Tunisia

Country or Region Description

This hospitable land of colours and contrasts, spices and scents invites you to enjoy its natural beauty, ancient cities, lively festivals and the warm friendliness of its people. Welcoming visitors to its shores has long been an honoured Tunisian tradition and an impressive infrastructure of modern hotels, restaurants, international airports, tourism offices and information centres has been developed to add to visitor's comfort and pleasure.

In this land of the familiar and the exotic one can watch the sunrise over the Sahara, enjoy a gourmet meal at a seaside resort and top off the evening with a midnight swim in the pool of a modern comfortable hotel.

Whether you prefer a long walk along miles of sparkling beaches, wind surfing the cool Mediterranean breezes, exploring the ancient sites and legendary cities, a game of golf or just a long lazy day relaxing on the warm golden sands, Tunisia has it all. From the north-western dense forests to the Great Eastern Erg, from the Cap Bon orchards to the central area steppes, from modern Tunis to Berber villages of the deep south, from the islands gentleness to the sophistication of historical cities, the diversity of Tunisia's towns and its sites never ceases to amaze the traveller.

Country Facts

From Tabarka to Monastir, from Hammamet to Jerba, its mild Climate and its exceptional sandy beaches have contributed for a long time to firmly establish Tunisia's reputation as a seaside resort destination.

Area: 164,000 km

Littoral: 1,300 km

Climate:

In the North and along the coast: Mediterranean, semi-arid in the interior and the south

Average daily maximum:

57°F in January

73°F in April

89°F in August

79°F in October

Language: Arabic. (French which is taught in grade school is often spoken fluently).

Religion: Moslems (98% population), Jews, Christians.

Population: 9.1 millions (1996) (37% of which are under 16)

G.N.P. per Inhabitant: US $2,080 in 1996

Percentage of children in full time education: 91% of the 6 to 12 years old

Literacy Rate: 68.3%

Currency: The Tunisian dinar (= approximately $1.00), divided into 1,000 millimes.

The dinar may neither be imported nor exported. Exchanged locally by the banks or by exchange offices in the hotels and airports

Banks: Banks close at 4:00pm on Friday, 2:30pm during Ramadan and at 11:00am in July or August

Credit Cards: Eurocard, American Express

Weekly Days Off: Saturday afternoon and Sunday (as well as Friday afternoon for the administrations).

Museums: Are closed on Monday

Time: Same as in the UK in summer, one hour ahead in winter

International Telephone: Country Code 216 + area code (1 digit) + number (6 digits), Telex code 0409

Voltage: 220V

Airports: International airports in Tunis, Monastir, Jerba, Sfax, Tozeur and Tabarka

Commercial Ports: Tunis-La Goulette from Marseille (22 hour crossing) or Genoa

Access to the Saharan Zones: Strictly in groups and convoys. Inform the National Guard in Medenine prior to departure

Legendary Horses

Small but tireless, lively but docile, ungainly but fast, the Barb horse is a highly appreciated breed from time immemorial. Carthaginians, Romans and Byzantines valued this horse native to the Berber country, perfectly adapted to the arid regions. Splendid mosaics in the Tunisian museums bear witness to that fact. They may well be the Tunisian horses that the first Moslems who set foot on the African soil adopted and which led them as far as Spain. Arabian, Barb and Arabo-Barb horses are bred in Tunisia today.

Faites Vos Jeux

American type shows, black jack, roulette and one armed bandits have appeared on the Tunisian scene. Four casinos, for the most part managed by big international conglomerates, already welcome gamblers in Hammamet, Sousse and Jerba. Gambling is strictly reserved for foreigners and handled in convertible currency.

The Casino of the international group Cleopatra, which opened in Hammamet at the end of 1997, is equipped with 100 "one-armed bandits" (slot machines) and 27 gaming tables. In a décor which drew its inspiration both from ancient Egypt and Las Vegas, it offers American style entertainment with variety shows.

The "Caraibe casino", opened in Sousse in late 1997, has three hundred slot machines and twenty-one gaming tables (roulette, black jack, poker and baccarat). The setting is reminiscent of the Caribbean. It features a five hundred seats theatre.

The "Pasino Djerba" opened this year by the Partouche French conglomerate, offers more than one hundred fifty slot machines, video games, roulette tables, black jack, stud poker and punto banco as well as dinner shows, in a very laid-back atmosphere.

The "Grand Casino de Hammament", managed by the Lucien Barriere Group, is equipped with fifty slot machines and eight gaming tables.

"Greens"… As In Golf!

In Tabarka, one swings right in the heart of a forest, near duck ponds. In Jerba, one drives a ball within a few feet of sand dunes. Hammamet, Carthage, Kantaoui, Monastire: yet other Mediterranean landscapes dotted with cypress, orange, olive and palm trees. The golf courses of Tunisia suit all tastes and all levels of challenges, besides, most of them offer wonderful vistas of the sea.

Tabarka Golf Course

Spread over 118 ha in the midst of eucalyptus, pine and oak tree forests, this 18 hole, par 72 course, (to be extended to 27 holes in the near future) is in perfect harmony with the surrounding verdant countryside, it includes 7 holes on the beach and even fords across the sounds. Designed by the architect Ronald Fream, it is very similar to the Cypress Point Club in California. It is an original course which appeals to the most experienced golfers and is home to the Tunisian Open Challenge.

Golf de Carthage

Located in the heart of a wonderful green area, in the shade of hundred year old eucalyptus trees as well as pine, cypress, palm, olive and orange trees, this small 18 hole golf course (par 66 – 4,432 meters) requires skill and accuracy. It is only 8 minutes away from the Tunis-Carthage airport and 10 minutes from the capital.

Golfs de Hammamet

The "Yasmine" golf course exploited since 1990, meanders through the hills between the sea and the forest. Due to its vast driving range and numerous tee-offs per hole, this 18 hole championship golf course (par 72 – 6,115 meters) and 9 hole school (par 30) is suitable for players at all levels and offers a great variety of strokes. It is managed by the Magic Life Group (TO Gulet).

The "Citrus" golf, second course in Hammamet is one of the most frequented in Tunisia. Spreading over 173 ha planted in olive trees and forests, it is made up of two contrasting championship courses (18 holes – par 72) "La Foret" (The Forest) (6,128 meters) and "Les Oliviers" (The Olive Trees) (6,069 meters) to which is added a 9 holes executive course (par 28 – 1,221 meters). It features the largest driving range in Tunisia: 5 pitching greens, 5 putting greens and a capacity of 120 players. It is suitable for all categories of players.

These two courses have also been designed by Ronald Fream.

El Kantaoui Golf Course

Built in 1979 and extended to 132 ha, this 36 hole (par 144 – 12,536 meters) also designed by Ronald Fream is a high level course meant for experienced golfers and occupies a prominent place among all Tunisian courses. It consists of two 18 hole courses, "Panorama Course" and "Sea Course". In order to better manage the great demand, the course has been equipped with a computerized information service. The course runs along the water edge and overlooks the charming integrated resort of El Kantaoui.

Monastir Golf Courses

Since August 1994, a second golf course , the "Palms Links" has been open in Monastir. It is an 18 hole (par 72 – 6,140 meters) championship course located in natural sand dunes and palm trees, it has a 9 hole (par 27) golf school and a 7 ha at 360O driving range. It is suitable for the average players.

The older Monastir golf course "Flamingo", (18 hole par 72 – 6,140 meters) is a highly technical course which spreads form small valleys to water ponds amidst Roman vestiges. Designed by Ronald Fream to answer the needs of the most demanding golfers, it can nevertheless attract all levels of players thanks to its five tee-off areas per hole and 3 beginners' holes.

Jerba Golf Club

Conceived by the British architect, Martin Hawtree, the last-born among the Tunisian golf courses is an (18 hole par 73 – 6,169 meters) course with 9 "executive" holes. It spreads over a 120 ha terrain dotted with palm trees, between the sea and the sand dunes. Some fairways are not more than 40 meters wide and end up along the shore.

Thalassa In Tunisia

Why not select Tunisia for a thalassotherapy cure to take advantage of its Mediterranean mild Climate renown for its soothing virtues and turn it into a complete vacation? This product is now firmly established in Tunisia with two pioneer centres in Sousse and Hammamet and five others which opened recently in Gammarth, Jerba and Zarzis; while others are in the planning stage. Some of these centres offer the guarantee of a well-known label and all of them the advantage of attractive prices.

Drifting Along in Tunisia

Boating in Tunisia means a chain of 26 ports and moorages along 1,300 coastal kilometres, two marinas in Port El Kantaoui and Monastir to which will be added in the near future those of Hammamet Sud and Jerba and three other sailing harbours, a navigability period lasting three months longer than on the Mediterranean north coast, a favourable Climate and advantageous regulations.

The Sailing Harbours

Port El Kantaoui

Marina Cap Monastir

Montazah Tabarka

Sidi Bou Said

Bizerte

Below the Deep Blue Sea

With twenty years experience in tourist scuba diving and one of the best preserved coast of the Mediterranean, Tunisia has everything to make all divers very happy, beginners and experienced alike.

The north coast (Tabarka and the northern part of Cap Bon) has rocky shores which offer especially spectacular underwater scenery. Species which are rarely found in the northern part of the Mediterranean can be observed there, such as the grouper; in Tarbarka four specimen of this large fish have become used to man's presence and constitute the main attraction for the town's four diving clubs.

The diving activity is expanding rapidly throughout The Country under the control of the "FAST" (Federation of Tunisia's Underwater Activities, a member of the C.M.A.S.). Hyperbaric caissons are used in Zarzis, Tarbarka and Bizerte to insure the divers' safety. No diving accident has occurred in twenty years.

The FAST also presides over the Coralis Festival in Tabarka, "International Festival of the Seal and Underwater Image" which is held in early September.

The Flavours of Tunisia

Tunisian gastronomy blends Berber, Arab, Turkish and Italian contributions. A cuisine, more or less spicy according to the regions, which offers the very best of the sun-basked Mediterranean.

In the coastal towns, one can savour delicious fish: bass, daurade, red mullet, grouper and a variety of sea food: octopus, prawns, calamari, lobster.

Some examples of Tunisian specialties are:

Couscous with either lamb or fish, a dish of Berber origin

The Tunisian "tagine" - egg-based appetizer with meat and cheese

The "brik" with egg - deep-fried folded semolina triangle with a choice of stuffing

Fish prepared the "Sfaxian way" - cooked in a vegetable based sauce

The "chorba" - soup with meat, tomatoes, celery

The pastries – the "makroudh" - fried semolina cake stuffed with date paste

The "baklaoua" - flaky pastry with almonds and honey

Wine is an old tradition in Tunisia dating from the Carthage era and carried on by the wine growers form Italy. Among the most appreciated wines, we find the Magon, the Ugni Blanc, the Koudia, the Coteau de Teboulba.

The restaurants are classified from "one fork" to "three forks de luxe".

Souvenirs and Beautiful Articles

The classic knotted Carpet is the "Kairaoun". It is characterized by its wide border made of decorated parallel strips around a central diamond-shaped design. When it is made of natural undyed wool, it called "alloucha". Many regional variations may be found as well as rugs with modern patterns freely inspired by tradition.

Figure on over 5,000 Tunisian dinars for a classic, first choice, medium sized rug. Each rug bears a sealed label describing its design features, particularly its texture (expressed in the amount of stitches per ten-centimetre square).

The Kilm is a woven carpet made of wide parallel strips of diverse colours.

The Mergoum is similar to the Kilm, but ornamented with complex woven designs similar to a Jacquard knit.

Kilms and Mergoum are original rugs less expensive than the classic carpets.

Some Mergoums are designed like murals; landscapes or typical scenes, modern patterns, imitations of traditional tapestries from Gafsa (famous for its stylized motifs representing people and camels).

The Enamelled Ceramic, with decorations, a speciality of the town of Nabeul is usually realized with light and bright colours, on a white background, blue, green and sometimes orange designs.

The everyday crockery and dishes are two-tone: green and yellow.

The Moulded Pottery of Sejnene, in the North-West, presents rustic shapes and original red and black designs.

Made of untreated or enamelled pottery according to taste, the most diverse articles may be found: sets of dishes, ornamental plates, vases, "derbouka" drums, decorated panels, jars, statuettes.

Earthenware tiles with traditional designs can be found in ceramic factories: to renovate a bathroom with originality and low cost.

The Chechia is the red headgear of the Turks, which evolved in Tunisia to become a simple cap. Normally, the chechia is dark red or ecru but nowadays chechias of different colours may be found, as well as embroidered ones for women and children.

A souk specializing in the chechia craft industry can be found at the heart of the medina in Tunis.

Chiselled copper is the source of many oriental style articles such as trays, lamps, mortars, vases. Today's craftsmen also realize copperplates which have been embossed and enamelled.

Silver is the material used above all else in the making of traditional jewellery composed of elements in the shape of symbols: hand, moon, fish, disc, triangle. These shapes are also found in costume jewellery charms. Luxurious items of toiletries are also made of silver: jewel cases, perfume shakers, mirrors, compacts.

Some traditional jewels are beautiful collector's articles: fibulas, rings through which a long pin is passed to hold the draped clothing of Bedouin women on their shoulders, the ankle rings which can weigh as much as 500 grams.

The rush mats woven with green, dark red and black designs, a specialty of Nabeul, are used as mats on the ground to cover the lower part of the walls. The mat makers make baskets and souvenir articles as well. The shopping baskets and the hats are made of woven and esparto grass.

In the south decorative baskets in all sizes, made of embroidered palm tree leaves, and small pieces of furniture in palm tree wood can be found.

Other Specialties:

Wrought iron – candle holders, coat racks, ornaments

Carved stone from Dar Chaabane – book ends, knick knacks

The famous Sidi Bou Said Bird cage – spherical cage made of metal volutes on a square wood base

Blown glass – vases, knick knacks

Glass painting – Turkish type miniatures

Mosaic panels inspired by Antiquity

Woven articles – blankets, drapes, shawls

Embroidery – bedspreads, traditional clothing

Belgha – oriental slippers made of embroidered leather

Coral in Tabarka

Where to Buy

The Label "Recommended Store" is issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts to shops answering criteria of quality of the products and service.

Around ten "recommended stores" may be found in Tunis or Kairouan, about fifteen in Sousse, Hammamet or Nabeul, a few in Monastir, Mahida, Tozeur and Medenine.

The SOCOPA, a subsidiary of the National Office of Handicrafts offers craft items for sale at controlled and set prices. Its stores may be found throughout The Country.

The Handicraft Centre in Nabeul groups together workshops and sale areas for numerous specialties. It is dependent upon the Handicrafts Office.

The "ESPACE KEN", is a private community where artisans can be observed while they work, old objects can be admired and top of the range crafts can be purchased. Among others, pieces of furniture inspired by antiques we find screens, shelves, weapon carriers and decorative mirrors in richly carved wood.

Transportation

Tunisia by Road

Tunisia has an excellent road network (freeway Tunis-Hammamet-Sousse), with fully bilingual Arabic-French road signs. The international driver's license is not compulsory. There are numerous service stations with international panels and the fuel is inexpensive; unleaded gasoline is plentiful in the urban areas.

Several bus companies, national and regional, operate between the main towns. Numerous routes are covered by air conditioned "comfort buses", sometimes with video on board.

One may also travel from town to town by means of the louages, mass transportation taxis with fixed itineraries and fares, to be found generally at the bus depots. They do not have a regular schedule but leave when filled to capacity (5 passengers).

In Town

Normally, there are meters in the taxis which are relatively inexpensive.

In Tunis, the light metro is a modern and fast streetcar going from the centre of town to the Bardo museum, to the railway (SNCFT) and commuter train (TGM) stations and both bus depots. The itineraries are subject to changes, it is advisable to make inquiries every time at the ticket office or to ask the regular users.

Tunisia by Train

SNCFT (National Society of Tunisian Railways) runs 50 trains daily on its network of main lines linking the principal cities of The Country, from Bizerte to Gabes and from Ghardimaou to Metlaoui. The majority of these trains are air conditioned and controlled as to the number of seats. They are divided into second class, first class and comfort class. The suburban network of SNCFT includes the Tunis-Hammam lif-Borj Cedria and Sousse-Monastir-Mahdia lines. As for the northern suburbs, they are served by the TGM (Tunis La Goulette-La Marsa) via Carthage and Sidi Bou Said.

Train Travel With a Card

SNCFT blue card allows an unlimited amount of trips on the whole SNCFT network (main lines and suburbs). Valid for one, two or three weeks. On the air-conditioned trains a compulsory reservation must be paid in addition to the regular fare.

The rail-museum card gives access to the entire network of main railroads as well as to all the national museums.

Activities

Karting: Entertainment Activity

The Hergla Park is 15 km away from Port El Kantaoui and 5 km from the highway. It is the only park in Tunisia equipped with a karting ring for adults. It offers a karting ring for children as well, several merry-go-rounds and an amusement park for children and adults, together with restaurants and shops.

Hot Air Balloons

Tozeur is the base of Aeroasis hot air balloons.

Things to know about Tunisia before you go

TUNIS - The Capital City

The metropolis of Tunis, with its 1.8 million inhabitants is well worth a visit. In the "European" section of town, one can feel the pulse of modern Tunisia, its appetite for novelty as well as its loyalty to a certain art of living. Very often, one is amazed to discover very "Parisian" buildings in an out of line environment. Moreover, some early century edifices are noteworthy, such as the municipal theatre built in the "Art Nouveau" style.

In the Medina, the past magnificence of the place which, for seven centuries, was The Country's capital can be assessed. In this town within a town, one can get lost in the vast covered souks, traditional "shops" offering the most refined merchandise, or in the maze of streets and dead ends where modest dwellings stand side by side with palatial residences, in the shelter of their heavy doors.

Several monuments, particularly from the Turkish period can be visited as well as old dwellings.

THE COAST OF CARTHAGE – A Long Saga

The Phoenicians were obviously men of discriminating taste. The exceptional landscape in front of which they built their city, seen either from the summit of Byrsa Hill or the top of Carthage Cape, continues to fascinate artists. Long after the antique city was abandoned, its pilfered ruins having provided marble and columns for new palaces, this coast was rediscovered by Turkish rulers. The Beys constructed palaces in La Marsa to spend the summer months. Are the heights of Carthage propitious to mystical meditation? Since the thirteenth century, a long tradition of prayer has been established in the wake of Abou Said who gave his name to the famous village on Carthage Cape. At the beginning of this century, Sidi Bou Said started to attract European artists.

Today, the site is protected by the law of October 7, 1985 which opened the way to a wide-ranging project for the establishment of a natural and cultural park. While Carthage is only beginning to reassemble the remnants of its past, the other slope of the cape is resolutely turning its eyes towards the future. The town of La Marsa, which is fast expanding, is destined to become the link between the historical site and a vast tourist and resort zone. Just as Carthage, it begins on a promontory overhanging the sea: the Gammarth Cape.

CAP BON – Between Gardens and Orchards

A land, "interspersed with well irrigated gardens and orchards" where "solidly built whitewashed country houses lined the road and bespoke of wealth": this Cap Bon description dating from the fourth century B.C. is not very far from today's reality. In this fertile peninsula which points towards nearby Sicily, nature tamed by man has become very friendly. Its market gardening, carefully irrigated, grows most of The Country's vegetables and citrus fruit.

Its gently hilly relief, its varied landscape with scattered villages and a dense network of country lanes are so many invitations for a leisurely stroll. Its beaches are among the most beautiful in Tunisia.

Nabeul, the region capital is a pleasant small town whose inhabitants enjoy a well deserved reputation of conviviality. Town known for orange trees and jasmine where flower juices are distilled each spring, it is renowned for its numerous handicraft specialties: varnished and painted ceramics, rush mats and pieces of embroidery figure among the main products.

The neighbouring town of Dar Chaabane perpetuates the tradition of carved stone.

Hammamet, an old fishing village has become an important tourist resort. The charm of its Medina surrounded by ramparts, with its whitewashed houses, has remained intact.

NORTH-WEST – An Environmentalists' Paradise

With its pines and oak-wooded mountains surrounding a small town with red tile roofed houses, Tabarka rather brings to mind the other shore of the Mediterranean. This region, with its brand new tourist development and its still wild appearance banks on very "ecological" activities such as scuba diving (four clubs and very rich rocky depths) or sailing. Foot paths and bridle paths have recently been opened and marked out in the region of Ain Draham, a mountain village in the depth of the forest – a very promising activity considering the relief of its terrain and the wealth of its fauna and flora.

From Tabarka, one can also go on a trip to Lake Ichkeul, the best known National Park in Tunisia, or by sea, to the Galite archipelago which is also the site of a natural park.

Nature's friends will even like the golf course: it was designed with the utmost respect for the site and fits well in the surrounding countryside. It is also one of the best in the land.

Another trump for Tabarka is its proximity to major archaeological sites: Bulla Regia, Chemtou and Dougga. Besides, Chemtou is the centre of a modern archaeological complex.

But, in Tabarka, one may simply enjoy swimming along its eight kilometres of sandy beach.

PORT EL KANTAOUI – A Port Within a Garden

Alongside the Port El Kantaoui complex where "Maisons de la Mer" (the Houses of the Sea) are located, the "Maisons des Jardins" (the Garden Houses) project an even more grandiose image with a more refined architectural style. Furthermore, these houses are built around a vast garden-square planted with trees and gorgeous flowers, the finishing touch consisting of a 30 diameter wide musical fountain and a fully equipped Nature land.

These "Maisons des Jardins" confirm the vocation of Port El Kantaoui to be the first garden-port along the shores of the Mediterranean.

THE SAHEL – Sousse, Monastir, Mahdia

Sandy coast, olive groves alternating with vegetable farming, hills and lagoons (the "sebkhas") that's the Tunisian Sahel. Its capital, Sousse, is a modern city hemming in a superb medina whose ramparts, the Big Mosque, the kasbah date from the ninth century. Its "ribat" (coastal fortress dating from Islam's beginning) is even more ancient.

Monastir is also very famous for possessing the first ribat on the African coast. Nowadays Mahdia knows a new boost on the tourist level. Its superb beaches, its old town with a prestigious past and enduring traditions contribute a lot to its popularity.

Between Hammamet and Sousse

Several unusual sites are worth discovering south of Hammamet, along the coast which has kept its untamed character: the picturesque village of Takrouna, erected on a rocky peak during the Corsairs' era to be protected from the assailants; the Enfidha church converted into a museum; without forgetting superb deserted beaches and the lagoons (the "sebkhas") where migratory birds gather.

Slightly to the west, a mountain range: the last peaks of the Atlas mountains. There, can be found the archaeological sites of Oudhna and Thuburbo Majus, a well as Zaghouan, a small town with a Roman and Andalusian past over which the "Water Temple" towers (the basins where the Romans collected the water conveyed towards Carthage via a gigantic aqueduct).

MAHDIA – A Jewel of a Town

In which Tunisian town can we find, gathered within a very small area, monumental ruins and multicoloured boats, a thousand year old mosque and a pirates' fortress, gold and silver weavers' workshops and a fish market, Ottoman minarets and fishermen's cafes? In Mahdia!

Forbidden citadel of the Shiite dynasty, Mahdia was soon abandoned in favour of Cairo; it became a port like so many others on the Mediterranean rim, open to all conquests and all influences: Normans from Sicily, Knights of Malta, Genoese and Spaniards left their mark on her.

The cliffside medina, erected on a tiny peninsula, once the Fatimid capital, moves today to the beat of its fishing fleet. How can its remarkable past be forgotten when one visits the old town? Turning one's back on the fishing port, second in size of The Country, one faces the imposing "Skifa Kahla", the "Black Door" of the Shiite caliphs. Walking across the long vestibule, breathless under its narrow stone vault, one emerges, a few strides farther, on Cairo square which spreads its Mediterranean languidness under a roof of greenery. Skirting around the austere massive shape of the Great Mosque, rebuilt according to the original Fatimid plan, one can see in the distance, gliding beneath the rocks on a sapphire sea, a multitude of small fishermen's boats, bringing images of Malta to mind. And, at the very end of the tongue of land, between the Turkish fortress and the "Door of Conquests" – proud ruin emerging from the water – lies the deeply moving marine graveyard where women rest forever, shrouded according to tradition, in the dress of silk, silver and gold they wore on their wedding day.

CENTRAL TUNISIA – Kairouan, Makthar, Sbeitla

Kairouan, first Moslem city and for a long time, the Maghreb capital, rises in a steppes landscape. Its magnificent Medina is a museum-town which harbours important monuments: the Big Mosque, the "Three Doors" mosque, the Aghlabides basins, numerous mausoleums, medersas and saouias, to which public baths, souks, old cemeteries are added.

Kairouan is also the "rug making" capital: the classic Kairouan, of Turkish origin and one of its variations, the alloucha which uses only the natural shades of the wool.

Beyond Kairouan, "la Dorsale", a mountain chain with astonishing relieves can be seen. It is the setting of old sites with a tremendous importance such as Makthar and Sbeitla.

Am Island – From Kerkennah to Jerba

An island, just above the water, bathed in sunshine, lulled by a Mediterranean light breeze. It could be Jerba – the sandy island interspersed with palm trees, the memory of Ulysses, a unique architecture and culture.

Or the Kerkennah islands beyond Sfax – the beauty and serenity of unspoiled nature, quasi-deserted beaches, the original traditions of a population of fishermen.

Access to the Kerkennah island: a ferry from Sfax (4 to 8 daily round trips according to the season).

TUNISIAN SAHARA – The Hospitable Desert

In Tunisia, there is no need to think one is Lawrence of Arabia in order to discover the wonderful Sahara landscapes. The first dunes can be found 200 km form Jerba. With a camelback ride, a night spent under the stars, one can experience the thrill of the desert.

In Douz, the tourist zone has a very fine view on the desert, and the know how of the local camel drivers has found a new outlet. Thanks to them one can sample nomadic life, alone or in groups, riding on the back of a genuine mounting dromedary. But the Tunisian south is not a uniform region. From the large oasian cities to the Berber villages, from sand dunes to arid mountains, it can be approached from several angles.

The Nefzaoua is a pre-Saharan region around Douz, the domain of the old nomads of the Sahara. A landscape of villages covered by a find coast of white sand, silent dunes and clumps of palm trees. In the south begins the Great Oriental Erg.

Douz is the starting point of the majority of long hikes in the heart of the desert and sightseeing trips towards Ksar Ghilane, an oasis in the middle of the desert where one camps under Bedouin tents.

The "Ksour" Region offers a grandiose and austere landscape of cliffs and "cuestas". The last Berber speaking villages of Tunisia are found there: Chenini, Guermessa, Douiret. Unusual sites of the region: the "Ksour" (plural for ksar), old fortified granaries formed by oblong cells, the "ghorfas".

Tozeur and Nefta are two great medina of the south, oases with hundreds of thousands of palm trees where we breathe a delicious fresh aroma of the undergrowth. A poets' town, Tozeur is remarkable thanks to its architecture of plain bricks arranged in geometrical patterns. Nefta, the town of twenty mosques and one hundred marabouts is renowned for its Sufism traditions.

Specialties: the "Deglet Nour" (fingers of light) dates which are picked in November; handcrafted palm leaves, carpets, rugs.

The mountain oases, Chebika, Tamerza, Mides are located in a striking setting of yellow ochre mountains and canyons. Cascades, palm tree groves and ancient berber villages can be found there.

The El Jerid Chott, "salt desert" is a huge salt lake, almost totally dry which offers a flat and barren expanse as far as the eye can see. The dazzling whiteness of the salt crystals is a source of mirages.

GREEN TUNISIA

Oak tree forests, mountains, lakes, orchards, wheat plains, savannahs, desert: all these landscapes are found in Tunisia. And fauna with species as varied as the Berber hart and the dorcas gazelle, the greylag goose and the ostrich, the wild sheep and the royal eagle, the cedar and the wild orchid… all able to delight nature lovers.

Birdwatchers will simply adore Lake Ichkeul. Each year, during November and December, this 9,000 ha lake is the meeting place of two hundred thousand greylag geese, wigeons, tufted ducks, pochards and coots which come here to enjoy a more clement winter. They will also appreciate the Golf of Gabes, where numerous migratory birds meet, the Jebel El Haouaria to the end of Cap Bon where birds of prey and waders gather to fly across the Sicily Strait and many other sites.

The hiking fans will like the north west, a mountainous region – the wettest in Tunisia, covered by a dense oak tree and pine forest. They will discover the steep mountains of the west and centre with the Chaambi Jebel which culminates at 1,544 meters, the "Jughurta Table" laden with History, abysses and grottoes close to Kairouan.

For nature lovers, there is a lot more to be seen. Eight national parks bear witness to Tunisia's wealth. Numerous species thrive there thanks to a rigorous environment protection policy; for example four species of gazelles which are almost extinct everywhere else in Africa.

Arrival Guide

SITES WORTH VISITING

The mosaics collection of the Bardo museum, the richest in the world (approximately 90,000 square meters); the El Jem Coliseum, third in importance after Rome and Verona's amphitheatres; the Antonin's thermal baths in Carthage, also the third most important in the Roman empire. Numerous are the visitors to Tunisia who include these visits in their program along with the Tunisian "Pompei's" of Dougga, Bulla Regia or Sbeitla and Kerbouane. Sites reflecting the importance of the civilization centre which, over several periods of time, were ancient Tunisia.

KERBOUANE

Kerbouane is an exceptional site included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, which will enable us to get to know the Punic civilization, the first great civilization of western Mediterranean. This was a fascinating civilization originating from the Middle East which became acclimatized to Africa and built an empire which expanded to Sardinia and Spain. In Kerbouane, the vestiges of an entire city can be viewed and one can decipher the town planning specific to the Carthaginian cities – wide avenues in a chequered pattern, houses built around an inside patio each equipped with a bathroom with a hip bath.

DOUGGA

Dougga, one of the most important sites of The Country has a Libyco-Punic mausoleum, a capitol, a theatre, thermal baths, monumental arches, temples and extremely well preserved houses forming a very impressive whole.

BULLA REGIA

In Bulla Regia can be found a unique case of Roman houses with an underground floor; its thermal baths are among the best preserved in Tunisia.

Of Numidian origin, Dougga and Bulla Regia are most representative of the Romano-African civilizations, an original and brilliant civilization which witnessed the birth of numerous cities and developed its own architectural style as well as the flourishing art of mosaics.

SBEITLA

Finally, Sbeitla is a testimony of paramount importance to the vitality of Christendom in Tunisia during the fourth and fifth centuries, with at least seven religious buildings. Indeed, the early African Christianity marked an important step in Tunisia's History. Thirty-two councils took place in Carthage where St. Augustine spent his youth. Important Christian vestiges exist also in Makthar while the Carthage and Enfidha museums display mosaic collections dating from that period.

EVENTS NOT TO BE MISSED

The Purebred Arabian Horse Festival is held each June in Meknessy.

The Douz International Festival devotes an important part of the program to the desert horses (fantasias, trick- riding).

TUNIS

The Bardo archaeological museum, located in one of the Bay of Tunis' palaces, is famous for its prestigious collection of Roman mosaics, the most important in the world. The prehistoric, Punic, Christian and Moslem periods are represented as well.

The Medina circuit. With one single entrance fee, the circuit includes visits to the Zitouna Great Mosque (only the inside courtyard), Dar Ben Abdallah (old house converted into a museum offering scenes of the daily life of an upper middle-class family of yesteryear), the three medersas (college boarding school) complex and Tourbet el Bey (the Bey's tombs).

Some other palaces of the medina are also open to the public. Dar Lasram (at present the seat of the Association of the Preservation of the Medina) and its stables-warehouses (accommodating nowadays the Tahar Haddah Cultural Club) and Dar Hussein, the institute of National Heritage open during Business Hours.

Sidi Kacem el Jellizi, the mausoleum of a famous ceramist of Andalusian origin, in a museum featuring old ceramics.

The Medina Festival (Tunisian, oriental and international music) which takes place each year during Ramadan in historic sites in Tunis (palaces, medersas)

For the Young Ones

Tunis and vicinity

The Belvedere Park, laid out during the last century, is the site of a pleasant zoo with a wide variety of species from all continents.

Nahli Park is a vast urban part equipped with open air games and educational programs.

The Carthage-Salammbo Museum of Oceanography ("Dar el Hout") has recently opened there. The world of the sea and fishing in Tunisia can be discovered there thanks to the numerous aquariums, scale models, educational boards, diverse collections and an interactive screen.

The Tunisia amusement park "Dah Dah", spreading over 9 hectares offers a large variety of attractions for all ages, from a merry-go-round for the toddlers to the Ferris wheel.

CARTHAGE

Carthage archaeological park. A single ticket will let you visit the archaeological museum, well laid out, with impressive Punic collections, the Punic quarters on Byrsa Hill, the Tophet (Punic sanctuary), the Antonin's Baths, the Roman villas, the Magon district, the theatre, the amphitheatre and the Paleo-Christian museum.

The Carthage Acropolium is the old Saint Louis cathedral, an imposing nineteenth century edifice built in the Byzantine-Moorish style at the top of Byrsa Hill. It has been converted into a cultural and exhibition space (concerts, expositions). Open every day from 9:00am to 8:00pm.

The baron d'Erlanger's palace in Sidi Bou Said is the work of a wealthy and cultured heir who fell in love with the Arabo-Moslem culture and the village of Sidi Bou Said to the extent of wanting to build "his dream palace" there. He used the whole range of Tunisian and Maghreban decors. Today, it is the centre of Arab and Mediterranean music and a museum of Tunisian musical instruments.

The International Carthage Festival (music, theatre) is held every other year in the Roman theatre (July-August).

The October Musical Festival of Carthage (classical music) is a yearly event held at the Acropolium.

The Film Festival of Carthage takes place every other year in October.

CAP BON

Kerbouane's archaeological site with the vestiges of a sixth century B.C. town is a unique testimony to the Carthaginians' town planning. Its museum displays many Punic artefacts.

Nabeul small archaeological museum presents mosaics and various objects discovered in the Cap Bon region.

The Hammamet and Kelibia forts bear witness to the time when Spaniards and Turks fought over the control of the Tunisian coast.

El Haouaria grottoes are old quarries made up of vast caverns lit by square shaped apertures which were used to extract the stones.

Not To Be Missed

The International Hammamet Festival (music, theatre) which takes place every year in July-August.

The Hawk Festival in El Haouaria presents training demonstrations, fantasias.

NORTH WEST TUNISIA

The Tabarka museum where objects discovered in the area are displayed.

The brand new Chemtou museum which presents the numerous discoveries of the site, among which figures an exceptional treasure of 1,647 gold coins and both stresses the Numedian civilization and the extraction of marble by the Romans. On the site itself, Numidian tombs can be seen, a Roman way, marble quarries, a turbine driven grain mill. A beginning of the century marble yard has been restored to working order and can be visited. Open until 6:30pm in summer, 5:00pm in winter and on request during the evening.

The Bulla Regia site, Numedian and Roman site dating from the 2nd century, is renowned for its underground villas, a unique happening in the Roman world.

The Dougga site presents numerous, well preserved vestiges of a Numidian and subsequent Roman city. Capitol, theatre, monumental arch, thermal baths, temples, houses, Lybico-Punic mausoleum.

Testour is a small town founded by the Andalusians driven out of Spain by the "Reconquista". Its architecture and every unusual town planning are reminiscent of Spain.

The Tabarka Jazz Festival in July.

The Coralis Festival in Tabarka, international festival of the sea and underwater image in September.

THE SAHEL: SOUSSE, MONASTIR, MAHDIA

The New Mahidia museum open in late 1998. This modern museum presents mosaics and antique objects found in the region as well as a section devoted to the arts and folklore with an important place given to costumes and weaving.

Sousse archaeological museum possesses important collections which bear witness for instance to the period when the region was an important centre for the production of mosaics.- Sousse ribat is a fortress dating from the eighth and ninth centuries. Once can visit one of the most ancient prayer rooms in Africa.

The catacombs of Sousse, less sumptuous but better preserved than those of Rome spread over 5 km (at the present time only 40 meters can be visited).

The ribat in Monastir, amended several times over the years is now an Islamic museum where a unique specimen is on display – an Arab astrolabe dating from the tenth century.

The Borj El Kebir in Mahdia is a fortress built by the Turks during the fifteenth century.

The amphitheatre in El Jem ranks third in importance in the Roman world, behind Rome's and Verona's, moreover, its architecture is sumptuous and is magnificently preserved.

The archaeological museum in El Jem presents very interesting artefacts discovered in the town site (the ancient Thysdrus). It has recently been equipped with an audiovisual room presenting a synthesis of pictures pertaining to the spectacles performed in the amphitheatre in ancient times.

The International Festival of El Jem (classical music) which takes place each year in the ancient amphitheatre (July-August).

Between Hammamet and Sousse

The church-museum in Enfidha displays many mosaics from the Christian era.

The Thuburbo Majus archaeological site which is a Romanized Punic city, comprises a capitol, a forum and thermal baths as well as a museum.

The Oudhna archaeological site comprises an amphitheatre and Ikarios' house with its thermal baths and mosaics.

The "Ken village" at approximately 20 km south of Hammamet is an exhibit and entertainment centre where diverse artists' handicraft products are made and sold (furniture, blown glass, weaving). The "village" itself is a very interesting architectural creation, synthesis of the various forms of housing in Tunisia. There is a restaurant on the premises and accommodations for overnight stays.

CENTRAL TUNISIA: KAIROUAN, MAKTHAR, SBEITLA

The Big Mosque in Kairouan or the Sidi Okba mosque, one of the most significant mainstays of Islamic architecture. It has for instance one of the oldest existing pulpits (minbar).

The basins, built by the Aghlabide sovereigns to provide the town with water, represent the most important hydraulic installation of the Middle Ages.

The "Three Doors" mosque possesses a beautiful façade in craved stone, dating from the ninth century.

The "Zaouia" (mausoleum) of Sidi Sahib (very often called "The Barber Mosque") dates from the fifteenth century. It includes a medersa, a school for religious students.

The Raqqada museum is located near the palace build by the Aglabide sovereigns in the neighbourhood of Kairouan. It contains collections from the Moslem period, ceramics, coins, glassware, Koranic manuscripts.

The Sbeitla archaeological site comprises a capitol, a forum, a door, monumental arch, and at least seven Christian monuments and a museum. A tourists' rest area with parking, shops and a restaurant is due to open soon.

AN ISLAND … FROM KERKENNAH TO JERBA

In Sfax, the arts and popular traditions museum, Ar Jellouli (paintings mounted under glass, weaving, jewellery, clothes) located in an beautiful house of the medina; the kasbah; the souks; the archaeological museum.

In Jerba, the Borj El Kebir (or Borj Ghazi Mustapha) a fortress where the Turks fought the Spaniards in the fifteenth century; the Ghriba, a synagogue where one of the oldest Torah in the world can be found (a Jewish community lives on the island since the fifth century B.C.); the arts and popular traditions museum.

The Gightis site, near Zarzis where, among others, figure Byzantine vestiges, one being a fortress.

TUNISIAN SAHARA

Nefzaoua

The new Ethnographic museum in Douz presents traditions of the Nefzaoua villages and the Nomadic tribes in the Tunisian South West, tents, weaving, costumes and jewellery, dromedary, cavalry.

The International Sahara Festival in Douz (December) where the Sahara traditions are staged (wedding ceremonies, dromedary races, fantasias).

The "Ksour" Region

The Second World War museum in Mareth (south of Gobes) commemorates the confrontation between the British general Montgomery and Rommel.

The Tatouine Festival presents the arts and traditions of the south in the Ksour setting (April).

Tozeur and Nefta

In Tozeur, the Dar Cherait museum, sumptuous private museum where a great wealth of ancient artefacts weapons, jewels, furniture, costumes is displayed.

The Mountain Oases

Crossing the Selja oued on board of the luxurious 1920 train of the Bey of Tunis "the Red Lizard".

The El Jerid Chott

In November, the Chott is the setting for sports events such as the "Akileine-Republic Tours Foulees du Chott" (jog across the Chott) which are semi-marathon and marathon races.

SHORT History and WORLD HERITAGE SITES

History OF TUNIS

2 millennium BCE: Founded by the Libyans, and possibly named Tunes.

9th Century: Surrendered the coast to the Phoenicians of Tyre, who then founded Carthage.

146: Destroyed together with Carthage by the Romans, during the 3rd Punic War. Tunis would flourish during the Roman reign.

7th Century: Comes under Arab Muslim control.

9th Century: The Aghlabids have several great buildings added to Tunis, like the Great Mosque (Zitouna).

894: The Aghlabids make Tunis the capital of their new state.

909: Fall of the Aghlabids. The new rulers, the Fatimids make Mahdia their new capital.

1535: Roman Emperor Charles V conquers Tunis.

1539: Falls to the Ottomans.

1573: Conquered by the Spanish.

1574: The Spanish are forced to return Tunis to the Ottomans.

1881: Passes to the French, and becomes the capital of the French protectorate.

1942: Occupied by the Germans.

1943: Reconquered by British and Allied Troops.

1956: Tunisia gains its independence, and Tunis becomes capital of the new state.

WORLD HERITAGE SITES

Amphitheatre of El Jem

The impressive ruins of the largest coliseum in North Africa, a huge amphitheatre which could hold up to 35,000 spectators, are found in the small village of El Jem. This 3rd-century monument illustrates the grandeur and extent of Imperial Rome.

Site of Carthage

Carthage was founded in the 9th century B.C. on the Gulf of Tunis. From the 6th century onwards, it developed into a great trading empire covering much of the Mediterranean and was home to a brilliant civilization. In the course of the long Punic wars, Carthage occupied territories belonging to Rome, which finally destroyed its rival in 146 B.C. A second - Roman - Carthage was then established on the ruins of the first.

Medina of Tunis

Under the Almohads and the Hafsids, from the 12th to the 16th century, Tunis was considered one of the greatest and wealthiest cities in the Islamic world. Some 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains, testify to this remarkable past.

Ichkeul National Park

The Ichkeul lake and wetland are a major stopover point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds, such as ducks, geese, storks and pink flamingos, who come to feed and nest there. Ichkeul is the last remaining lake in a chain that once extended across North Africa.

Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis

This Phoenician city was probably abandoned during the First Punic War (c. 250 B.C.) and as a result was not rebuilt by the Romans. The remains constitute the only example of a Phoenicio-Punic city to have survived. The houses were built to a standard plan in accordance with a sophisticated notion of town planning.

Kairouan

Founded in 670, Kairouan flourished under the Aghlabid dynasty in the 9th century. Despite the transfer of the political capital to Tunis in the 12th century, Kairouan remained the Maghreb's principal holy city. Its rich architectural heritage includes the Great Mosque, with its marble and porphyry columns, and the 9th-century Mosque of the Three Gates.

Medina of Sousse

Sousse was an important commercial and military port during the Aghlabid period (800-909) and is a typical example of a town dating from the first centuries of Islam. With its kasbah, ramparts, medina (with the Great Mosque), Bu Ftata Mosque and typical ribat (both a fort and a religious building), Sousse was part of a coastal defence system.

Dougga/Thugga

Before the Roman annexation of Numidia, the town of Thugga, built on an elevated site overlooking a fertile plain, was the capital of an important Libyco-Punic state. It flourished under Roman and Byzantine rule, but declined in the Islamic period. The impressive ruins that are visible today give some idea of the resources of a small Roman town on the fringes of the empire.