Stop at : Medina of Tunis, Tunis Tunisia
This sprawling maze of ancient streets and alleys is one of the most impressive medieval medinas in North Africa and one of Tunisia’s great treasures. It is home to numerous covered souks selling everything from shoes to chicha, as well as lively cafes, alleys full of working artisans and residential areas punctuated by large, brightly painted doors. Historic palaces, hammams, mosques and madrassas (schools for the study of the Koran) are scattered throughout, many richly decorated with tiles, carved stucco and marble columns.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Passes by : Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul, Avenue Bourguiba, Tunis
Located on the Place de l’Indépendance, a crossroads between Habib Bourguiba Street and France Street, the Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul is endowed with the richest architect and history. The Cathedral of Saint Vincent de Paul was built between 1893 and 1897, on the former cemetery Saint-Antoine. The latter was given in the seventeenth century by the Beys of Tunis to the Catholic community. Initially intended for the burial of slaves in the convicts, it later became the cemetery of the European colony in Tunis. In 1650, Father Jean Le Vacher had a chapel built there called “La Chapelle Saint Antoine”, considered the oldest Christian monument in Tunis.
Although the construction of this cathedral was interrupted several times, the final result is a sumptuous architecture. Combining Byzantine and Roman style
After Tunisia’s independence in 1964, the Cathedral of Saint Vincent de Paul became the property of the Catholic Church. In 1998, it hosted Pope John Paul II, visiting Tunisia.
Stop at : Baths of Antoninus, Impasse des Thermes d’Antonin Site Archoologique de Carthage, Carthage 2016 Tunisia
A large complex of Roman baths built in the 2nd century which is now part of an archaeological park.
Duration : 45 minutes
Stop at : Archeological Site of Carthage, Carthage Tunisia
Carthage was the first of the Tunisian archaeological, historical or natural sites and monuments to be registered, on October 26, 1979, on the list of the world heritage of UNESCO. An archaeological site but also a historical one, rich in events linked to various ancient eras but also to others, Carthage has not only been the field of action of several generations of archaeologists and historians. For several centuries, it has inspired novelists and poets (one need only recall Virgil’s Aeneid which recounted, in verse, the loves of Dido, the founder of Carthage, with Aeneas, the Trojan, founder of Rome, and Flaubert’s Salammbô) as well as filmmakers, playwrights and painters.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop at : Carthage Museuma, Byrsa Hill, Carthage 2016 Tunisia
In the center of the city of Carthage, the national museum of Carthage stands at the top of the Byrsa Hill, a symbolic place where the ancient Punic city was built: we notice around the remains dating from the second century BC. We take advantage of the passage of the point of view of the surroundings. It is the oldest Tunisian museum since its creation in 1875: it testifies to the important and numerous archaeological discoveries which were made on the site of Carthage. We rediscover the eventful history of this city which was the center of a rich civilization.
Duration : 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop at : Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia
With its distinctive blue and white colors, cobblestone streets and breathtaking views of azure waters, the clifftop village of Sidi Bou Said is one of the most beautiful places in Tunisia. Named after a 13th-century Sufi saint, its distinctive architecture is a mix of Ottoman and Andalusian, the result of the 16th-century influx of Spanish Muslims. To the French, the sleepy fishing village was a perfect representation of the Orientalism romanticized by Europeans in the 19th century, and they were committed to ensuring that its character-both real and imagined-was preserved (it received protected status in 1915). Past residents and visitors include artist Paul Klee, author André Gide, philosopher Michel Foucault and British arty eccentrics Osbert and Edith Sitwell. It still retains a sense of North African whimsy today, both for visitors and, interestingly enough, for Tunisians themselves.
Duration: 1 hour
