On our way to breakfast, we were informed by one of the Palais Bayram staff members, that our hotel had in fact been the official residence of a senior Islamic imam in centuries past. The breakfast dining area was hidden in an upper-level part of the ‘palace’ where we had a pleasant repast and then prepared for the day ahead.
Foyer, Palais Bayram
Breakfast table, Palais Bayram
Tunis is the capital and the largest city in Tunisia and was built on a gulf at the shallow end of Lake Tunis.
Tunis was founded by the Libyans, who in the 9th century BCE surrendered the site of Carthage to the Phoenicians from Tyre which is part of Lebanon today. During the third Punic War between Carthage and Rome in 146 BCE, both Tunis and Carthage were largely destroyed.
The city was then re-established and thrived under the Roman rule but its significance as a major focal point in the Mediterranean dates really only from the 7th century AD onwards, when under the Muslim rule of the Aghlabids it became the capital.
The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V took possession of Tunis in 1535 and in 1539 the city passed into the hands of the Turks.
It was then retaken by the Spaniards who were then forced in 1574 to yield it to the Ottoman Empire. It remained under Turkish control until the French took occupation in 1881 and this French Protectorate status remained until independence in 1956.
Our guide, Samir met us at the hotel and told us of the plan to spend most of the day wandering through the old city (Medina) of Tunis.
Alleyway outside Palais Bayram (yellow door is entrance to our hotel)
Our first point of interest was a visit to the royal mausoleum of Tourbet el-Bey. This mausoleum of the Husaynids was built by Ali Pasha II in the late 18th century. Although Islam normally calls for relatively simple burials, the Turkish Ottomans of the Hanefite school gained influence and introduced fanciful, opulent and richly ornamented mausoleums. Tourbet el-Bey is an entire architectural complex with different sized domes over several rooms containing the tombs of numerous princes, princesses and other members of the Husaynids’ royal family. Each burial place is surmounted by a white marble sarcophagus with inscriptions in Arabic giving details of the life of tomb’s occupant.
Hall of Princess Zulaykha, Royal Mausoleum of Tourbet el-Bey
Hall of Husainid Princes and the Prime Ministers, Royal Mausoleum of Tourbet el-Bey
The mausoleum has beautifully decorated walls and ceilings and some sarcophagi belonging to the highest royalty, have marble columns on the top with capitals designating turbans or fezs.
We then wandered through the complex array of alleyways in the old city, observing the architecture and of particular interest were the ancient doors, tile work and window boxes.
Flowerboxes in alleyway
Door
Door
Door
Door
Fountain
One doorway we passed caused us to stop because we could hear the bleating of sheep. We entered the small dark room to find three separate, concrete walled pens each containing a big ram. The rams had white bodies and black heads with large curved horns. Each ram was restrained by a short chain attached to the floor. The attendant informed us that they were Tunisian ‘fighting rams’ and that they participate in competitions where one of the rams has won a gold medal! Apparently ram fighting as a blood sport is permitted in many African countries and although it certainly involves animal cruelty, ram fights seldom result in the death of the defeated ram, as the loser is often allowed to flee the competition arena. The three rams we observed were keen to charge at us but fortunately the chains around their necks kept then at bay.
Fighting ram
We meandered through the souks and watched woodworkers, tailors, brass-workers and other artisans at their trades. Spice, perfumery and leather goods trading appear to be common occupations. Most merchants were happy to demonstrate their crafts and to have photos taken.
Man doing silk embroidery
Silk embroidery
There are numerous mosques in Tunis but certainly the Great Mosque, at the heart of the Medina is a specialty. Its 8th century structure towers over the neighbouring souks that crowd around it. The 44 m high minaret is a landmark that we used to help gain a sense of direction in the maze of winding alleyways. Just along the Rue Sidi Ben Arous from the Great Mosque, is the Sidi Youssef Mosque. This mosque has the oldest Ottoman-style minaret in the Medina and is dated at 1616. The octagonal minaret is crowned with a blue topped balustrade and a pyramidal roof of green tiles. It looked glorious in the mid-afternoon sun.
Great Mosque
Sidi Youssef Mosque
After more wandering with the old city’s Medina we then headed to the Dar Othman; one of the oldest and most stately palaces within the medina.
The façade is fashioned from black and white marble and the interior has a rich array of mosaics, wooden ceiling decorations, magnificent paintings and an attractive central courtyard and garden.
Dar Othman Palace
Ceiling inside Dar Othman Palace
After further time in the souks we headed down to the Place de l’Independence and walked along the avenue towards the Cathedral of Saint Vincent de Paul built in the 1890s. The cathedral with its twin towers and its mix of Byzantine and Gothic architecture makes an impressive landmark in this section of the Ville Nouvelle.
Cathedral of Saint Vincent de Paul
After six hours of wandering around this fascinating city, we decided that it was time to rest so we headed back to our hotel for showers, cold drinks and a pleasant evening meal.
Drinks in our room
Tomorrow, the plan is to see a little more of this extraordinarily exciting and ancient city and to venture a little north and see some of the treasures of Carthage.