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- "Ever hear of the Legend of Zerzura? The Shining City?"
"Sounds familiar, mon ami. Somewhere near Afrique, non?"
"That's right. Off the coast of Africa, they say. On an island called Kerma. It's one of those places that can't be seen by mortal sight. Hidden from view by magic, illusion, that sort of thing." - ―Jack Sparrow and Christophe-Julien de Rapièr
Zerzura was a mythical city on the hidden magical island of Kerma lying off the coast of Western Africa. The city was rich and prosperous and mirrored the ancient cities of Egypt. According to the legend of Zerzura, beneath the city laid a gigantic maze that held treasure, the Heart of Zerzura. Jack Sparrow set out to find the city, as requested by Cutler Beckett. The pharaoh of Zerzura once set out to find a cure for his son, Aniba. Unfortunately, he died while searching. His eldest son and daughter went to find him, but discovered from Jack Sparrow, who had saved him, that he had died. However for saving Amenirdis and Shabako, his children, Jack insisted on having some of the treasure from the heart of Zerzura.
Behind the scenes[]
Zerzura appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom by A. C. Crispin. Crispin's instructions in writing the novel were to "stick to historical fact, unless it conflicts with established Pirates of the Caribbean continuity." The legend of Zerzura is a "real" legend, though the magical island lying off the coast of Western Africa was her own creation.
Crispin commented during an interview that although she was the one who actually pitched the Legend of Zerzura plotline for The Price of Freedom, her editors were the ones who suggested to add talismans as a way to get into the sacred labyrinth and reach the treasure. Later, she came up with the idea of the bracelets.[1] Crispin also pointed out that Zerzura was the "place of little birds" and claimed it was close to the Arabic word "زرزورة" which means "sparrow";[2] however, the Arabic word "زرزورة" means "starling".[citation needed]
