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TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Sitting on the windowsill overlooking the Mediterranean, Riadh rests while waiting for the night when the ceremony will begin.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Riadh in the spirit chamber of the Sidi Ali Lasmar sanctuary. He knows that with the disappearance of the sanctuary, his entire life and art are threatened, and with him a whole part of the spiritual heritage of the black community in Tunisia.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

LePictorium_0323990.jpg

Scene of a woman in a trance while musicians play spirit music

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

LePictorium_0323986.jpg

Master musician Salah Ouargli begins playing the music of the spirit Doudou Brahim while a woman enters a trance. Salah is one of the last three musicians who still play the stambali. Sanctuary of Sidi Ali Lasmar, Tunis.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Ceremony, Stambali Slimane

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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A scene of trance during a ceremony at the home of a family in the Black community of a suburb of Tunis

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Master musician Salah Ouargli begins the first chants of the ritual with the spirit Doudou Brahim.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Riadh is in a trance with the royal spirit Yarima, representing wisdom, power, and authority. The arifa sits on a throne and has donned royal regalia during his trance. He smokes a cigarette and will blow the smoke onto the followers to ensure their success and wealth. But he can also deliver a warning against forgetting a sacrifice promised to a supernatural entity.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Master Hamadi Bidali was one of the last great musical masters of Stambali. Upon his death in 2016, a large part of the Stambali repertoire disappeared due to a lack of transmission.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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In the tomb of the saint Sidi Mahzoug, in the Nefta palm grove, Riadh lights candles in honor of the patron saint of Nefta's Black communities. Every year, Benga musical troupes organize a pilgrimage in honor of this saint to gain his favor and perpetuate the memory of this sacred figure linked to the sub-Saharan populations of southern Tunisia. Nefta, March 12, 2018

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

LePictorium_0323973.jpg

Riadh lights candles to prepare for a ritual he is organizing in the shrine of Sidi Ali el Mekki, in honor of the saints of the shrine.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Riadh prepares his ritual at the Sidi Ali Lasmar zaouia. Before the followers arrive, he lights the candles on the altar of the jnouns (spirits).

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Riadh is in a trance with the spirit of African origin, Baba Kouri. Certain parts of the ritual are reserved for a small group of followers and must remain secret from the public. Sidi Ali Lasmar, Tunis. One becomes an arif or arifa during an initiation ceremony, which allows the initiate to tame the initially disruptive spirit and make it cooperative. The medium is then able to call upon it at will, at the appropriate time for the consultation and divination.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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A follower of Stambali brings incense before the Sha'ban ritual in Riadh. Every year, Riadh must organize its own ritual to attest to its rank of initiate. Sidi Ali Lasmar, Tunis.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / Kharja of the Stambali for the Mawled

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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A man is in a trance during the Mawlid religious ceremony. Sidi Mahrez Sanctuary; Medina of Tunis

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Nefta, July 2, 2018.
Annual celebration of Saint Sidi Marzoug by the Black communities of Tunisia in Nefta, in southern Tunisia. Every year, many followers of the Banga-Stambali community gather to celebrate Saint Sidi Marzoug, a Black saint descended from slaves in Tunisia.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Many Tunisians came to stroll with the various Stambali troupes during the Mawlid religious festival in the Medina of Tunis.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Procession of Stambali and Banga troops for the Mawlid celebration. Medina of Tunis, October 2021

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Religious celebration in the streets of the old city of Tunis, by the brotherhoods of the black communities who came from different cities of Tunisia to celebrate the religious festival of Mawled, marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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A musician from Riadh's troupe looks out at the Mediterranean from the shrine of Sidi Al Mekki. Bizerte region.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Riadh prepares the incense that will be used in a private ceremony. Every part of the ceremony is prepared by Riadh to ensure that all elements are perfect.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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A follower of the banga dance performs during the Stambali pilgrimage for the Mouled festival, celebrating the Prophet Muhammad's birthday. Since 2017, Riadh has been working to raise the community's profile during national religious celebrations. Many annual pilgrimages had disappeared due to the high cost for the community and the passing of elders. These events, a blend of religious celebrations and cultural activities, are breathing new life into the ritual, now considered intangible cultural heritage.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

LePictorium_0323947.jpg

The annual celebration of Saint Sidi Marzoug by the Black communities of Tunisia takes place in Nefta, in southern Tunisia. Every year, many followers of the Banga-Stambali community gather to celebrate Saint Sidi Marzoug, a Black saint descended from slaves in Tunisia.

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

LePictorium_0323946.jpg

Procession of Stambali and Banga troops for the celebration of Mawlid (the Prophet Muhammad's birthday). Medina of Tunis. Since 2017, Riadh has been trying to revive this sacred procession, which had disappeared. October 2021

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Procession of stambali troupes and the southern Tunisian version of banga for the Mawlid celebration. Medina of Tunis, October 2021

TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia

Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium

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Riadh is the guardian of the Sidi Ali Lasmar shrine, the last house in Tunis dedicated to the Stambali ritual, which is threatened with destruction. In the 1960s, former President Habib Bourguiba ceded numerous places of worship in Tunisia as part of his reformist policies. The shrine was sold to a private individual who now wishes to resell it. For the past two years, Riadh has been trying to alert the authorities to preserve this sacred site for the community, which plays an integral part in the spiritual life of the Tunis medina.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

CGT rally in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Sophie Binet, during the CGT rally to protest against the bill allowing certain employees to work on 1 May, in front of the National Assembly in Paris on 22 January 2026.

Demonstration organised by the CGT FNIC trade union in Paris

Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium

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Around a hundred people gathered in front of the Ministry of Finance, responding to a call from the CGT FNIC (National Federation of Chemical Industries), to demand greater safety for employees and higher wages. The rally took place in Paris on 21 January 2026.