Tourist Attractions & Monuments Tunisia

Unfortunately closed since July 2021, the Bardo Museum remains the most important archaeological museum in the Maghreb. Created in 1882 in one of the pavilions of the beylical palace, it was then part of a set of buildings constructed by the Hafsides. Made sadly famous after the attacks of March 18, 2015, the museum is located at the exit of the city to Beja and Bizerte, next to the university campus. The objects it houses are divided into four departments grouping collections belonging to an era of the country's history: Carthaginian, Punic, Christian and Arab-Muslim. A fifth department is devoted to Greek bronze and marble objects from the underwater excavations of Mahdia. The Bardo Museum is renowned for housing the largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world from Carthage, Sousse, Dougga or El Jem. Some of the works on display are unique, such as the mosaic "known as Virgil". These pieces are a valuable source for research on daily life in Roman Africa. From the same Roman period, the museum also has a rich collection of marble statues representing the deities and Roman emperors. Among the beautiful pieces not to be missed: the grimacing masks, the terracotta statues or the steles of the Libyan-Punic period; the Greek works discovered in the excavations of the Mahdia ship, with the marble bust of Aphrodite and finally the blue Koran of Kairouan in the Islamic department.

It is the largest Roman building in the country, registered on the Unesco World Heritage list: a must-see site! The amphitheater of El Jem is an exceptional testimony of the Roman architecture, in particular that of the monuments built for show purposes, in Africa. This amphitheater, built entirely of stone, is neither dug nor leaning against a hill. It is based on the model of the Colosseum in Rome, but it is not a simple copy of the Flavian building. Its dimensions (large axis of 148 m and small axis of 122 m) and its capacity (estimated at 35 000 spectators) classify it unquestionably among the largest amphitheatres of the world. Its facade has three floors of arcades in Corinthian or composite style. Inside, the monument has retained most of the infrastructure supporting the stands. The podium wall, the arena and the underground passages are practically intact. This architectural and artistic work, erected around 238 AD, is an important milestone in the understanding of the history of Roman Africa. The amphitheater of El Jem also testifies to the prosperity of the small city of Thysdrus (the present El Jem) during the Roman Empire.

Street vendors are numerous on the spot. Once in the amphitheater, you can take a tour with a guide or just walk around. You will be asked for an extra dinar to take pictures. At the exit (which is also the entrance), a small souvenir store.

The first mosque in the Western Muslim world, the Great Mosque of Kairouan, or Sidi Okbafut Mosque, was built around 680 by the founder of the city. Rebuilt three times, in 695, 774 and 836, it was then enlarged twice, in 862 and 875, to finally adopt an Aghlabid architecture that evokes more a fortress than a place of worship. A place of learning, the Great Mosque of Kairouan attracted intellectuals from all over the Arab world. With a unique exterior appearance - its ochre brick seems almost lustrous - the mosque has been brilliantly restored since 1962. In the middle of the ramparts, its vast marble-paved courtyard features a sundial that indicates the hours of prayer, as well as a rain collector for the ablutions of the faithful. The floor of the courtyard is marked with a multitude of holes designed to filter rainwater and lead it to the underground cisterns.

Like all primitive mosques, the Sidi Okba mosque consists of a prayer room, called " beit es Salât ", and a courtyard, " sahn" . The prayer room is rectangular, basilica type, and looks very similar to that of the mosque El Aqsâ. Both have naves placed perpendicular to the back wall, according to the order of the Christian basilicas. This superb building offers a beautiful unity despite its construction in several stages. The columns that surround it (there are more than 400 of them!), in pink or black marble, come in part from different ancient ruins of the country, including Carthage. There is also a mihrab, a niche placed against the back wall and indicating the direction of Mecca, decorated with tiles of the ninth century brought from Baghdad. The minbar, the preaching pulpit where the imam stands, is also an admirable piece, made of carved cedar wood from Mesopotamia. The courtyard of the mosque includes three galleries. Paved with stone, it offers the best angle to admire the three-story minaret, square and massive. The upper tower ends in a dome. The door frame of the minaret is made of carved stone, remarkable for the richness and beauty of its motifs. The steps of the staircase inside the minaret are all ancient gravestones from Christian cemeteries. The symphony of the columns and capitals of the prayer hall, the arabesques of the bas-reliefs, the gilding of the mihrab, the purity of the crystal chandeliers: these masterpieces make the Great Mosque one of the most beautiful monuments in the Muslim world.

If you had to see only one archaeological site of Carthage, it would be this one! The Baths of Antonin are of great beauty. You first enter the site by crossing a large park planted with trees. Just after, the view on the thermal baths and the high preserved column is breathtaking, with the turquoise of the sea in the background. These baths date back to the 2nd century AD. By their size, they are the most impressive remains of Roman Carthage and the third in the Roman world after those of Caracalla and Diocletian in Rome. Only the underground part and some remains remain today. The column of the frigidarium (15 m high), one of the twelve that once supported the ceilings of the baths themselves, has been straightened, allowing us to appreciate the splendor and grandeur of the thermal building. The site covered 16,000 square meters and, when in use, the baths could accommodate up to 200 to 300 people at a time. One can imagine the Romans coming here to take their baths, but also to take advantage of the many amenities on site. Around the thermal baths were located in particular stores. This site today in ruin was a great center of leisure, relaxation but also of business. The Romans came there once a week and stayed from one hour to half a day. The Baths of Antonin were a place of hygiene but also and especially of daily life. A visit not to be missed during your trip to Tunisia!

The Agulhas, monolithic rocks of about twenty meters eroded by the sea, are the emblem of the city, a favorite place of many Tunisians who have a special affection for it. You can reach them by following the coastal promenade from the port. Gigantic, cut and pointed, these rocks are made of sandstone of the Oligocene, rich in iron. Erosion has sculpted these extravagant shapes of reddish color forming spurs. By car, you can get there in 2 minutes, but it is on foot that you will appreciate the site the most.

Absolute heartthrob for this project, which alone justifies a visit to Erriadh and perhaps even Djerba! Open-air street art museum or work of art in itself, the Djerbahood project initially landed in Erriadh in 2014, accompanied by 150 artists from some 30 countries. Here the works of art dress the walls of a village yet well and truly inhabited. This unprecedented artistic and human project comes from Mehdi Ben Cheikh, a French-Tunisian urban art gallery owner. He proposed to the inhabitants of Erriadh, located in the heart of the island, an unusual experience: to make their village an open-air museum of street art . A total and collective work of art anchored in its environment to sublimate it. Djerbahood has allowed the restoration of the architectural heritage of Erriadh, source of a committed and sustainable tourism. In 2014 and again in 2022, masters of urban frescoes have taken possession of the walls, alleys and nooks of the village, to leave a mark, a thought, a message. In total, more than 200 murals have been created even if some have disappeared due to the wear and tear of time and the renovation of certain buildings. Djerbahood offers a bold vision of the renewal and diversification of tourism that can be achieved through the art of the twenty-first century. In perpetual evolution, this universal project has not finished revealing its inventiveness. An initiative to discover absolutely during your visit to Djerba!

The museum has superb mosaics, from neighboring sites: the first two versions of the Colosseum (two smaller amphitheaters) on the road to Sfax, still visible, have provided many mosaics presenting the shows of the circus. All the more interesting that one has the feeling to be able to compare the draft and the final version, rare fact in these architectural proportions. About thirty Roman villas, brought to light behind the site of the museum, brought testimonies of the prosperity of the merchants of the ancient Thysdrus.

A vast and luxurious residence, once belonging to the Bey and now housing a carpet temple. Even just for the pleasure of the eyes, the visit is recommended. You can see all kinds of handmade carpets, with various patterns. You will learn that the quality and price vary according to the number of knots in the carpets: it can go from 10 000 to 250 000 knots! The more knots, the more delicate the work and therefore the more expensive the carpet.

Dougga is one of the most beautiful Roman sites in Tunisia. Planted in a beautiful natural setting, many of the remains are superbly preserved.

The visit begins with the impressive theater: it could accommodate more than 3 500 spectators on 25 rows of terraces. Remains of columns with Corinthian capitals and a back wall, in good condition, frame an amphitheater damaged by the centuries. Behind the theater, to the north, the remains of a temple dedicated to Saturn. To the west of the theater was the village, with the forum and the original compass rose, a sundial on a paved square which lists the twelve winds blowing over the region. The best preserved monument is the capitol dedicated to the triad Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. It was built by a rich local family in 166, and the 6 beautiful striated columns are almost intact. They precede the main room which contained a statue of the goddess Juno. This capitol is considered as one of the most remarkable monuments of Roman Africa. Going along the forum by the path to the west, one reaches the temple of Juno Caelestis, built at the beginning of the 3rd century. There too, intact columns support a portico. South of the forum, we reach the Licinian baths, from the same period as the previous temple. These thermal baths have remarkably survived the ages: one can admire a room with 12 columns, mosaic floors as well as all the equipment of the thermal baths: palestra, where combat sports were practiced, changing rooms, steam rooms and a succession of rooms, going from hot to cold. Next to the baths is the house of Dionysus and Odysseus, which had sumptuous decorations, including a mosaic representing Odysseus charmed by the sirens (transferred to the Bardo Museum). Going back eastward, we arrive at the house of Trifolium (the clover). It is a brothel of the 3rd century whose rooms are arranged in a circle around a court. At its sides, one discovers private thermal baths, the thermal baths of the Cyclops, in bad state. One can observe latrines there: a simple stone bench in arc of circle, pierced of a dozen holes. These baths owe their name to the reason of a mosaic which was discovered there. It was then the place of heated political debates. In winter, a slave would sit there for an hour in order to heat his master's place!

Continuing towards the east, we discover the arch of Septimius Severus, first African emperor. Dated 205 AD, and in a bad state of conservation, it celebrates the accession of Dougga to the rank of municipality. Finally, we will complete the visit, further south, by one of the rare monuments testifying of the pre-Roman civilizations in Tunisia, the Libyan-Punic mausoleum of Dougga. It dates from the 2nd^century BC and was dedicated to a Numidian prince, Ataban. Supporting 3 floors and a pyramidion, this monument, of a total height of 21 m, is decorated with motives of Greek inspiration (pilasters with aeolian capitals, Ionic columns or statue of winged woman) as well as Egyptian (sphinx).

The mausoleum was damaged in the 19th century by the British, who stole the funerary plaque to exhibit it in the British Museum. The other damages were repaired by a restoration in the early 20th century. Product of a double culture, Libyan and Punic, this mausoleum has thus allowed, thanks to the inscriptions engraved in the two languages, to decipher the Libyan alphabet. A unique site!

A must-see! You are here in an oasis and not a palm grove. The latter is a monoculture of palm trees, while in the oases the cultures are varied. Here it is the culture with three stages: agriculture on the ground, a second stage of fruit trees and finally the palm trees. Huge, the oasis of Tozeur has more than 250 000 palm trees, irrigated by seguias, a network of canals fed by two hundred sources. This irrigation system developed in the 13th century by the engineer Ibn Shabbat allows to calculate the water needs according to the trees and their altitude. The place is enchanting, but given its size, the visit on foot may seem tiring. One can opt for a bicycle or a carriage ride. We enter the oasis by a small road perpendicular to the street Abou-El-Kassel or to the street Ech-Chabbi. We mark a first stop at the necessary Eden Palm which allows to understand everything about the date palm, prodigal tree, its history and its ecosystem. Continuing the walk, we pass a hamlet before arriving at the gardens of Paradise. You will be able to contemplate the whole oasis by following a track that crosses the palm grove and leads you to the Belvedere, a rocky complex west of the city. After climbing a few steps carved in the rock, you will have access to a more global panorama of Tozeur: the yellow sand of the city, the white of the chott, the green of the palm grove... You will be able to see the Sahara. The luckiest ones will even sleep in the heart of the oasis!

The theater, which was built during the reign of Hadrian (2nd century), occupies a basin at the foot of the hill. It was damaged and restored many times. Several statues, of which a colossal one of Apollo, today exposed to the museum of Bardo, were discovered during excavations. Today it hosts the famous international festival of Carthage (every year in July and August). Outside the festival, the site is less interesting because it is totally rebuilt, but it gives a good impression of the dimensions of the site at that time.

If the island has about twenty synagogues, the synagogue of Ghriba deserves a visit during your stay in Djerba. This place of prayer carries a legend that all Djerbians know: a foreigner would have come to settle in this place, alone with her tent. One night, during a storm, her tent caught fire and she died of asphyxiation, but her body remained intact and untouched. The synagogue was built on the site of the miracle and is called La Ghriba in memory of this stranger. The date of creation of the synagogue is uncertain and, another legend or reality, some say that the first stone of the building would come from the temple of Solomon. The current state of the building dates from its last renovation in 1938. The exterior architecture, in the colors of Tunisia, white and blue, does not present any real interest. By respecting the conditions of access, crossing the security portico and covering the head and shoulders, one enters this very oriental decor of glazed tiles, baroque woodwork, gold objects, silver ornaments and colored stained glass. The light is subdued and there is a smell of incense. In this spiritual atmosphere, rabbis spent (and sometimes still spend) their day chanting and singing. Comfortably seated in relaxed attitudes, they seem to ignore visitors. The Ghriba houses one of the oldest Torahs in the world: the scrolls of the Pentateuch that contain the essence of the Mosaic Law, the Jewish Law. It is locked up in the synagogue throughout the week. On Saturday, the Sabbath, the chief rabbi opens the carved wooden doors adorned with chiseled jewels that protect it, takes out the Torah and comments on it before the faithful. According to the rabbis of the Ghriba synagogue, the Jews of the island have been living in Djerba since 586 BC, the date on which Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. Taking with them certain manuscripts of the Tables of the Law, Jewish communities settled all over the world, mainly in North Africa. In 539, Cyrus, king of the Persians, authorized the return of the Jews to the holy city. Many returned, others remained where they were, notably in Djerba. While retaining their religion, they became Arabs, adopted Arab names and language, but did not convert to Islam. Early Arab literature includes some of the finest works written by Jewish poets and singers. More than 2,000 years passed until a significant decline in the community was felt with the proclamation of the State of Israel in 1948. The current Jewish community has only 650 members, almost all of whom are gathered in Er Riadh. In Djerba, the understanding between Jews and Muslims is perfect, you will probably have the opportunity to notice it by yourself in the Souks of the Jewelers or in the Jewish quarter where you may go to eat a brik. A pilgrimage is held every year at La Ghriba, three weeks after the Jewish Passover. For two days, the Tables of the Law are carried across the island. This event attracts many believers from all over the world, it is also a very popular festival for all Djerbians, whether Jews, Muslims or Christians, who meet here to celebrate together a message of love and peace. This is another illustration of the extraordinary way in which people live together in Djerba.

The ribat, on which a large paved square opens, dates back to the 8th century. Designed for military purposes, but also for religious studies, it presents a sober architecture with small cells distributed around an interior courtyard. Dominated by a nador and several towers at each corner, it also includes a prayer room. The whole is in good condition. From the top of the ribat, superb view on the city and on the courtyard of the great mosque! Even if this ribat is smaller than the one of Monastir, it remains charming despite everything!

A pretty white museum with beautiful gardens showing scenes of daily life in Djerba. All the steps of the wedding are reconstituted: from the preparation of the bride to the festivities. We also explain the crushing of olives by a dromedary, the Sufi dances, the circumcision and many other traditions. The museography is a bit old, but the overall structure of the museum teaches a lot. The presence of a guide can be appreciated. The museum's café offers a very nice view, it is the highest point of the island with 52 m!

This museum, also called "the palace of Baron d'Erlanger", is a must-see. Following the road of the cornice, above the bridge, one discovers the former property of Baron Rodolphe d'Erlanger, musicologist and benefactor of the village. It is a white and square palace, quite sober, whose construction occupied the baron for twenty years. This British dignitary did a lot for the fame of Sidi Bou Saïd, where he settled in 1912 in the house of his dreams, well in line with the Bou-Saïdian spirit: a fine architecture, integrating stucco and ceramics, Moorish motifs and luminous contrasts. Surrounded by a beautiful park with cypress and pine trees, and with the most beautiful view, it now houses a center and a museum dedicated to music.

Built between 1912 and 1922, the Enneima Ezzahra Palace ("the shining star") is considered an important monument of the Tunisian architectural heritage, where local influences and Andalusian-Maghrebian decorative elements are mixed.

Installed in the palace, the Center for Arab and Mediterranean Music (CMAM) is a multidisciplinary cultural complex dedicated to music and the various fields of musical activity. In addition to the exhibition rooms of exceptional quality, a study and research center has been opened on the premises and an animation (concerts, violin making workshop) gives even more life to the palace. The exhibition presents the most complete collection of musical instruments used in Tunisia to date. It is divided into five main groups: stringed instruments, wind instruments, percussion instruments, keyboards, and the Baron's private collection of rare Arab, European and African musical instruments.

Rodolphe d'Erlanger acquired several beautiful houses in the village in order to restore them to their former glory. One of them, Dar Mohsen, became the town hall.

The palace itself is extraordinary: all the objects are arranged in such a way that one can quite imagine what life was like when it was still occupied. The palace houses a rich collection of Arabic manuscripts, art objects of Muslim handicrafts and paintings, including works of the baron himself, because not only was he a musician, he was also a painter. In addition the visit offers a beautiful view of the city of Sidi Bou Said and the port. Not to be missed!

A website dedicated to Greater Tunis, whose vocation is not particularly tourist, but still identifies the major points of interest of the city.

Vibrant heart of the medina, the Great Mosque, accessible from the street Jamâa-ez-Zitouna, which also bears the name of Mosque of the Olive Tree (ez-Zitouna), has a classico-Roman look with its arcades and columns with capitals not very Moorish. The largest mosque in Tunis was first built in 698, when the city was founded, by the Umayyad governor Obeid Allah ibn Al-Habhab, then rebuilt entirely from 856 to 863 by the Aghlabid emir Abu Ibrahim and, thereafter, regularly reworked. It is still very much alive and continues to provide religious instruction and to gather the faithful for the five daily prayers. Its architecture presents certain analogies with the mosque of Kairouan. The hypostyle room, the prayer room, with 15 naves, has no less than 184 columns and ancient capitals, probably from the ruins of Carthage. The monument has undergone many transformations over time. The contribution of the Turks was materialized by the addition of a gallery on three sides of the court (in 1653) and the rise of a new minaret which was replaced in 1834 by a tower of 44 m, with the decoration inspired by the Hispano-Moorish minaret of the mosque of the Kasbah. The Ez-Zitouna mosque housed for centuries the prestigious university that bears its name. Its roof and its prayer room have undergone numerous restoration works since independence. The beautiful porch of the National Library can be seen next to it.

Built on the hillside, it is part of the national heritage, as is the Café des Mats or the Chaabane. In the shopping street there are craftsmen and souvenir merchants, restaurants and pizzerias. To reach the village, you will have to leave your car on the parking lot, already attacked by the souvenir shops. Paved streets climb along beautiful houses for moucharabiehs purposes, graceful iron arabesques, and where all shades of bougainvilleas attract a happy eye.

Numerous mosques of great purity are spread throughout Djerba. They are self-contained, unlike those that prevail elsewhere in the medinas of the Maghreb. The oldest mosques date back to the end of the 8th century and are ibadhite. Ibadhism is a movement of Islam advocating the virtue of work, egalitarian principles and the moral and spiritual qualities required of the guides elected by their peers. This assembly of wise men, the Azzabas, was in charge of the religious and social organization of the community's life.

Today we can see 3 types of mosques in Djerba: the mosques of the coastline, which constituted a first line of defense; within earshot of each other, they ensured a primary role of surveillance. The fortified mosques, with their massive appearance, formed a second line of rear defense. Finally, the inland mosques, sometimes underground to serve as a refuge, were dedicated, in addition to the functions of worship, to teaching and the organization of civic life. The mosques of Houmt Souk are very interesting. Their visit is forbidden to non-Muslims and we will be satisfied with admiring the exterior. The zaouia of Sidi Brahim (named after the saint who rests there) reminds a little of the Fatimid mosques. The tile dome has an original bell shape. Opposite, the mosque of the Foreigners is recognized by its multiple domes. Finally, that of the Turks, dated from the 18th century, has a minaret with a typical Turkish lantern.

A walk in this oasis allows you to discover the gardens hidden in the shade of the palm trees. Traditionally maintained for centuries by the various families who own the gardens, they provide fruit, vegetables and cereals. Like its big sister Tozeur, we practice here the three-storey crops (agriculture, fruit trees, palm trees). The oasis is also home to many birds. By car, coming from the city of Nefta, in the direction of Algeria, about 1 km away, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the oasis.