Tunis Travel Guide - Tunisian moment of charm
Tunis Travel Guide - Tunisian moment of charm
Located on the Mediterranean coast but lacking much in the way of beaches, Tunis has been spared the onslaught of package tourism in the resorts to the north and south. In Tunisia's capital, the term 'living history' really does apply. Here, waves of colonisation have endowed the city's fabric and culture with an intoxicatingly rich and complex flavour that becomes apparent wherever you explore.
Take the magnificent medieval medina, sidelined by the French after colonisation but coming into its own in the 21st century, as boutique hotels open and arty cafes lure locals back to the neighbourhoods their grandparents grew up in. And consider the historic settlement of Carthage, once colonised by Phoenicians and Romans but now the province of upwardly mobile locals, whose sophisticated lives play out among the ruins.
In some ways, these developments – and the optimism that is inspiring them – fly in the face of the economic downturn apparent elsewhere in the country. But Tunis has always been a resilient and forward-looking settlement, one that makes an excellent starting point for any exploration of Tunisia. Tunis is divided into the old city, known as the medina, and the new city, or ville nouvelle in French. Ave Habib Bourguiba is the large avenue running through the new city from the clock tower to the Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul. It then turns into Ave de France, which runs for a few blocks until ending at the Place de la Victoire and the Port de France, a large free-standing gate that used to be the entrance to the medina. This can be a good landmark for taxi drivers, as some of the smaller streets nearby aren't sure to be known by name.
The Port de France also serves as a good entry point for exploring the medina. Rue Jemaa Zaytouna leads past lots of shops to the ez-Zaytouna Mosque, the great mosque of Tunis and the center of the medina. Running obliquely to Rue Jemaa Zaytouna, and also with an outlet near the Port de France, is the Rue de la Kasbah. This runs all the way through the medina to the Place du Gouvernment and the Place de la Kasbah, a huge square fringed by razorwire. It is fairly easy to move between the two streets by cutting across the labrynthine medina, and it is easy to keep your bearings and find an exit. Rue Jemaa Zaytouna seemed to be a better entry point from the Port de France at night, remaining relatively well traveled. Rue de la Kasbah, on the other hand, is active after dark on the Place de la Kasbah side, but is extremely dark near the Port de France.
It is recommended to get a feel for the medina during the day so that you will feel more confident if you find yourself and alone and need to find a landmark at night. The Medina is open during Ramadan from 08:00 until 16:00 and on a Sunday around 1/4 of the shops open. If you want to find your way out just head back down Rue Jemaa Zaytouna and you will find your way back to the Port de France.
Most hotels include breakfast, and some include dinner. There are countless coffee shops with delicious drinks and French pastries to enjoy, as well as sandwich shops, but reasonably priced restaurants that serve good meals can be hard to find. When eating out, always make sure to ask for the bill ( l'addition ) otherwise you may be overcharged, especially in the cafes along Avenue Habib Boughiba/de France. The waiters assume you will not remember the prices of everything you ordered and are mindful that foreign tourists will often round up to leave a tip, so may inflate the total to bring it closer to an amount that will further advantage them. This is not a trick particular to Tunisia, but seems to be one too frequently practised in this part of Tunis.
Most tourists will be interested in accommodation in either the Medina or in Ville Nouvelle. The medina includes the youth hostel and several other budget accomdations, and the high end Dar El Jed. The Ville Nouvelle offers a large number of budget and mid-range accomodation, many grouped within a few blocks of each other north of Place Barcelone. Some places expect couples to present some sort of proof of marriage in order to rent a two person room.
Take a walking tour of the ancient buildings, mosques, and gates of the medina. All types of commodities including slaves used to be traded here, today's market is mainly that of day to day goods, increasingly produced in mainland China, and a shrinking quantity of local handicrafts. See an opera, ballet, or other production at the Théâtre municipal de Tunis. Wander through Tunis' largest park, Belvedere Park, which houses the Museum of Modern Art and the municipal zoo, and overlooks Lake Tunis.
Zitouna Mosque (Jemaa ez-Zitouna) is the largest mosque in Tunisia and an important landmark, this Aghlabite mosque dates back to the 8th century, although the distinctive square minaret is a much later 19th century addition. The souq in the medina makes for a fascinating stroll. Tiny shops overflowing with stuff; people selling, buying, milling about; skeletal cats lurking in the shadows; the smells of essential oils, spices, frying food and rotting garbage; the sounds of the muezzin, raï, football on the radio, Arabic and French. Bardo Museum (Le Musée National du Bardo) occupying the 13th century palace of the Ottoman-era bey (ruler) and renowned for its extensive collection of Roman mosaics, although the (huge) collection covers Tunisia's entire existence from the prehistoric era until the Ottoman days. Exhibits from Carthage, Mahdia, Sousse, many from the Roman period in addition to presentations of Arabian culture old and new. Dar Ben Abdallah (Musée du Patrimoine Traditionnel) is a small but interesting folk museum within an 18th-century palace in the medina, covering the everyday life of a rich merchant in the Ottoman era with exhibits including faience, stucco ornament, costumes and furniture. Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul Built in 1882, this is the largest surviving building from Tunis' colonial era, in the neo-Romanesque style. Usually open mornings.
A lot to see in Tunis
Bardo National Museum
Al-Zaytuna Mosque
Baths of Antoninus
Byrsa
Carthage National Museum
Avenue Habib Bourguiba
Belvedere Park
Bab El Bhar
Lake of Tunis
Acropolium of Carthage
Carthage Land Les Berges du Lac
Les Ports Puniques de Carthage
Parque De Atracciones Tierra Feliz Dah Dah
Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts
Dar Ben Abdallah
Tourbet el Bey
Lafayette
El Menzah 9
Mutuelleville
El Menzah 5
Les Berges Du Lac II
Dar Lasram
Musée de la mémoire nationale
Tunis Science City
Centre Urbain Nord
Bab el Khadra
National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies Museum
Zoo Tunis
Kobba Bent el Rey
Bab Jedid
Soukra Park
Chikly
KatKout
Bab Saadoun
Youssef Dey Mosque
Dar Hussein
Palais Kobbet Ennhas
El Menzah 8
Cisterns of La Malga
Carthage amphitheatre
Kasbah Mosque
Dar Othman
Ksar Essaada
Tunis Nippon Garden
Sidi Mahrez Mosque
Port de RadesMoney museum
Ksar Said Palace
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