Meet 73-year-old Tunisian puppet maker Dalila Labidi – in pictures

15,000 puppets in 40 year career

Tunisian Dalila Labidi, 73, makes puppets in her workshop in Ben Arous, Tunis. All photos EPA

Assistant Laila shows one of the puppets Dalila has made.

Tunisian Dalila Labidi, 73, makes puppets in her workshop in Ben Arous, in Tunis, Tunisa, 26 January 2022. Labidi is one of the rare woman who makes this job in Tunisia. She has been creating puppets for over 40 years. 'I have made more than 15,000 puppets since I started', she said. Labidi regularly exhibits her puppets at the Craftsmanship Fair in Tunis. She also shows her work at international fairs in France and Spain, in the United States thanks to CEPEX or in Italy, and Germany. In Tunisia, people can buy directly in her workshop. The theatrical genre of puppets in Tunisia dates back to the 14th century with the shadow theater born with 'Karakouz' and the Sicilian puppets with Ismail Pasha under the Ottoman Empire. EPA / MOHAMED MESSARA

Dalila regularly exhibits her puppets at the Craftsmanship Fair in Tunis.

She also shows her work at international fairs in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the US.

In Tunisia, people can buy directly from her workshop.

The theatrical genre of puppets in Tunisia dates back to the 14th century, a tradition Dalila hopes will continue.

More from The National:

Travel Photographer of the Year 2021: Ramadan feast and Sharjah camel race among winners

800-year-old soap manufacturer in Syria - in pictures

Hidden gems of the UAE: eight mountain adventures in Ras Al Khaimah