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Tunisia

We were 7 in our group in Algeria and join 9 who have just flown into Tunisia, September 20, 2023, making our group 16. Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a part of the Maghreb region of North Africa, bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east.

Known for its ancient architecture, souks and blue coasts, has a population of 12.1 million. It contains the eastern end of the Atlas Mountains and the northern reaches of the Sahara desert; much of its remaining territory is arable land. Its 810 miles of coastline include the African conjunction of the western and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Basin. Tunisia is home to Africa's northernmost point, Cape Angela. Tunis is the capital and largest city in the country.

Tunis is famous for its Medina or market place.

Mohamed our guide in Tunisia stopped these beautiful young students and asked them some questions about the schools and Tunisia in general. They spoke excellent English.

Tunis is known for its collections of front doors throughout the Medina and city. These doors are intricutely made and maintained. This is a well known restaurant Dar El Jeld in the Medina area. We were fortunate to dine here several nights later. It was excellent with ceilings over 35 feet tall.

This is a Madrasa , a school, that we stopped at in our travels through this area

Throgh this areas we find many small coffee houses that line the walls of the Medrana.

Our group is walking through another coffee area. There is no shortage of them.

Looking inside one of the shops as we pass by.

At the beginning of recorded history, Tunisia was inhabited by Berber tribes. Its coast was settled by Phoenicians starting as early as the 12th century BC. Walking down one of the narrow streets. Just a walkway really.

At the beginning of recorded history, Tunisia was inhabited by Berber tribes. Its coast was settled by Phoenicians starting as early as the 12th century BC

Walking through the souk or Medina we find a cobbler or shoe makes.

Another example of beautiful doors to the entrance of these homes.

A Madrasa also in Arabic Madrasah. This is a school of music. Madrasa, is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious, whether for elementary education or higher learning.

A popular color of yellow on a different door.

Yet another different door design.

The pastries taste as good as they look. I had to sample from time to time during the trip in Tunisia.

Walking through the Medina we see many palaces, mosques and fountains along the walk. Another coffee stop should you desire.

During our walk we had the opportunity to learn a Controversial Topic , Women's rights in Tunisia. Our speaker a young lady who is very passionate about women's rights in Tunisia. She spoke of the most progressive laws on women's rights in Muslim majority Countries. Written in the Quran, a surviving son is entitled to twice the share of a surviving daughter. Shari'a law a conduit for Islamic tradition, Yet despite Tunisia's forward progress, patriarchal values still dominate the land. A very interesting morning.

Lunch was enjoyed at Fondouk El Attarine, an outdoor setting in the Medina. The restaurant I discovered has an interesting history.

A little history of the restaurant. A fondouk, or caravansary, is a historic hotel established along ancient caravan routes for traveling merchants and their mounts.

The merchants used to sleep in rooms located on the upper level, while their camels, horses, and mules rested in the inner courtyard on the ground level. The fondouks were not only a place of rest but also a place for stocking up goods for the road and conversing with other traveling merchants. Many of these have since been converted into hotels for modern-day travelers and tourists.

The second story of the restaurant had a very nice gift shop with quality items not found in the souk outside.

After lunch we are walking the Medina with locals. It goes on and on and on.

Our guide in Tunisia Mohamed Nabli explains where we are and where we have been and are going next. Where to meet in case someone gets lost.

Gold, Gold Gold. The gold is chosen for the bride to wear at the wedding. The Koran forbids men to wear gold as it makes them feminine so I was told.

View from a roof top advantage to see the city of Tunisia. The minaret in the distance is Mosque Hammouda Pacha.

East of the Medina, through the Sea Gate, in the distance, begins the modern part of the city called "Ville Nouvelle", traversed by the grand Avenue Habib Bourguiba, often referred to by media and travel guides as "the Tunisian Champs-Élysées", where the colonial-era buildings provide a clear contrast to smaller, older structures. The large squared minaret is found at Al Zaytuna Mosque.

Further east by the sea lie the suburbs of Carthage, La Marsa, and Sidi Bou Said which we will visit at the end of our trip in Tunisia. .

Walking and looking at all the items for sale in the Tunis Central Market.

Just when you think you have seen everything a man is bathing in the fountain outside the entrance of the Medina

The arch you see in the photo is Bab el Bhar, gate of the sea, also known as Porte De France , the gate of France, is a city gate in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. It marks the separation between the Medina of Tunis and the modern city. The gate is made up of a lowered archway and topped by a parapet.

Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul in Tunis.

A visit to the the only Roman Catholic cathedral operating in Tunisia is the Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul in Tunis.

Close up of the interior

Interior of the Cathedral

Dougga represents "the best-preserved Roman small town in North Africa". The site, which lies in the middle of the countryside, has been protected from the encroachment of modern urbanization, in contrast, to Carthage, which has been pillaged and rebuilt on numerous occasions

The Roman Theater of Dougga

The Roman Theater seating from the stage area. The theater held 3,500 spectators

Looking from the Roman Theater to the from stage area

From the top of the theater seating looking to the stage area

The top level of the Roman Theater

The Capitol is a Roman temple from the 2nd century, principally dedicated to Rome’s protective triad: Jupiter

On the road Ain Doura to the Capitol. When the town was flourishing it once had 5,000 residents including villas, temples, baths, a paved street and a forum.

Side view of The Capitol. In front of photo are the pillars of the Temple of Mercury

A sun dial is carved into the stone and was used daily in its time.

Depicting the continent of Africa. Near the Capitol are the "square of the Rose of the Winds"—which is named after a compass rose that is engraved on the floor

The Capitol is a Roman temple from the 2nd century, principally dedicated to Rome’s protective triad: Jupiter

Looking toward the baths

The Bath of the Cyclopses

The Capitol is exceptionally well preserved, which is a consequence of its inclusion in the Byzantine fortification. A series of eleven stairs lead up to the front portico. The temple front's Corinthian columns are 26 feet tall, on top of which is the perfectly preserved pediment

A Roman Toilet

The Capitol seen from the Antonian Bath

Gate of Dar Lacheb in foreground

The gate of the Dar Lacheb seen from the interior of the building

After all these centuries and weather the tile work is still visible and beautiful.

Communal toilets

We stopped in a small town Majez al Bab and while walking around we met a 90 plus year old local on her way to meet her sister.

Notice the numbers on the face of the clock. The clock numbers are opposite of what we have today.

Notice also the Star of David a the base of the tower.

We met a local couple and through translations had an enjoyable conversation.

We arrive at the Market of Majaz al Bab.

A little history of this area. During World War II this area is where allied and Axis forces first collided and much of the ensuing North Africa campaign revolved around Majaz Al Bab.

Locally grown grapes

Locals shopping in the local daily market.

Local caught fish for sale in the market

Just caught fresh fish ready to take home

We are also shopping for fresh produce, fish and other items to take to our hosts for lunch later in the day.

Home grown olives from the surrounding area. They are so good too.

Lamb ready for barbecuing.

Small plaza area with lots of produce and lamb

Local butcher busy at work.

It is a busy local market with lots of varieties of produce.

Fresh fruit

During the entire trip I never saw anyone begging on the streets. Everyone works.

I really like visiting local markets. You have such great opportunities to photograph people. I am a people watcher.

Interesting looking gentleman have a conversation with friends most likely.

Squash anyone?

The home of our hosts on their large family orchid of trees, chickens and gardens.

They have 1800 pomegranate trees and 1500 olive trees. Here we have one of the pomegranates on a tree.

One of the pomegranate trees

Family orchid of pomegranate trees.

Our hosts Mageed and his wife Saud. We learned how to prepare grilled salad, mini briks. Everyone pitched in to prepare the lunch. We then sat down in their home to a wonderful meal and a great afternoon. Their son Ahmed is studying at the university how to grow crops better and take care of the land. Through their conversations we learned about their life and their family; their concerns, their activities, and their perception to life. A very interesting afternoon.

We were fortunate to visit the Bardo Museum, after its recent re opening. The Bardo National Museum is a museum in Tunis with incredible collection of Roman Mosaics found anywhere in the world. Here you see art in the museum entrance lobby.

On 18 March 2015, two militants attacked the Bardo National Museum in the Tunisian capital city of Tunis, and took hostages. Twenty two people, mostly European tourists, were killed at the scene. These are the names and nationalities of the 22 killed.

Around fifty others were injured. The two gunmen, Tunisian citizens were killed by police. Police treated the event as a terrorist attack.

The museum houses one of the largest collections of Roman mosaics in the world, thanks to excavations at the beginning of 20th century in various archaeological sites in the country including Carthage, Hadrumetum, Dougga and Utica.

The early Christian room with baptistery in the center

Byzantine era baptistery from the 6th century AD from a Parrish church in the rural town of Demna.

Matron at her toilet, 4th Century from Carthage.

Looking down from floors above of the mosaic floors

Carthage Room. The museum also contains a rich collection of marble statues representing the gods and Roman emperors found on various sites including those of Carthage.

Generally, the mosaics of Bardo, such as the Virgil Mosaic, represent a unique source for research on everyday life in Roman Africa. From the Roman era, the museum also contains a rich collection of marble statues representing the deities and the Roman emperors .

Garden areas from the Museum

Mosaic art

The mosaic works are incredible in art form as well as on the walls surrounding the art mosaic.

The lobby entrance of the museum. You saw earlier in a photo of the wall in the background displayed.

The next morning after landing in Djerba we visited the seashore and the fishing areas.

Here we find a fisherman showing us some of the crab that is locally found in the waters.

He is looking for more crab

He is giving the crap to Mohamad to show us in the following photos.

Tides out until tomorrow again

We drove to another area along the shore and found a fisherman preparing palm frowns to put in the water to help catch fish

Another method of catching fish with reeds

Still another method of baiting pots in the water and catching fish.

Now you can see the palm frowns tied together to trap fish as they swim for the fishermen.

We left the shore line and drove to the small town of Erriadh where on many of the walls of homes artists from a number of areas come to this town, meet with the owners of homes and paint incredible images on the walls. They paintings remain for only two years and the whole process happens over again. It was awesome. Enjoy the photos of the paintings.

150 street artists from 30 countries created an open-air mural museum in Erriadh, a village on the Tunisian island of Djerba and one of the oldest in the country. The project was called “Djerbahood” and was organized as the Galerie Itinerrance to decorate the village, revive it with new life, and draw more public attention to the island’s vast collection of beautiful street art.

Chickens on their way home for dinner from market. Talk about fresh chicken.

Spending almost the whole summer working on their personal murals, the artists left Erriadh on the so-called Island of Dreams with more than 150 stunning pieces decorating its walls, buildings, gates, windows, and doors.

A local stopped for a just baked bagguete of bread.

I think this was one of my favorites.

I could have spent all afternoon here just walking from street to street and building to building.

Ben Cheikh said to NY Times. “I couldn’t send artists to the middle of nowhere. But also because Muslims, Christians and Jews have lived here in peace for the last 2,000 years or so. I’m not here to aggravate anyone, but to consolidate this aspect, which I find beautiful, and together with the natural beauty of the village, provides the artists with a unique canvas.”

What a great idea. I hope more villages and cities in the world come together to do this same art on neighborhoods in their home towns. People have come from all over to enjoy this art.

This must be the ACE Hardware of the village. A little bit of everything.

The day we visited here there was a street fair stretching for blocks. A souk on the street.

What fun walking and talking with locals.

I never did find out if this was a camel parking zone. The sign was interesting.

Bargaining is the word of the day.

I am thinking this is a city map on a wall.

Best way to get it home after the sale... on top of the car roof.

We stop for lunch in Houmt Souk and walk around the area for awhile

Put some fresh fish on the barbecue...

French for National Office of Fisheries

Interesting way to sell fish

Fresh fish market for sure

A cemetery at the top of a hill.

We had a chance to drive to an area where there is a beach, umbrellas and drinks at a local hotel. Unless it is a tourist hotel no alchol is sold at any other hotel.

Driving through a local town we find high school students going to classes.

Pipe alongside the highway to carry water to outlying areas.

As you can see we are not far from the Libya border and the city of Tripoli.

Notice the 4 red circles, at the bottom of the highway sign, of items you cannot do. Bring in a Tractor from Libya. They are much cheaper there. Cannot bring in a bomb ok. No horse driven horse and buggy and bicycle strangely.

Driving to Chenini we pass through a small town. The traffic is congested for the traffic light.

We arrive at the Berber Village of Chenini built into the dramatic, rocky hills as a means of protection from Arab Tribes.

Chenini was built on a hilltop - in this instance, between two hilltop ridges - to help protect it from raiding parties.

The clever construction of Chenini was clever construction in that its rock shields the homes from wind and extreme temperatures of heat. The houses are built by digging deep into the horizontal layers of rock. The harder rock serves as the floors and ceilings of these houses.

Two of the local ladies.

See our bus at the bottom left where we started walking. We eventually ended up at the top of the hillside.

As of 2023, Chenini was inhabited by around 500 Berber farmers and herders who live in caves carved out of rock, many of which have been modernized.

A number of the homes have collapsed over time.

Lady in blue walking within the hillside

The village is facing a demographic decline as younger generations leave for Tunis and Europe in search of work. Chenini has limited amenities, and did not have Internet access until 2013. For high school education and medical emergencies, residents must travel to Tataouine, about half an hour away.

Close up of the woman we saw walking in an earlier photo.

A resident sweeping a walkway

Backside of the hill we are looking at

Little guy walking along the pathway. One of our group gave him a lollypop candy.

Walkway cut into the hillside to go from one home to another.

Mohamed showing us a former wine or water jug.

Looking down from the top. See our bus at the bottom. Where we walked up.

Looking down into the valley below

A home at one time

Our lunch today is a home hosted traditional lunch prepared by 2 sisters, our hosts, in a Berber family home, in Rus el Wad.

It was delicious with a traditional Tunisian mint tea poured from high up into a cup for each of us. A delightful afternoon meal. _1806

The village of Chenini was originally a granary.

Chenini, the village which was a Granary at one time served as the shooting location of Episode IV of Start Wars . Barrel-vaulted cells were built side-by-side, one over the other, in honeycomb-like blocks up to 4 to 5 stories high.

George Lucas largely used the sceneries of Southern Tunisia to film his two trilogies. Tatooine? A name directly inspired by the Tunisian town of Tataouine, which surroundings were used as a shooting location for the Episodes IV and I, especially some ksour of Ksar, fortified Berber village.

This village is unique due to its troglodyte houses, dug in the mountains which we had just visited. The arrangement of these caves must have caught the eye of George Lucas, given the complexity of some houses, linked between each other by a succession of corridors and courtyards.

Yours truly standing on the stairs. Originally this was an important staging point on the caravan routes into the interior of Africa, and these organic looking granaries were used as vital warehouses for semi-nomadic families to store their possessions while they were away.

The entrance into the Granary.

Driving to the Sahara Desert area we encountered a massive salt flat area. We stop at Chott el Djerid, the largest sal lake in the Sahara Desert.

Many agricultural areas have their own wells. This photo shows an item where by travelers can find water from a well and can take it to use while driving along the highway. You can pull the item out and retrieve some water.

In the rural areas of Tunisia gas stations as we know it do not exist. They consist of 5 gallon and drums of gas along the Libyan border areas. The following photos are some of the areas to purchase gas.

This location has tires and gas.

This was probably one of the best organized sites I saw along this highway in a small town.

Rural area below as we begin to climb up into the hilly areas. One gets an idea of how their homes are set up and the property with them.

We had just driven this area. Looking back at the road and landscape.

The vast area below we had just come through.

On our way to the desert area we stop at the Berber town of Matmata to experience their fascinating troglodyte houses, man made caves dug out of large pits in the ground. We are just sitting down to enjoy our lunch in one of the cave homes.

We are welcome into the home by the lady of the house who along with her daughter prepared a delightful lunch for us. Another great experience. This is her kitchen that she prepared everything.

This is the mother and her daughter.

Notice the bright colors for the area we would call the sitting room or living room of the cave home.

Saying goodbye to our hosts for lunch. Another great experience in Tunisia

I was dressed up as the royalty for the luncheon. Lucky me.

Looking down where we had lunch and toured part of the kitchen and sitting area. I walked up to the roof area to take the photo as we walked to the bus.

In the distance is our tent camp we will be enjoying the night in the Sahara Desert. Once we reached Douz, a town were all roads end at the edge of the Great Eastern Erg, the Great Eastern Sand Sea we switched to 4 X 4 Toyota's in the early afternoon.. This immense expanse of the Sahara extends hundreds of miles to the south.

After driving several hours we took a rest stop before our over sand dunes adventure the next few hours. It was definitely an e coupon ride over every sand dune we conquered.

At last we arrived at the tented camp. We had electricity from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The general area we are staying the night in tents is called Kebili Governorate, one of 24 provinces in Tunisia. It is situated in south western Tunisia along the Algerian border. .

Winds over time will sweep desert sand into heaps which, given enough sand, form into a series of hills. Here the air currents form sand dunes parallel to the prevailing direction of the wind. These dunes have long, sharp ridge lines.

Vegetation does not survive in such spreads of hot dry sand. Only in rar

This is the camp not long before sunset. The shadows on the sand make for spectacular photos. You can see how the wind changes the landscape almost hourly.

Sunset on the Sahara is incredible. The shadowing on the dunes, the sky, and the stillness make for beautiful sunset. We took several bottles of wine, glasses and a few munches to enjoy the sunset. I bit of a hard climb on the dunes to find a higher dune to celebrate the sunset.

During the night after the moon had set, I went outside and just starred up at the stars, galaxies and nature. It was an awesome sight. There is no light pollution in the Sahara. The Milky Way is so spectacular. The stars are bright, millions of them. I saw a falling star race across the sky. I really did not want to go back inside the tent even though the temperature had chilled down into the night. I must have spent 45 minutes just taking the heavens in. Then at the first crack of dawn I was back outside again to catch the first rays of the sun casting the early morning rays of light across the sprawling sand dunes.

Tent number 10 was home with bathroom and a shower. Cement floor. On my phone I have the Sky Map App which helped me identify what stars I was looking at last night. I have tented in other parts of the world with dirt floors, no bathrooms or showers, no electricity. Just bare bones. After sunrise we all headed to the dining room and had a hearty breakfast before the day started.

About an hour into our drive we find a group of camels alongside the highway

To our surprise the camels and the camel drivers were waiting for us to arrive. I have ridden camels in different parts of the Sahara and other areas of the world. It is always a fun adventure to be the camel rider.

We were walking over the sand dunes to meet the camel drivers.

Camels are among the most iconic animals of the desert. The word 'camel' comes from an Arabic word that means beauty. Camels are working animals especially suited to their desert habitat and are a vital means of transport for passengers and cargo.

They asked who wanted to be first? I was at that camel in seconds and climbing up for another adventure. This was the driver and camel I climbed up on.

The one-humped dromedary makes up 94% of the world's camel population, and the two-humped Bactrian camel makes up 6%. The average life expectancy of a camel is 40 to 50 years

Nothing like a came and his driver.. best friends. They each trust each other.

A camel can drink as seldom as once every 10 days even under very hot conditions. The camel's thick coat insulates it from the intense heat radiated from desert sand.

We had a great time riding the camels over the sand dunes for about 45 minutes.

Wind blown sand dunes constantly changing

Some of our group arriving at the end of the ride. A great day.

The town of Souk Lahad is located on the road from Kébili, where we tented, to Tozeur, our next stop tonight, just east of the point where the road begins its spanse of the large salt flats. Lots of men killing time.

The town developed as an agricultural community before light industry was introduced, as well as some tourism.

A cobbler making shoes by hand.

We found an open market day while visiting here. You could find a little bit of everything.

A main street in town.

Looking the opposite direction on the main street.

We are near an Artesian well 1,000 feet deep which up wells to the surface where it cools. Here two men are bathing in the water after it has cooled.

An above ground cooling system for a 1,000 foot deep artesian well with piping hot water coming to the surface. The water cools through this system and flows to the nearby city.

We arrive at our hotel in the town of Tozeur. Each of the accommodations is a guest house raised off the ground. This was the one I was staying in next to the dining room and pool area.

This is the area under the guest house which was lighted at night time with a hammock for rest time. The problem with this lighting was at 1:38 each morning a rooster would show up and start crowing, every 28 seconds, all through the night, thinking it was day break. This went on all night each night. I went down and tried to catch the rooster several times. Complaining to the desk did not good. If I had caught it it would have been on the dinner table that night. I could not sleep a wink either night thanks to this rooster.

Here you find the name of the hotel above the gated entrance Diar Abou Habibi.

The large wooden gates open to a beautiful interior landscape flush with plants and trees and one crazy rooster that roamed all night and slept in the day time I think.

Interior gardens with running water streams throughout the property.

Art works and decorations throughout the property.

The pool was located next to the bungalow you see in the background. I could look right down into the pool area and restaurant.

The dining room was beautiful. Tastefully decorated. The food and service was excellent.

In the mornings we woke up to a full breakfast delivered to the table on the balcony for each of the bungalows. You literally only had to step outside and there was breakfast waiting for you.

After breakfast we walked outside the gates and in just a few minutes waiting for us were horse drawn carriages to take us to explore the Tozeur oasis. The city of Tozeur is located in an immense oasis whose palm grove is considered to be one of the largest in the world. Our guide explains to us about the oasis and the important fruit that is grown here. That being the date trees. Everywhere you look you see the dates hanging in bunches on the trees growing.

Upon arrival one feels enchanted by the abundance of fruit and flowers growing in the shade of the palm trees, amidst the rays of light and the sounds of the flowing spring water, which a network of canals distributes throughout the oasis. It is explained to us as early as the 12th century, in fact, man intervened by setting up a functional irrigation system, which has enabled the palm grove to survive over the centuries, expand and guarantee a constant production of dates… the best in Tunisia!

As early as the 12th century, in fact, man intervened by setting up a functional irrigation system, which has enabled the palm grove to survive over the centuries, expand and guarantee a constant production of dates… the best in Tunisia!

The date palms are native to the Middle East and have been a part of the region's cuisine for thousands of years. Dates grow in large clusters, kind of like bunches of grapes, which hang higher than fifty feet off the ground.

Mohamed introduces to us a friend of his who has cared for these date palms all his working life practically. Through translation we learn the care and work that goes into these date palms and the date crop.

Here he climbs the date palm in his bare feet.

He actually climbed without any restraints to the area of the fruit in his bare feet. You did not find any of us willing to try this. He climbs many trees this way daily we were told.

Returning to earth. It was nothing for him to do this. Easy.

Of course Mohamed had to try it too. That is far as he got and with shoes too. A very interesting morning for all of us.

After learning about date farming we visited an area where bricks are made by hand. Talk about hard work.

This man was 62 years old and make about 1500 bricks daily. He earns about $15 a day.

Bill looking at the kilm that is used to bake the bricks once they are made and dried in the sun.

View looking into the kiln. A kiln a thermally insulated chamber, is a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects made from clay into pottery, tiles and bricks.

As we were leaving I looked back at this hard working man. I don't know of anyone that would do this back breaking work for $15 dollars a day. That is hard work.

Located close by are other people making bricks in the same way.

We drove back into the main town area where we found a produce market also selling dates right off the Date Palm trees.

Seeing these dates I wanted to discuss what I found out about salaries in Tunisia and similar in Algeria too. The 62 year old brick maker making $15 dollars a day is similar to the man we met earlier at the Date Oasis. He makes the equivalent of $15 a day for picking the whole tree in a day. He climbs up about 40 trees a day pollinating date trees by hand. He earns 20% of the take on the trees and is a share cropper on the property. He does all the work. A woman can earn $7 a day if lucky. There is 40% unemployment in Tunisia. Remember all the men we saw sitting around in the previous town of Souk Lahad. that was the reason. No jobs.

Produce market

Walk through the Medina in Tozeur

A few items for sale walking through the Medina

While driving from Tozeur to Kairouan we encounter a caravan of appproximately 70 camels crossing the road in front of us. What a treat.

There were so many camels it was impossible to shoot a photo of all of them at one time.

The sign was perfect timing too.

We say goodbye to our caravan into the distance as we motor on.

A chance meeting with the camel herder of the caravan. He was riding a motor bike. I found that strangely funny.

We stopped along the roadside to purchase some local nuts. All types of nuts.

After lunch we visit the the archaeological site of Sbeitla, an archaeological site in Sbeitla, in north-central Tunisia. These Roman ruins contains the best preserved Roman forum temples in Tunisia. It was excavated and restored between 1906 and 1921.

The Triumphal Arch, to the right in the photo, of the Tetrarchy at the entrance to the city commemorates the four emperors that governed the empire in the year 300, just before the rule of Constantine the Great.

The Public Baths

Northwest of the Great Baths are four precarious-looking stone pillars the last remnants of the Church of St Servus, which was built in the fourth century AD on the foundations of an undetermined pre-Roman temple.

Geometric mosaic floors remain in existence here, as well as in the adjacent gymnasium some are recent replacements, but they are plainly discernible.

The ruins of the major baths, east of the forum, are notable for their intricate under-floor heating system in the hot chambers, which is plainly visible now that the floors have collapsed partially.

The Gate of Antoninus, which stands at the entrance to the forum and can be dated between 138 and 161. Its inscriptions make reference to Antoninus Pius and his two adopted sons, Lucius Verus and Marcus Aurelius

Close up view of the Gate of Antoninus

The three temples. Instead of constructing only one temple dedicated to the three most important Roman gods Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, the inhabitants of the city built separate temples for each one. These are the gods that protected Rome.

The Forum, one of the best preserved in the world with the 3 temples in the background.

Great Mosque of Kairouan in Kairouan, Tunisia was founded in 670. The minaret dates from the early ninth century, or at least its lower portion does. Perhaps inspired by Roman lighthouses, the massive square Kairouan minaret is about one hundred feet, making it one of the highest structures around. So in addition to functioning as a place to call for prayer, the minaret identifies the mosque’s presence and location in the city while helping to define the city’s religious identity.

The Great Mosque, the oldest Muslimlace of worship in Africa, is large, a rectangular stone mosque with numerous columns supporting the structure courtyard.

During the eighth century, the mosque was rebuilt at least twice as Kairouan prospered. However, the mosque we see today is essentially ninth century. The Aghlabids , 800–909 AD were the semi-independent rulers of much of North Africa. In 836, much of the mosque was down most of the earlier mudbrick structure and rebuilt it in more permanent stone, brick, and wood. The prayer hall or sanctuary is supported by rows of columns and there is an open courtyard.

The inner courtyard is immense in size. We have now entered the town of Kairoun. Kairoun is the most ancient Arab Muslim base of the Maghreb, 670 AD, and one of its principal holy cities. in Tunisia. The Great Mosque, rebuilt in the 9th century, is not only one of the major monuments of Islam but also a universal architectural masterpiece.

Bread purchased daily is a staple in Algerian and Tunisian daily life. Here you can see bread just out of the oven. Still prepared for centuries in the same manner.

Preparation of dough before being placed in the oven.

Artisanship is a mainstay of small entrepreneurs all over Tunisia. They take great pride in their workmanship.

I am fascinated with the gates and doors of the homes.

Here you find a Tunisian SUV or delivery vehicle, one horse power.

Carpet making on a hand loom. For centuries this has not changed.

Fresh meat or lamb anyone. Note the temperature of the refrigeration.. oh what refrigeration? The meat is left hanging in the open air until sold.

Fresh Bread just out of the oven on its way to the souk or market. It will all be sold with a few hours. It is good too. Just break off pieces of the bread and eat with meals.

I have neglected to tell you all along our trip in cities and some highways we have had daily tourist police walking and driving, escorting us on highways and in town everywhere. Interesting. Here is one of our tourist police with us non de script. They were calling on the phone to find our locations during many of the drives. We were handed off from one person or group to another. I was fine with it.

The Mausoleum of Abu Zamaa al-Balawi was erected in memory of the great companion of the Prophet of Islam Muhammad, Abu Zamaa al-Balawi, who died in battle in the year 654 AD, while fighting the Byzantine armies and was buried at the site of Kairouan before its foundation.

Colorful tiles, columns and arcades

I was wearing shorts and could not show my knees in the mosque. I was dressed in an item to cover up my knees. .

While there a family was in the mausoleum to have their young son circumcised in a ceremony in front of all his family and relatives. He had no idea was about to happen to him.. Yikes!!

Inside the mosque portion of the facility.

Leaving a restaurant this was the view down the street walking back to our hotel.

In the evening we gather for a Home Hosted Dinner in the home of a family to experience life in Tunisia and Kairouan. What a delightful evening with many local dishes we enjoy. We had the opportunity to learn more of the day to day life living in this area of Tunisia. The family has a large popular Coffee House which is busy all day and into the evening. We walked by it several times during our stay in town.

There were two grown brothers and their families living along with the parents of the men. One of the daughters shared with us some of her handiwork sewing items. She was 10 years old and spoke English very well. Her goal was to become an English teacher. She will do very well in life. Her English was perfect.

We stopped by the shop of a local that makes incredible tile mosaic designs and works. We spent an hour or more in his business learning how he makes these tiles into works of art. Beautiful.

A number of our group purchased items that he had made.

We had a free day and had the opportunity to visit El Djem, home of the Third largest ancient Roman amphitheater in the world, which soars impressively above the surrounding buildings of the town.

Towering arches

The amphitheater was built around 238 AD located in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis in present-day El Djem, Tunisia. It is one of the best preserved Roman stone ruins in the world, and is unique in Africa.

It has underground passages still today to walk in.

This underground part of Colosseum built below ground such as the series of tunnels under the Colosseum which held slaves , particularly enemy captives, and animals while keeping them ready to fight in the gladiatorial games. The animals and slaves could be let up through trapdoors under the sand-covered arena at any time during a fight. These elevators are still visible today at the amphitheater where animals fought against humans for the enjoyment of the spectators.

Graffiti from WWII from a soldier in 1943 named Steve still exists though all time and weather. It has never been removed.

As other amphitheatres in the Roman Empire, it was built for spectator events, and it is one of the biggest amphitheatres in the world. T

The estimated capacity is 35,000, and the sizes of the big and the small axes are respectively 486 feet by 400 feet. The amphitheater is built of stone blocks, located on a flat ground, and is exceptionally well conserved.

It illustrates the grandeur and extent of Imperial Rome. Built entirely of stone bricks, with no foundations and is free standing. It is 3 levels.

View of the city from the top of the Coliseum

In the Middle Ages, it served as a fortress, and the population sought shelter here during the attacks of Vandals in 430 and Arabs in 647. In 1695, during the Revolutions of Tunis it served as a fortress again.

In the second half of the 19th century, the structure was used for shops, dwellings, and grain storage.

This was an amazing day visiting this incredible historical coliseum. Walking from the underground where humans and animals were kept to the main level where humans fought humans and animals. To sit in the spectator stands. Just thinking of what has transpired here and still in such good shape is amazing.

We departed early this morning Kairouan driving north with a stop in Hammamet, a town of white washed houses and beautiful beaches. We walk around the town and find this man selling squid.

Hammamet is a popular destination for swimming and water sports and is one of the primary tourist destinations in Tunisia. It is located on the Mediterranean.

Tourism in Tunisia is an industry that generates around 9.4 million arrivals per year in 2016 to 2020, which makes it one of the most visited countries in Africa. Much of the tourism comes from Europe.

View of the beach areas from view point on top of one of the buildings.

Tunisia's tourist industry benefits from its Mediterranean location and its tradition of low-cost package holidays from Western Europe.

The development of tourism dates back to 1960 through the joint efforts of government and private groups.

Tunisia is also an attractive destination for its huge number of important festivals. The majority of these festivals occur in summer such as International Festival of Carthage which is the most important festival in the Arab world hosting stars and bands from all over the world, and Tabarka Jazz Festival.

France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom are the four traditional tourist markets, though Tunisia has decided since the last few years to open its tourism industry to new markets such as Russia and China.

Tourism in Tunisia suffered severe blows following the Bardo National Museum attack and the Sousse attack in 2015 which we had visited in Tunis and viewed the lists of names of tourists killed.

Close to the seaside the walkways are very narrow. Almost impossible to pass anyone while walking.

It is very easy to become lost. I did momentarily several times while walking these mazes to the beaches.

While walking you can look inside some of the homes.

Many of these buildings are rented through tourist agencies.

A local restaurant overlooking the seafront with the name of the city in a square in front of the restaurant for photos.

Traffic circle in front of the restaurant.

We left Hammamet and drove another hour to the resort area of Sidi Bou Said where we had lunch and then checked into our hotel. . Our hotel Dar Said, sits up high on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean. The hotel is housed in a beautifully restored 19th-century mansion, which has been carefully preserved to showcase the traditional Tunisian architecture and design.

The breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea from the hotel’s terraces, which are surrounded by lush gardens and palm trees. A great location to unwind for a few hours after 3 1/2 weeks traveling Algeria and Tunisia.

More of the gardens and hotel rooms to the left above overlooking the Mediterranean sea.

Sidi Bou Said is a town in northern Tunisia located about 12 miles from the capital, Tunis. The town itself is a tourist attraction and is known for its extensive use of blue and white. Sidi Bou Said has a reputation as a town of artists. Below you can see the harbor and the beaches.

This town is positioned on top of a cliff overlooking the charming Gulf of Tunis and it is made up of houses painted in white and blue color. The town’s blue and white colors then blend perfectly with the sea and sky to make the view here magical.

On top of the hill is a cemetery.

Typical narrow walk way with white walls and blue window shades

Entrance to one of many residences walking up and down the narrow walk ways.

Mohamed standing among many of the souvenir shops close by.

Gardens in the hotel overlooking the Mediterranean.

Entrance to the hotel

Watching the sunset in Sidi Bou Said is spectacular. Crowds gather each night at the location we were standing a few blocks up the hill from the hotel.

Lobby of the hotel. This 19th Century mansion must have been incredible in its day. As a hotel it is beautifully restored today.

North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial. The cemetery lies between the Mediterranean and the Bay of Tunis, atop part of ancient Roman Carthage. The only American military cemetery on the African continent.

The cemetery was established in 1948 to consolidate temporary cemeteries in North Africa. The government of Tunisia granted its free use as a permanent burial ground in perpetuity without charge or taxation.

The Purple Heart medal

Wall of the Missing. Along the southeast edge of the burial area is the Wall of the Missing with 3,724 names listed as missing in action, lost at sea or buried at sea.

This Wall of the Missing stretches for 364 feet long. The names of each individual is listed alphabetically with the particulars of each person listed also. You cannot walk this distance without having tears in your eyes.

At this ancient and hallowed site rest 2,841 American war dead, most of whom lost their lives in military actions ranging from North Africa to the Persian Gulf.

Headstones are set in straight lines subdivided into nine rectangular plots by wide paths, with decorative pools at their intersections.

Walking along the Wall of the Missing I noticed a name the same as my last name Schroeder, John C, only with an extra e in Schroder. My thoughts went to family, could this be a member of our family?

At the end of this long wall of names etched in the wall reads "HERE ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF AMERICANS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY AND WHO SLEEP IN UNKNOWN GRAVES 1941-1945 INTO THY HANDS O LORD"

Lady Be Good was a B-24D Liberator bomber that disappeared without a trace on its first combat mission during World War II. The plane was believed to have been lost—with its nine-man crew—in the Mediterranean Sea while returning to its base in Libya following a bombing raid on Naples on April 4, 1943. Investigations concluded that the first-time (all new) crew failed to realize they had overflown their air base in a sandstorm. After continuing to fly south into the desert for many hours, the crew bailed out when the plane's fuel was exhausted. The survivors then died in the desert trying to walk to safety. All but one of the crew's remains were recovered in 1960.

Open Air Map Room. The map on the south wall displays operations of US and allied forces in North Africa from November 1942 to the Axis surrender in May 1943. The gentlemen explaining the war movements and battles is from Tunisia. He was in charge of the Cemetery at the time of our visit. He was excellent in the history of these battles and those that are interred there.

Notice how close we were to Sicily and how they played a part in the battles.

The different campaigns explained in relief maps.

The arrows show where many of battles took place in Tunisia.

Looking back at the Wall of the Missing. 3,724 names of Missing in action.

Among our group of travelers we had three who are U.S. Veterans. Mohamed arranged to have a bouquet of flowers which this group of Veterans laid at the alter in the Chapel in honor of those interred in the Cemetery and those that are Missing in Action.

They then saluted the fallen

Chapel. The U.S. Flag, plus the Christian and Jewish chapel flags, are left of the alter.

The early morning sun cast a shadow from the crosses onto the grass. If a cross is damaged or stained they are replaced immediately to maintain the highest quality for our fallen military.

The crosses and the shadows from the morning sun.

No matter how you look you see the straight lines the the cross form.

Name unknown. HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD

Four fountains and pools with surrounding vegetation provide a welcome oases to enhance the experience for visitors in the frequently hot climate

Fallen American Headstone. Medal of Honor Nicholas Minue

Written information for Nicholas Minue and what he did to have this honor bestowed on him.

Private Nicholas Minue , 1905–1943, Medal of Honor recipient for his bravery near Majaz al Bab, Tunisia

His place within the cemetery among his fellow troops.

Captain Foy Draper, 1911–1943, Gold Medal Olympic sprinter, 1936 Olympics, and USAAF pilot, second from left

Rows of crosses facing the entrance as you first enter the cemetery.

Capt Foy Draper was a member of the USA's winning 400 meter Relay Team at the 1936 Olyympics.

Star of David for our Jewish Veterans

One last look at the cemetery, that covers 27 acres, to say a prayer for these fallen comrades in arms. It is unknown to most people that this cemetery exists here. These are Americans that died in some of the bloodiest battles in WWII fighting in North Africa . This was very moving for all of us.

Sanctuary of Tophet history. The Tophet of Salammbo dates to the city’s founding by Queen Alyssa or Dido in the 19th century BC and continuing until 146 BC, when the city was destroyed by the Roman Republic in the Third Punic War. The Sanctuary of Tophet in Tunisia constitutes the remains of a vast number of children’s graves dating back to the Punic period of Carthage.

The presence of infant skeletons from here may indicate the occurrence of child sacrifice, as claimed in the Bible, although there has been considerable doubt among archeologists as to this interpretation and many consider it simply a cemetery devoted to infants from the early settlers.

Instances of child sacrifice by the Carthaginians, however, were also recorded in Greco-Roman sources such as Sophocles and Plutarch. Carthaginian inscriptions instead refer to the sites not as tophets but temples, sanctuaries or shrines.

Sanctuary of Tophet today. Today this eerie site can be found near the Punic Port in Tunis, covering about an acre of land. You can walk among the grave markers, viewing the inscriptions and carvings of the ancient grave markers under the shade of palm trees

The original port of Carthage.

It was not a large area as you can see.

Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classical world. It became the capital city of the civilization of Ancient Carthage and later Roman Carthage.

Scattered ruins help us to see where the mighty city of antiquity once stood, sending its fleets for trade and warfare across the Mediterranean.

Ruins of what the baths might have looked like

The city's location made it master of the Mediterranean's maritime trade. All ships crossing the sea had to pass between Sicily and the coast of Tunisia, where Carthage was built, affording it great power and influence

The city had massive walls, 23 miles long, which was longer than the walls of comparable cities. Most of the walls were on the shore and so could be less impressive, as Carthaginian control of the sea made attack from that direction difficult. The walls were truly massive and were never penetrated.

Large aquaducts transporting water in Carthage

St. Louis Cathedral in Carthage

Looking down into one of these large aquaducts

The U.S. Ambassadors residence. The U.S. flag can be see among the trees

Nearby our hotel we toured the grandest house in Sidi Bou Said the Dar Ennejma Ezzahra, the former home of a French Baron built in the 1912 to 1922 years.

The view of the harbor and beach from the front area of the house used today for weddings, private concerts and other events.

The headquarters of the Center for Arabic and Mediterranean Music is located at the Ennejma Ezzahra Palace,

The beauty and significance of the place are evident in every corner. The attention to detail, the historical significance, and the ambience are unparalleled.

Our farewell dinner at Dar Zarrouk restaurant with Mohamed seated to the left of the table and our driver at the head of the table, we dined overlooking the Mediterranean sea below in the distance. This was an awesome trip with great fellow travelers in both Algeria and now our last night in Tunisia. I met some incredible people along this journey. I learned so much that I never knew of this part of North Africa. It was a memorable and incredible adventure with great foods, places of interest and great weather the entire trip.

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© 2025 Jim Schroder