Abou Messouer sits closer to Houmt Souk than most of the island's mosques, in a landscape of small farms and walled gardens, and it is a handy place to understand what makes a Djerban mosque different. The building is a compact block of white plaster, with the typical heavy buttresses, a small dome over the prayer hall and an outdoor space where people gather. The old Ibadi mosques were not only places of prayer but community centres, courts and schools, and some still hold a small Koranic school for children.
The island has hundreds of mosques, a figure often quoted as more than three hundred, and almost none is big. Villagers built them in neighbourhoods called houma, each with its own mosque, and in the past a family or tribe would pay for it. The effect is a landscape dotted with white domes, like salt crystals on a green cloth. The proportion, the plain geometry and the way the buildings seem to grow from the land are what visitors remember.
For the rider, Djerba is a pleasant place to unwind after the mainland. The causeway from the mainland at El Kantara, an ancient Roman crossing, carries a road, and a car ferry runs from Jorf to Ajim. The island is flat, and the roads are mostly straight, with traffic that gets dense near Houmt Souk. Watch for pedestrians and mopeds, and drive right-handed. The Tunisian police carry out frequent checks, and speed limits are enforced.
Houmt Souk is the island's capital, a lively town of white buildings with blue shutters, with a covered market, a fort on the harbour and a clutch of cafes. The market sells ceramics from Guellala, a village in the south famous for its potters, and leather, spices and woven goods. Fuel is available at stations around the town. Try the local seafood, such as grilled sea bream, or brik, a crisp pastry.
Summer is very hot, and many visitors come in spring and autumn. In April the island is green and flowering, and the air is soft.