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62°F / 17°C
(Passing Clouds. Mild.)
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1 – New Town
This one-or two-hours tour is mainly centered on the Habib Bourguiba Avenue, the principal axis of Tunis. This is a busy avenue crossed by the pedestrians and the cars, and it comes even more alive in the evening when the city-dwellers stroll there. Let’s start the tour to the east of the avenue, at the Place du 7 Novembre (at Habib Bourguiba Avenue and the Mohammed V Avenue where is located the Office National du Tourisme Tunisien (ONTT)). The aspect of this plaza changed, as did the Habib Bourguiba Avenue perspective, between the regime of the former president Habib Bourguiba and the regime of the new president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The equestrian statue of Bourguiba, which sat on the plaza, has been moved to La Goulette while a big modern-shape clock took its place on the plaza, which was then renamed the 7th of November Plaza, Ben Ali’s seizure of power date in 1987. At that point, the avenue is surrounded by buildings of the second half of the 20th century and is eventually very similar to any contemporary avenue all around the world. But by walking to the west, the “New Town (the city of the colonial times) soon appears, with its beautiful Art deco façades built by French or Italian architects. You will cross one of the most beautiful piece of architecture on the Bourguiba Avenue, namely the Théâtre Municipal. Then take both the Paris Avenue and the Carthage Avenue for a while, so as to admire other great façades. Stretch the Bourguiba Avenue to the Place de l’Indépendance, which features palm trees, the Cathédrale Saint Vincent de Paul to the north and the French Embassy to the south. The French Embassy stands at the place of the former French Consulate built in 1861. It was the first building of the “New Town that were to be erected shortly after, under the French Protectorate, insofar as it was the first building to be built out of the medina’s walls. Those who wish to continue enjoying the colonial architectural charm of Tunis downtown can follow the Habib Thameur Avenue for a while, north of the Place de l’Indépendance. If not, run along the French Embassy and go down the Gamal Abdel Nasser Street until it crosses the Angleterre Street, in order to have a glance at the Musée Postal, which may interest the philatelists. Then take the Charles de Gaulle Street up to the popular Marché Central de Tunis, before reaching the France Avenue (which extends the Bourguiba Avenue after the Place de l’Indépendance). Those wishing to make a visit of the medina shall follow the France Avenue all the way to Bab El Bahr, which was named the France’s Door during the colonial times. It was the border point between the New Town and the medina, as shown in its façades where Moorish inspiration is mixed with European style (have a look at the building of the former British Consulate with its big blue door on the Place de la Victoire).
If you wish to continue exploring the colonial past, you can also go for a walk to the Parc du Belvédère, a landscaping park designed by the French in the beginning of the 20th century. Take a taxi (as the itinerary is not of real touristy interest) or, if you have time, take the Paris Avenue and then the Liberté Avenue and turn left to the Etats-Unis Avenue.
2 – The Medina, from the east to the west and to the south
Better being provided with a good map of the medina before pacing up and down its sinuous streets. The map you can grab at the Office National du Tourisme Tunisien (ONTT)) will perfectly suit.
This tour requires at least half a day and starts at Bab El Bahr, which is the classic starting point of the visits of the medina. Let’s take the Jemaâ Zitouna Street, full of touristy handicraft shops (visitors can unfortunately suffer there from exhausting purchasing solicitations) among which stands notably the nice Hanout Arab shop. The street leads to the Mosquée Zitouna. It is the biggest mosque in the medina and it is its historical and geographical core: indeed the Souks have been organized around and according to the mosque. The mosque is surrounded by the “noble Souks, such as the Souk El Attarine (the Souk of the Perfumes) and the Souk El Koumach (Souk des Etoffes) (the Souk of the tissues). South-east of the Great Mosque (Mosquée Zitouna), take the Libraires Street to see the Complexe des trois médersas. The three medersas were built in the 18th century and were devoted to the lodging of the students in theology. The Medersa Slimania, the only one that can be visited, is located at the corner with the Street of the Souk El-Kachachine. Take this street to the right and follow it all the way to the Dar Hussein palace, which dates from the 18th century (it’s possible to see its patio). Turn back to the Street of the souk El-Kachacine and then turn right to the Tourbet Street which leads to the Tourbet El Bey, also built in the 18th century, where the Beys of the Husseinite dynasty are buried. Then take the Sidi Kacem Street to visit the Dar Ben Abdallah, another ottoman palace, which is home to the Museum of the Popular Traditions and Arts. Follow the Teinturiers Street to go enjoying the calm patio of the Dar Othman, a beautiful Ottoman palace of the 17th century. Go north of the Teinturiers street to merge on Bach Hamba Street where stands the Dar Bach Hamba, a 17th century palace turned into a cultural center devoted to the Mediterranean area. Go down the street of the Souk El Belat (in the continuation of the Bach Hamba Street) and at the corner with the Souk El-Blaghjia Street you will find the Tourbet Aziza-Othmana, where lies the graves of a generous Ottoman princess who died in 1669 and the members of her family. Go down the Kasbah Street and branch off the nice Sidi Ben Arous Street where you will notably find the boutique of handicraft and antiques Ed-Dar. Stroll in the Souk Ech-Chaouachiya (the Souk of the Chechias, those famous red-colored Tunisian headgears). The Place du Gouvernement, which is home to many ministries, is at the end of the Kasbah Street. Stroll there before taking the first street to the southeast of the plaza, namely the Souk El-Bey Street and pass the Mosquée Sidi Youssef dating from the 17th century. The Souk El Berka (former Souk of the slaves) reaches the Souk El Leffa to the left. In the Souk El Leffa you will find the Palais d’Orient sho, featuring a terrace with a great view of the medina. You can go back to roll in the Souk El Trouk dating from the 17th century, located between the Souk of the Chechias and the Souk El Berka. Now it is certainly time to have a nice break drinking a mint tea at the Café Restaurant M’Rabet, in the Souk el Trouk Street. Then you can come back to the Great Mosque (Zitouna Mosque) and go back to the starting point of Bab El Bahr, or you can also reach the Place du Gouvernement and enter the north part of the medina by starting Tour 3.
3 – North of the Medina
This tour is shorter than the former and starts at the Place du Gouvernement. It gives the opportunity to discover the suburb of the Kasbah, the “chic suburb of the medina, along with the very popular suburb of Bab Souika, at the edge of the medina. You can reach the Place du Gouvernement from the Great Mosque (Mosquée Zitouna) like in the former tour, or you can take a taxi passing by the Bab Menara Boulevard. Take the Dar El Jeld Street, northeast to the Place du Gouvernement. This street features beautiful nailed doors, the art gallery Dar Bouderbala and one of the most famous restaurants in Tunis. Then take the Driba Street, even more sumptuous with its bougainvilleas. Go back to the Dar El Jeld Street and reach the Pacha Street, which was the epicenter of this 18th century upper bourgeoisie suburb. Take on your right the Hafsia Street and on your left the Tribunal Street to reach the plaza of the Palais Kheireddine (19th century siècle), which has been turned into a contemporary art museum. Follow the tribunal Street until you reach the 18th century Dar Lasram palace and the Club Tahar Haddad, a great cultural club nested in the former stables of the Dar Lasram. Take the Sidi Brahim Street to the right and stop at the corner with Ben Achour Street, where lies the Médersa Achouria (18th century). At the corner of the Ben Achour Street and the Sidi Brahim Street, turn left to reach the El Garmatou Street : at the corner of this street and the Sidi Mahrez Street you will find the Mosquée Sidi Mahrez along with the grave of the patron saint of Tunis.
Turn left in the Sidi Mahrez Street to reach the Bab Souika Plaza to the west. This plaza and its neighborhood offer a picture of the lively and popular Tunis, with its vegetables street sellers, its slacks of second hand clothes, its little shops and its coffee terraces where gather the suburb male inhabitants. After that you can reach back the Pacha Street , but instead of taking to the right the Dar El Jeld Street, let’s continue and merge on the beautiful Sidi Ben Arous Street, where you can have a rest and enjoy a mint tea at the Dar Hamouda Pacha (Restaurant & Salon de Thé). Moreover the Dar El Jeld Street features rafined shops, such as the Ed-Dar. From there you can go ahead to the Great Mosque and its surrounding Souks before following the Jemaâ Zitouna Street and exiting the medina at Bab El Bahr.
4 – Carthage and Sidi Bou Saïd
You can visit Carthage and Sidi Bou Saïd from Tunis by the TGM train from the Tunis Marine Station. Half a day is fully enough to visit the archeological sites of Carthage and two hours are necessary to visit Sidi Bou Saïd, without taking into account the leisure time to be taken at one of the coffee houses or restaurants of the village.
Let’s stop at the Carthage Salammbô Station to go visiting the Tophet de Carthage and the few remains of the Antique harbor, along with the little oceanographic museum. Then ride the TGM to the Carthage Hannibal Station (two stops away) to go visiting the Musée National de Carthage on the Colline de Byrsa (Byrsa Hill) from which you will enjoy a wonderful view of the Tunis Bay (you can glimpse at the Antique harbor if you didn’t visit it before). The Byrsa Hill is the most visited site of Carthage, along with the seaside-located Thermes d'Antonin (same TGM station). If you have more time, you can go seeing the vestiges on the Colline de l’Odéon (Odeon Hill) (located between the Carthage Hannibal TGM Station and the Carthage Présidence Station).
After this tour through Carthage, take the TGM till you reach the Sidi Bou Saïd Station. The little historical village, with its pedestrian streets, is around 10 minutes from the TGM station. Start your visit with the sumptuous palace of the Baron d’Erlanger, the Palais du baron d’Erlanger (Dar Ennejma Ezzahra), which stands out of the village. Then head toward the village where you can visit the Dar El Annabi mansion, with its terraces featuring amazing views. No particular itinerary is needed to visit the village, yet following the streets up to the lighthouse and the little cemetery is worth-it. Time has come to enjoy a mint tea at the Café des Nattes or at the Café Sidi Chabaane ! - Najda Laroussi
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