Ennejma Ezzahra XR launches in Sidi Bou Saïd on 10 June

Ennejma Ezzahra XR was launched in Sidi Bou Saïd on Tuesday 9 June, opening a new immersive route through the palace’s musical heritage and instrument collection.

The experience, led by the Centre des musiques arabes et méditerranéennes, known as CMAM, combines virtual reality, augmented reality and 3D modelling. It is designed as a 45-minute visit through the palace, its sound world and part of its historic collection.

Visitors are taken through a digital reconstruction of the palace’s musical atmosphere, including a 3D model of an oriental orchestra arranged around the nador, a frame drum used in traditional music. The experience also includes an interactive timeline tracing Tunisian music from 1930 to 1960.

The project forms part of an AFCP-funded conservation programme covering more than 300 instruments held at Ennejma Ezzahra. The programme is backed by the US Department of State’s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and the US embassy in Tunisia, with the Tunis International Center for Digital Cultural Economy acting as technical partner.

The 3D scanning work was carried out by a young Tunisian start-up, adding a local technology component to a project focused on the conservation and public presentation of musical heritage.

The launch was attended by CMAM’s director-general, the director-general of the Tunis International Center for Digital Cultural Economy and US ambassador Bill Bazzi, who spoke at the event.

The palace of Ennejma Ezzahra, built by Baron Rodolphe d’Erlanger in the early 20th century, is one of Sidi Bou Saïd’s best-known cultural landmarks. It houses CMAM and remains closely tied to Tunisia’s musical history, musicology and Arab-Andalusian heritage.

The new experience gives visitors a digital route through the palace’s instruments, archives and soundscapes, while keeping the physical site at the centre of the visit.

Tickets are purchased through the Ennejma Ezzahra and CMAM ticket office at the palace in Sidi Bou Saïd. CMAM lists standard museum entry at 10 dinars, with a reduced 5 dinar rate for students. Access to Ennejma Ezzahra XR is handled as a separate option that includes the classic guided palace visit and the immersive experience.

Visitors who want to take the XR route should check the dedicated ticket price and daily availability directly with CMAM before going. The palace is located at 8 rue du 2 Mars 1934, Sidi Bou Saïd. CMAM lists its visitor contact numbers as +216 71 746 051 and +216 71 740 102.

The launch comes as Sidi Bou Saïd awaits a separate UNESCO decision on its World Heritage nomination in July, giving the village renewed attention as both a heritage site and a living cultural centre.