by “When you say Tunisia, people think of the beach and these huge resorts,” says Selma Feriani, Tunisia’s local representative and gallery. “But his capital is too low.”
And she is right. Almost 200,000 British tourists went to Tunisia last year, and with new routes set to launch this summer, it looks set to become even more popular in 2024. But despite this increase in demand, it still an attraction on the flight and on the trip. flop – in Hammamet, or on the island of Djerba – which attracts most visitors from Tunisia. Meanwhile, the more than 3,000-year-old capital city of Tunisia remains an undiscovered gem – and one that deserves more consideration as a worthy destination in its own right.
Full of fascinating art and craft, infused with Berber, French, Roman and Ottoman influences born of trade and empire – and just under three hours by air from the UK – Tunisia makes for rich (and practical) pickings ) for a city break. When you step across the medium, taking in the treasures of the Bardo National Museum, and immersing yourself in the city’s thriving creative scene, you get the sense of a powerful duality – a city steeped in history at the same time, but looking forward determined. And what city breaker could ask for more?
It is best to start in the medieval-like maze, which has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1979. Starting from 698 around the Zitouna Mosque – the oldest in the city – the streets are dotted with smaller mosques, hammams and the remote ones, complicatedly. decorated courtyards characteristic of madrasas (religious schools).
Like those in Marrakech, the narrow lanes of the souk are packed with stalls, lined with everything from fabric and crockery to slippers. Unlike those in Marrakech, however, you won’t find these vendors as forceful, the number of tourists is much smaller, and the atmosphere is overall friendlier.
Just outside the babas (gates) of the medina, the Ville Nouvelle neighborhood – centered on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, with its Big Ben bell tower – echoes the city’s time under French rule (1881-1956). With the Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul and the Cathedral of St. Olivia of Palermo as symbols of the colonial period, there are three main styles in the wider architecture of the area: art deco; art nouveau; and Arabisance, a style that combines elements of European and Islamic architecture.
Several thousand years of Tunisian history are well represented at the Bardo National Museum (bardomuseum.tn, entry £3.30) – home to one of the world’s largest collections of Roman mosaics – and the extensive archaeological site at Carthage (commune -carthage.gov .tn; £2.55) which allows visitors to walk the Roman Baths of Antoninus, Punic Ports and amphitheater.
Carthage’s history, however, did not begin with the Romans. The original city and trading empire was finally established in the 9th century BC, it was only destroyed in 146 BC. and was later rebuilt. But what if it wasn’t deleted? This is the question raised by the Tunisian artist Nidhal Chamekh i Et si Carthage? (And what if Carthage?), the inaugural show at the Selma Feriani Gallery (selmaferiani.com) held earlier this year, draws striking parallels between the Romans in Africa and later European colonization.
Opened in January 2024, and in the new 2,000 square meter space – the largest commercial art space in the country, containing three exhibition spaces and a bookshop – Feriani has been plucked from a former convent in Sidi Bou Said, on top of an idyllic hill to industrial neighborhood of La Goulette. “In Paris, New York and London, there are many galleries in industrial areas, but for Tunisia, this is new,” explains Feriani.
The rise of creative hubs in such areas was a theme of Tunisia’s evolving art and design landscape, which, according to many local artists, fueled the Tunisian revolution of 2011. The contemporary art center La Boîte is located inside a medical supplies distribution company, literally “giving art to the workers”, as project manager Manel Ben Ali, also a visual artist herself, explains.
The PhosPhor design district in La Marsa brings together some of the city’s creatives, providing a one-stop shop for ventures in the emerging scene: interior design and furniture at Marmo Spirito, homewares and pop-up fashion shops at Marlo & Isaure. , accessories inspired by tradition by La Liste Tunisienne, and a roster of lively events (from exhibitions to DJ sets) by the creative group La Ruche.
Back downtown, L’Art Rue (lartrue.org) is a community hub that works primarily with young people living in the medina, but is best known for the epic semi-annual Dream City event, which brings local artists and international (with thousands). visitors) to the hidden corners of the maze of ancient streets. The varied offer of 32bis and Central brings a day of creative exploration in the center of Tunisia to an end.
But it would be remiss to come here with an appetite for culture alone: Tunisia has a wonderfully diverse food scene full of rich local produce. You could fuel your exploration with bags of dried figs in olive oil, fragrant bergamot oranges and soft cheese with parsley picked at the Main Market (9 Rue de Allemagne), but there are plenty of small, inexpensive shops around the city, offering. the harissa-stuffed tuna, potato and fricassé sandwiches, sugar-dusted bambalouni donuts, and egg-filled brik filo pastries.
If you prefer to luxuriate over your meals, it’s worth stopping at Fondouk El Attarine for Tunisian specialties (fondoukelattarine.com), or at the seaside Le Golfe, an upmarket spot serving spaghetti laced with Mediterranean caviar boutargue (restaurantlegolfe.com).
While the town center is flush with cafes, the waterfront neighborhood of Sidi Bou Said reigns supreme when it comes to coffee. Visit the district in the morning and sit among the orange trees in front of the stylish brunch spot Bleue! (8 Rue Habib Thameur), or sip traditional brews at the Kahoua El Alia teahouse, located inside a former mosque near the ruins of Carthage.
But when evening falls? It’s time to try the local wine. There are many nice spots for this, but the most beautiful is the pleasant terrace at La Villa Bleue (lavitableuesidibousaid.com), where you can look out over the Gulf of Tunisia, and toast to the discovery of a new city you prefer. “Saha!” (cheers), as they say in Tunisian Arabic.
Fundamentals
Elise Morton was a guest at the Selma Feriani Gallery (selmaferiani.com).
Tunisair (tunisair.com) flies direct from London Heathrow and Gatwick to Tunis, from £140 return.
Dar Marsa Cubes (dar-marsa-cubes.com) has double rooms from £85 a night.
