THE MEDINA OF TUNIS

A visit to the Medina, the old town, is a unique experience. It is a step-by-step journey back in time through a subtle labyrinth of light and shadow in the historic heart of Tunis, that age-old city waiting to be discovered by the observant visitor, and which will then ensnare him with its charms. This city, with its geographical and historical importance, its architectural style and typical layout, is a model of urban Arab civilization in the Mahgreb, and has been designated by UNESCO as part of mankind's cultural heritage whose preservation henceforth concerns us all.
It was founded thirteen centuries ago on a narrow strip of land separating lake Sedjoumi from the lake of Tunis, on the site of a country market, where once the great routes of Roman North Africa converged. It was here, on this advantageous trading site, that Hassan Ibn Nooman, conqueror of Byzantine Carthage, chose to built a mosque - the evocatively named Zitouna, or Olive Tree mosque. It was a significant choice, since the construction of this sacred monument would decide the future orientation of the town, which was to oust Kairouan and Mahdia and take over the multiple role and functions of capital in the religious, residential, political and economic sense.
The town is enclosed, encompassed by ramparts with gates for communication with the exterior. Self-sufficient, the town had its own houses, palaces, cemeteries, mausoleums, hammams, schools, medersas, bakehouses, storehouses, artisans' workshops, courts and gardens.
Under the protection of its patron saint Sidi Mahres, the medina developed into a close network, grouped together in knots and crisscrossed by a dense system of roads, lanes and alleys crowned with white domes, terraces and slim minarets. The city is planned to maintain haram, or personal privacy, and separates residential and commercial areas.
Thus the original commercial quarter was installed round the mosque in a square where, like cells in a hive, the noble trades were gathered : booksellers, perfumers, silk merchants, fez makers, jewelers, candle-makers, spice merchants, while the guild hierarchy pushed the noisy or dirty trades to the edge of the city.
The medina is a living entity which retains its indefinable charm and mystery while at the same time welcoming the stranger.