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Dar Ben Abdallah Museum
Built in 1796, one of the medinas finest former palaces houses the Dar Ben Abdallah Museum, a chance to imagine how the wealthy lived within the medina. It belonged to a high-ranking officer, and had a 19th-century makeover in fashionable Italianate style. Four of the rooms have be
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Houmt Souq Old Town
Jerbas traditional architecture is delightful and unlike any other in Tunisia. Domes dot the skyline and all is bathed in a dusty white wash. Once a market town, always a market town; theres no escaping the carpets, jewellery, ceramics, brocante (bric-a-brac), ubiquitous leather go
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Funduq des Forgerons
Nearby Souq des Etoffes, the Funduq des Forgerons no longer functions as a funduq, but still serves as a base for the citys forgerons (blacksmiths). Its like walking back a century in time, into a world of blackened faces, smoking fires, red-hot metal and constant hammering. Climb
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Medersa Slimania
Medersas are schools for study of the Quran. They declined in the late 19th century when broader education came into vogue. Fine examples - mostly still used as schools - are clustered around the Zaytouna Mosque. Ali Pasha built Medersa Slimania in 1754, a marvel of stucco and tili
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Belvedere Rocks
A sandy track running south off the Route Touristique near the Dar Charaït Museum leads to the Belvedere Rocks. Steps have been cut into the highest rock, giving access to a spectacular sunset view over the oasis and the chott (salt lake). Its a pleasant 20-minute walk. Too much la
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Zaouia of Sidi Abid el
Just inside the Bab ech Chouhada, the restored Zaouia of Sidi Abid el-Ghariani dates from the 14th century and contains some fine woodcarving and stuccowork. The zaouia (complex surrounding the tomb of a saint) also houses the tomb of the Hafsid sultan Moulay Hassan who ruled from
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Damous el
The once monumental Damous el-Karita Basilica is around 1km from the US war cemetery though its along a not very scenic stretch of road. The basilica was 65m by 45m, with nine aisles, and the remaining lines of broken grey columns clearly stake out this huge scale, if not much else
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Dar Othman
Dar Othman was built by Othman Dey in the early 17th century. His business - piracy - was obviously lucrative, and he also happened to be Governor of Tunis. The palace is a wonderful example of period architecture, distinguished by its exuberantly busy façade. Some rooms are now of
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Roman Amphitheatre
The Roman amphitheatre is about a 15-minute walk down from the Musée de Carthage. Once one of the largest in the Roman Empire, with a capacity for 36,000, today only the neat overgrown oval of the stage remains. Its an evocative place, with a sinister exposed subterranean passage w
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Punic Ports Museum
Close to Carthage Byrsa TGM station are two ancient ports, the legendary, coveted basis of Carthages power and prosperity. They are arranged so that the military port was hidden from outside, but the Carthaginian military could see out to sea. Today the Îlot de lAmiraute, at the ce
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Medersa Mouradia
Medersas are schools for study of the Quran. They declined in the late 19th century when broader education came into vogue. Fine examples - mostly still used as schools - are clustered around the Zaytouna Mosque. With an ornately studded door, the Medersa Mouradia was built in 1673
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Palaeo
The small Palaeo-Christian Museum has good displays on the Punic ports and excavation methods. First-century AD buckles, forceps and needles are among its relics. Theres a particularly fine 5th-century marble of Ganymede and the Eagle. The museum grounds include ruins of the citys
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Coliseum of El
World Heritage-listed and quite possibly the single most impressive Roman monument in Africa, the colosseum at El-Jem was also the third-largest of its kind in the Roman world. At its best at sunset, the colosseum is towering and sturdy but with sufficient sections in ruins to evok
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Kasbah Mosque
There are mosques all over the medina; interiors are off-limits to non-Muslims. The finest include Kasbah Mosque, which dates from 1235 and was once within the Hafsid citadel, which no longer stands. The minarets lozenge design pays tribute to Moroccan style, purposefully showing t
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Chak Wak Park
This incongruous, trippy park is a testament to the liberal vision of the former mayor of Tozeur. Scattered around gorgeous grounds is what amonts to a 3D education on evolution, history and religion. Highlights include dinosaur-sized replicas of dinosaurs, a gallery of icons of th
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Mosque of the Dyers
There are mosques all over the medina; interiors are off-limits to non-Muslims. The finest include Mosque of the Dyers, built in 1716 by Hussein ben Ali, founder of the Husseinite line of beys (provincial governors). It has an adjoining medersa (Quranic school), and an Ottoman octa
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Beaches
Hammamet is all about beaches. The best stretches northwest from the medina. Dotted by private hotel areas, it has plenty of public bits, and water sports facilities at regular intervals. Theres a lovely stretch outside the International Cultural Centre. If you have your own transp
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Zaouia of Sidi Mokhtar
The richly decorated, lavishly tiled Zaouia of Sidi Mokhtar, well worth a look in, is home to the Association de Sauvegarde de la Medina de Bizerte, the group responsible for Medina conservation. Displays include a fascinating map of Bizerte in 1881 - before the old canal was fille
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Souq er
This souq (market) is the closest Sousse comes to a medieval bazaar. The roof is unmistakably modern, yet the sales-pitch beneath it is age-old. Far from the tranquillity of the southern medina, Souq er-Ribba forms the commercial heart of the medina. The place is a riot of colour,
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Bardo Museum
The countrys top museum has a magnificent, must-see collection that provides a vibrant vision of ancient North African life. The original, glorious Husseinite palace now connects with a stark and dramatic contemporary addition, doubling exhibition space. Highlights are a huge stash
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