Tunisia – January 2015.

 

No question! I am in Muslim country: the call for prayers has just been heard (it’s 5:30pm)!

Arrived to Tunis from Malta (one hour flight on a turbo propeller jet – an ATR72) and found my way to the hotel in the Medina: not easy! I am staying in an old mansion, Dar El Medina, that has been converted! Here is how it is described: “There’s no hotel like this in Tunis. Not only is it an elegant 12-room boutique in a gorgeous traditional house, but it’s right in the medina - Tunis’ UNESCO-listed inner city, founded by the Arabs in the 8th century. And it's been in the same family since it was built in 1825. Whitewashed and tiled, with latticed windows, the many-levelled mansion is a surprise after the narrow street, with inner courtyards providing light, space and shade.” No central heating though! (Heating would be required at this time of the year, if only to chase the humidity!)

The Medina reminds me of scenes in one of Tintin’s albums; same look, picturing an older gentleman in a jelaba walking down the narrow street with the tower of a mosque as a backdrop! Lots of cats in the streets – Cynthia tells me (on Skype, because she is not with me!) that is how they chase the rats away! No dinner tonight: everything is closed (Sunday night!) The hotel attendant prepared me an omelette!

The day after, it is Carthage! (See separate entry.)

Went to Bardo National Museum, in the renovated 13^th century-built palace for the beys during the ottoman-administered period (the museum was created in 1888 and fully renovated in 2009 – much too much!) and renowned for its collection of antique mosaics (collected on sites around the country, for various reasons!).

Then, around lunch time, took a cab and went to see roman ruins at Oudhna (Uthina) some 30 kilometers from Tunis. D’abord l’amphithéâtre: bâti à flanc de montagne (colline), on pouvait y assoir quelques 16,000 spectateurs. J’ai visité avec le chauffeur de taxi et descendu dans, et puis sous, l’aréna. La restauration est en cours (comme pour le reste du complexe) Et puis le Capitole, la Citerne du Forum, les Grands Bains Publics, etc. Les céramiques ont été remisées au Musée Bardo pour sauvegarde. De retour à Tunis vers la fin de la journée…

Diner au Dar Bel Hadj in the medina (lamb, again!)

La Médina tunisienne! Promenade, au hazard! Lunch sur le pouce (pizza) mais dîner avec un couple (mari et femme) de Suisses qui demeure aussi au Dar El Medina au restaurant Essayara, dans la médina.

Pour la visite à Dougga, voir l’entrée singulière sur le sujet!
I returned for dinner at the Dar Bel Hadj mainly to listen to the oriental cithare (an Iranian 8th century invention) player.
Weather: sunny but chilly (around 17 degrees) except in the afternoons (warmer); all week

I notice that for one woman dressed and fully covered (I saw only 2 on the street!), there are one hundred women that are satisfied with the shawl only and 2 hundred totally modern (without any sign of belonging to Islam). 

 Tunis, January 16, 2015