In brief: Right from the start, we knew we had made a good choice to restart our travels with the Medina at Tunis.
It had been far too long since we’d traveled to a brand new place. But on arriving in Tunis and its old central town, the Medina, we were finally exploring again. A set of connections among fellow travelers led us to decide on Tunisia. Our first glimpses, even after a long tiring day of travel, made it evident we had chosen a superb place to restart our journeys – at a cultural crossroads for at least 3000 years. Later, the country’s natural beauty, its people and its historical sites made us even more pleased to be here.
Breaking through the cloud cover on our flight seemed to reflect the excitement we felt.
Our first view of the capital city of Tunis, gleaming within the Mediterranean Sea.
Arcaded passageways and arches appear throughout the Medina, as here on our lane close by the mosques and souks.
At a centuries old family villa, we are staying in the heart of Tunis’ old city, the Medina. That is the ancient walled town of narrow streets, magnificent mosques and palaces, and boisterous markets or souqs.
On shopping day, a jumble of people and goods strikes the eye in this open air souk street.
During our short walkabout, congenial passers-by directed us through the labyrinth to several shops – one for hand-woven textiles, one for painted furniture and roasted coffees. Their decorative fourth story rooftops let us gaze at the nearby towers and arcaded courtyards of two renowned mosques. The panoramas made up for the inevitable sales pitches.
The rains came and went, presenting a beguiling skyline from our window tonight, at the end of our first day here.
The most distinctive and noticeable features of the Medina are the elaborate doorways, which are decked in symbols that invoke good fortune or ward off evil from the house.
This doorway leads to a barbershop, still ready for business after centuries.
For more perspective on Tunis’ Medina and its mosques, click here to see the post.
(To enlarge any picture above, click on it. Also, for more pictures from Tunisia, CLICK HERE to view the slideshow at the end of the itinerary page.)
