Tunisia’s capital remains an underrated jewel
With gallery openings, fascinating cultural heritage and a burgeoning foodie scene, Tunis has plenty to lure you away from the beach, says
“When you say Tunisia, people think of the beach and these huge resorts,” says Tunis local and gallerist Selma Feriani. “But its capital is so underrated.”
And she’s right. Close to 200,000 British tourists headed for Tunisia last year, and with new flight routes set to launch this summer (courtesy of EasyJet), it looks likely to be even more popular in 2024. But despite this surge in popularity, it’s still the lure of the fly-and-flop – in Hammamet, or on the island of Djerba – which draws the majority of Tunisia’s visitors. Meanwhile, the country’s more than 3,000-year-old capital, Tunis, remains an undiscovered jewel – one that increasingly deserves to be thought of as a worthy destination in its own right.
Bursting with fascinating art and cuisine, and infused with Berber, French, Ottoman and Roman influence born of trade and empire – and just under three hours by air from the UK – Tunis makes rich (and practical) pickings for a city break. Wandering the medina, taking in the treasures of the Bardo National Museum, and dipping into the city’s burgeoning creative scene, you get the sense of a powerful duality – a city at once dense with history, but resolutely forward-looking. And what city-breaker could ask for more?
It’s best to begin in the mazelike medieval medina, a Unesco World Heritage site since 1979. The warren of streets around the Zitouna Mosque – which dates from 698, and is the oldest in the city – is dotted with smaller mosques, hammams and secluded, intricately decorated courtyards.
As in Marrakech, the lanes of the souk are packed with stalls, bedecked with everything from fabric and crockery to slippers. Unlike those in Marrakech, however, you’ll find these vendors less forceful, the tourist traps far fewer in number, and the atmosphere altogether friendlier.
Just beyond the babs (gates) of the medina, the Ville Nouvelle echoes the city’s time under French rule (1881-1956). With the Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul and St Olivia of Palermo emblematic of the colonial period, the wider architecture of the area takes in three main styles: art deco, art nouveau and “Arabisance”, a style combining elements of European and Islamic architecture.
Several millennia of Tunisian history are well presented at the Bardo National Museum (bardomuseum.tn; £3.30), while the extensive archaeological site at Carthage (commune-carthage.gov. tn; £2.55) allows visitors to stroll round the Punic ports, the Roman Baths of Antoninus and the theatre.
Back in the centre of town, L’Art Rue (lartrue.org) is a community hub working with people living in the medina, but is best known for its epic biennial event, Dream City, which brings local and international artists (and thousands of visitors) to hidden corners of the maze of ancient streets.
Tunis also has a diverse food scene full of rich local produce. You might fuel your exploring with bags of dried figs in olive oil, fragrant bergamot oranges and soft cheese with parsley, picked up at the Central Market (9 Rue d’Allemagne), but there are also plenty of small, cheap outlets dotting the city. Though downtown is also flush with cafés, the seafront neighbourhood of Sidi Bou Said reigns supreme when it comes to coffee. Visit in the morning and sit among the orange trees at Bleue! (8 Rue Habib Thameur), or sip traditional brews at the Kahoua El Alia teahouse, set within a former mosque beside the ruins of Carthage.
When evening falls, try the local wine, perhaps on the pleasant terrace at La Villa Bleue (lavillableuesidibousaid.com), where you can gaze out across the Gulf of Tunis and toast the discovery of a new favourite city.