talk 754 Tunisia

TUNISIA
by Mrs. K
August 2008

Early spring of last year, I ventured to a little gem of a country - Tunisia, with an avid group of photographers from Ontario, Canada. Our group was small - eleven including our leader who is a professional photographer. From the very beginning, we were told not to breathe down his neck when he was photographing, but would be happy to answer questions and give advices. Reasons for choosing Tunisia for this venture are multifold - it is an exotic land of colours, spices, scents, many ancient sites, and a mix of authentic cultures of Arabic, Roman, and French; less costly as it is a relatively poor country; comparatively not a typical tourist destination, and therefore much less crowded for photography. We travelled in a small bus as well as 4 X 4s when the terrain gets rough, exploring the ancient sites and legendary cities, and where small towns and cities have retained their uniqueness.

Our leader

Map of Tunisia

Tunisia is about 60,000 square miles (155,000 sq km) in north Africa situated between Algeria and Libya. The east and north coastal area borders the Mediterranean Sea, the north west is mountainous, central is an agricultural region, and the southern part is the Sahara Desert. Languages spoken are Arabic (official) and French, currency is the Tunisian dinar, and the population is about 10 million. Tunis, the capital city, was considered one of the wealthiest cities in the old Islamic world. And the Medina of Tunis boasts some 700 monuments which testify to its remarkable past.

Medinas are old cities (usually walled) with maze-like or labyrinthine streets as narrow as less than a metre wide and are typical in north Africa. They usually contain monuments of palaces, mosques, mausoleums (stately tombs), fountains, and centres of trade and learning - a living museum. Souks are markets in Arab cities, with traditional shops offering the most refined merchandise, and where one can stop and watch century old handicrafts being performed. It is quite an experience to deal with vendors that sold their wares through the many corridors and pathways.

Just on the outskirts of Tunis is Sidi Bou Said, abbreviation of the Muslim saint's name who once lived there - Abou Said ibn Khalef ibn yahia Ettamini el Beji, a lovely blue and white village, a colour scheme that is legislated by the government. Sitting at a terrace cafe, perched on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Tunis while watching the sunset, was a delight to spend the first day.

Carthage is one of the ancient sites we visited in the suburb of Tunis. It was once a rich and powerful city of the Mediterranean due to its proximity to Sicily. Peppered with artifacts and buildings from ancient times, one is humbled by the engineering that went into the structures and the detail. For a bit of its history - the Phoenicians who were traders that settled in Carthage, established an empire there and then fought 3 Punic Wars (264 to 146 BC) with the budding imperial power of Rome.

The Carthaginian Empire

As Tunisia is less visited and less developed as compared to other large European cities, its ancient ruins are relatively intact without being corroded by smog and acid rain. One such example is the Colosseum in the small sleepy village of El Jem near the eastern coast. This third century built amphitheatre is almost as big as the one in Rome and in better shape.

In Tunisia, Islam is the official state religion, and about 98 percent of the population are Muslims. If one looked into the skyline, the mosques are quite apparent. Visitors are reminded that no showing of arms and legs are allowed once inside a mosque. Some years back, one of the memories of visiting Marrakech in Morocco is hearing the morning call to prayer in the early hours. There is unquestionably something moving about this haunting, age-old invocation to worship in a Muslim city.

About 40 percent of Tunisia is occupied by the Sahara, the largest hot desert on earth, and is also used most for movie sets such as Star Wars, The English Patient, and Patton. Like a creative artist, the winds of the Sahara carve endless patterns of sand dunes, ever changing, and mottled with ripples. Most of these were enjoyed on a camel back to the local fort, and cruised back just in time for a most beautiful sunset. Camels are marvels of the desert, very graceful and can be very friendly, obedient, and tame. A camel burger is very tender and tasty, and
camel meat is the lowest in cholesterol content as compared to other conventional meats and high in nutritional value. And for some the burger should come before the ride. At the Sahara, we stayed at the luxurious Pan Sea Camp which was equipped with air conditioned tents and swimming pool. Dipping one's feet in the pool after days of walking on rough terrain or having a cool beer overlooking the beautiful Sahara was another memorable delight of the trip. Other unique sights along the way are desert roses, made from glass formed from gypsum sand, and the phenomenon of mirages.

Be it the free roaming animals of the Serengetti, the vastness of the Sahara desert, or the relentless pounding of waves on the Californian west coast, all reminds us of how precious the world around us is, and will all these be still here for generations to come. Captivated by the richness in culture and history of Tunisia, the friendliness of the locals, and the laid-back feel of the country, there is a desire to return with Mr. K, just to enjoy a cup of mint tea watching a Saharan sunset.

And last, not the least, this is my memory of Tunisia .

Memory of Tunisia painting - 18in X 24in, oil on canvas

Click for Sight And Sound Of Tunisia