Tunis

Tunis

Tunis is the capital of Tunisia. Situated on a large Mediterranean gulf (the Gulf of Tunis), behind the Lake of Tunis and the port of La Goulette (Halq al Wadi), the city extends along the coastal plain and the hills that surround it. At the centre of more modern development (colonial era and post) lies the old medina. Beyond this section lie the suburbs of Carthage, La Marsa, and Sidi Bou Said.

Attractions

Tour the baths, villas and other ruins in the ancient Roman city of Carthage. A major gateway to Africa, Tunis boasts an uncrowded kasbah, a fascinating museum, and lots of local color.

Activities

Bardo Museum (Le Musée National du Bardo) - Occupying the 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). A small but interesting museum within an 18th-century palace in the medina, covering the everyday life of a rich merchant in the Ottoman era. Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul Zitouna Mosque (Jemaa ez-Zitouna). The largest mosque in Tunisia and the closest thing Tunis has to a landmark, this Aghlabite mosque dates back to the 9th century, although the distinctive square minaret is a much later 19th century addition. Modest dress essential, but non-Muslims can only enter the courtyard, not the mosque itself.

Shopping

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... The Tunis medina's main routes are labeled "touristique", but even a few steps off the beaten track it's a real, working market.

Currency

Currency in Tunisia: Tunisian dinar (TND)

Weather Forecast

Sailing Calendar

Click to view sailings.