic, against digestive problems, insomnia, fatigue, and sores.

An international corporation backed by Italy recently opened operations in Kairouan, next to El Baten (Gatrania) to cultivate the above-mentioned medicinal and aromatic plants with a view to exporting them to Italy .

Tunisian flora is comprised of 2,163 species. Currently, 149 medicinal plants are used for human therapy. In Tunisia 48 plants are commonly used in the food and agricultural sector, in phytotherapy, in perfumes, and in cosmetics..

Used for thousands of year, aromatherapy has numerous beneficial effects on wellbeing and health.