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Bled el
The old quarter of Bled el-Hader is thought to be the site of ancient Thuzuros. The mosque in the main square dates from the 11th century, while the minaret (mosque tower) stands on the square base of an old Roman tower.
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Zaouia Sidi Kacem Ezzilizi
Zaouia Sidi Kacem Ezzilizi is the tomb of an Andalusian craftsman whos credited with bringing tile-making to Tunis. The restored building contains some beautiful Tunisian ceramics, ranging from medieval to modern.
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National Theatre
Fabulously ornate façades dot the city. Supreme examples include the Art Nouveau National Theatre, built by the French in 1902, which has a meringue-sculpted frontage that looks as if you could crack it off and eat it.
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Archaeological Museum
The grand building on the southern side of Ville Nouvelle is the town hall. As well as housing the citys bureaucrats, its also the home of the archaeological museum. It houses some impressive finds from nearby Roman sites.
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Palais Khereddine
Palais Khereddine is on a pretty, palm-shaded square. This 19th-century palace, later split to house two schools - one for Jews, one for Muslims - is somewhat grandly named the Museum of Tunis, and hosts some excellent, free, art exhibitions.
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Oceanographic Museum
The Oceanographic Museum contains enthusiastic displays of model boats, conservation methods and stuffed, pickled and live wildlife, from giant whale skeletons to preserved vultures. Downstairs is an aquarium with some disconsolate fish.
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Bir Barouta
Here a blinkered camel walks in a circle, drawing water from a holy well said to be connected to Mecca. Stagey, yes, but the well forms a large part of the citys foundation story, and is also an important spiritual ritual for many visitors.
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Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires
The road that flanks the kasbah leads to this well-laid-out museum, housed in a sprawling, ornate Sufi complex founded in 1784. The museum concentrates on the culture of the regions Berber nomads, and exhibits include Berber tents and silver jewellery.
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Roman Villas
Just east of the Roman theatre are the Roman villas, a chance to see a Roman quarter of the city, with Villa of the Aviary as its centrepiece. You get a real sense of refined Roman life from the much-reconstructed houses - with sumptuous marble, mosaics and views.
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Carthage Museum
This gives an idea of the sites former glories, with such wonders as monumental statuary, mosaics and extraordinary everyday stuff, including razors and kohl pots. The Byrsa Quarter , an excavated quarter of the Punic city, is also in the grounds of the museum.
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Le Diwan
The immaculately restored Le Diwan is an 18th-century mansion thats now an upmarket craft shop and banqueting hall. This corner of the medina is particularly kempt, with whitewashed façades, trailing flowers and big studded doors indicating wealthy houses.
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La Marsa Cisterns
Across the road from the Roman amphitheatre is an impressive huge 2nd-century pipe network - remains of the voluminous cisterns that housed Roman Carthages water supply. The reservoir was nearly 1km long, fed by a huge aqueduct carrying mountain spring water from Zaghouan.
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Borj Ghazi Mustapha
This fairy-tale fort, on the beach 500m north of town, was first built in the 13th-century by the Aragonese. When the Ottomans captured it in 1560, they stacked the skulls of their Spanish victims into a tower, although this grim monument was dismantled last century.
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Zaouia Sidi Sahab
Northwest of the medina is this 17th-century place tiled in luminescent colours and known as the barber mosque, because it contains the mausoleum of one of the Prophets companions, Abu Zama el-Belaoui, who used to carry around three hairs from the Prophets beard.
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Ouled el
This 14th-century medina has a unique, striking architecture of pale brickwork arranged in relief patterns of endless, rhythmic variation; the easiest way in is from Ave de Kairouan. The families living here come outside to socialise come dusk – strolling at this time is quite spec
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Zaouia Zakkak
The splendid octagonal stone minaret belongs to the 17th-century Zaouia Zakkak, the medinas leading example of Ottoman architecture. Non-Muslims can do no more than admire from the street the minaret with its wonderful blue-green stone and tile work, with its echoes of Andalusia.
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Ribat
The medinas pride and joy is this 8th-century place once garrisoned by devout Islamic warriors who would divide their time between fighting and silent study of the Quran. Nearby is the wide, sunny courtyard of the Grande Mosquée . Both are in the northeast corner, near Place Farhat
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Remel Plage
Perhaps the best local beach is Remel Plage, a long stretch of sand with a backdrop of pine groves that begins about 3km southeast of the centre of town, across the drawbridge over the canal. Any bus heading east, or local bus 8, can drop you at the turn-off, from where its a 15-mi
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Museum Archéologique et Traditionnel
The easiest entrance to the Ouled el-Hadef is from ave de Kairouan. Follow the signs pointing to the small Museum Archéologique et Traditionnel, which occupies the old koubba (small domed tomb) of Sidi Bou Aissa. It houses a small collection of local finds, costumes and displays on
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Ksibah
This squat little fort, facing the kasbah , was modified by the Aghlabids, who added the attractive arched skifa (gate) and a courtyard with a set of cells - not for prisoners but for silent Quran study. Also known as Fort Sidi Henni, and has a rooftop café with good views over the
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