Ksar Ghilane

Easily spotted by the unrest in broad daylight around his emerald basin, the source of Ksar Ghilane no suggestion that a low whisper.

The big desert beetles begin their final race on sand so fine that it retains the imprint of their light legs. Latest camels join the guise of the palm where some storks have chosen to stage for the night. Within moments, the stars took over the sky.

In the silence of the night, the Sahara falls asleep, only disturbed by the lights of men and their songs of joy, rising towards the Milky Way. So will it go from contemplation of the desert is not limited to observe the magnificence of sand to infinity. The magic of the discovery of this unique world is as much in this tireless contemplation in the sense of fulfillment it confers. And there is no better way to indulge them a detour Ksar Ghilane on the road that leads to the extreme south of Tunisia.

Access it also requires some sacrifice as the track is long and chaotic, as if this green life out of nowhere trying to preserve by all means unwelcome visits.

Oasis appeared on down the road, bordered by a white village with geometric lines and any military order. It is dominated by a white obelisk commemorating the victory of General Leclerc on German armies commanded by Rommel. This former French barracks was offered the nomads who wanted to settle around the palm. The latter also unnatural. It was planted and developed in the early 1950s, following a project of the Tunisian government and after the French engineer who was performing oil prospecting had erupt in hot water instead of oil coveted.

Yet, long before the arrival of the French in Tunisia in the early nineteenth century, a wealthy nomad named Ghilane had settled here, having learned from a source at the edge of the Grand Erg of Tunisia. He had built a fortified village atop a hill overlooking the dunes to put his belongings from the frequent raids of the time. Thus was born Ksar Ghilane (Fort Ghilane) fell into disrepair after the death of the patriarch. The French have restored it hard to turn it into advanced military post; they then built a new fire station.

Chott el Jerid

Sunburnt and populated only by mirages, this world of the ephemeral aquatic leaves appear on more than 100 kilometers of extended its blinding salt and cracked clay. In ocher and dominate this arid plain lifeless mountains, men have been able to use the smallest sources to create rallying points. These mountain oases, such as Chebika, which sink into grooves parched by the desert wind, you can discover the diamond crystal clear spring gushing from the rock, turning his miraculous run in an explosion of delicious green . Some have succeeded, in ancient times, make rivers, aided by geological and climatic events of the region. 

They have, over the ages, dug impressive canyons and winding as in the gorges of Selja to Midès or Tamerza where water continues to flow in refreshing waterfalls, and whirring noise of each year of the water raging in the rainy season. 

At the end of the straight road that bisects from north to south, the Chott el Jerid, the small town of Douz forms the border with the Tunisian Sahara against which it is trying to fight to avoid being engulfed by shifting dunes. Like Fort Sabria, a former French military town lost in the sands and now a house. A Saafrane, hundreds of camels waiting on the side of the road from the tourists for a few hours to enjoy the joys of a camel ride at sunset. Some of them even try the adventure of a night in the desert under the stars.

Tunis

Older than Carthage town, Tunis was quickly eclipsed by the rapid development of high-Punic city. After the Arab conquest, it became the second largest city, after Kairouan. Great Zitouna Mosque (Mosque of the Olivier) was founded there in 732 it became the capital in 1160 and began playing a great intellectual and religious role. The historian and philosopher Ibn Khaldun was born there in 1332 Tunis continues its harmonious urban development u
ntil the French conquest in 1881 a new town, European-style, then moved to the east of the Medina, towards the sea on the other side of the Bab Bhar (Gate of the Sea) ... 

The new town's streets are straight, lined with villas and public d'édifices, city hall, post office, railway station, government buildings, shops ... The decor is often ostentatious, eclectic architecture (station area) or Arabist (departments near the Kasbah, villas in the area of ​​Passage). There are buildings built in the Art Nouveau style as the Municipal Theater, the main thoroughfare, the Avenue Bourguiba. This is one of four theaters built in this style in the world. During the 1930s and 40s, we opt for the Art Deco style symmetry, geometric decor, balconies, cornices ... Among the attractions, the Postal Museum, in the building of the station has a complete collection of all stamps issued in Tunisia, foreign stamps, postcards, old appliances telephone or telegraph transmission. The central market is buzzing. Open early, closes to 13-14 h. The walk is very pleasant and appetizing. Vegetables, fruits and fish are abundant and fresh. All around, small shops and department stores sell all kinds of food: various cereals, dried fruits, dried figs, dates, cured meats, olives large variety salty cheese ... On Bourguiba Avenue in the complex palmarium, next to the municipal Theatre, there is the vast store of the Company products Marketing handicrafts (SOCOPA). It contains everything the Tunisian handicrafts produced in different regions of the country: blown glass, fabrics of all kinds, traditional male and female clothes, silver jewelry, gold or coral, silver, copper vases, furniture, trinkets, kilims, mergoums, knotted carpets ... St. Vincent de Paul's Cathedral was built in 1882 in neo-Byzantine style. Opposite lies the imposing edifice of the Embassy of France which occupies an entire city block. After the Avenue Bourguiba, found the station TGM (Tunis-Goulette-Marsa) from which trains depart for the northern suburbs. You go through the Goulette, Kram, Salammbo, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, with terminus at Marsa. Bab Bhar Mixed between modern city and Medina, the area has remnants of the walls have now disappeared. It stands in 1848. It overlooks the street Jamaa Zitouna (the Great Mosque) and on a very busy street, bustling and picturesque that leads to the Kasbah, the Government Square. The medina is the traditional city. That of Tunis is unanimously considered one of the most beautiful countries of the Maghreb. Rue Jamaa ez-Zitouna It is lined with shops of handicrafts products, souvenirs and antiques stores. Jamaa Zitouna Mosque (the Great Mosque) This is the largest of Tunis and the most important religious center of the Maghreb countries. Founded in 732, it was completely rebuilt in the ninth century. It reveals a courtyard surrounded by pine colonnade with ancient capitals. In the vast prayer hall are hung large chandeliers of Venetian glass. The Grand Mosque is the heart of the medina, around which it is organized. There are other beautiful mosques in Tunis: El Ksar Mosque (built in 1106), the mosque in the Kasbah (1235) with its beautiful minaret, mosque Sidi Youssef (1616), Hammouda Pasha Mosque, (seventeenth century. ), the Mosque of the Dyers (1716) ... and the Sahib-Youssef mosque Tabaa, built in 1812, in the Halfaouine area has a rich decoration borrowed from the Italian style and, inside, the stucco carvings and marble polychrome. Sidi Mehrez mosque (1675) differs from traditional mosques: the central dome that covers the prayer hall is surrounded by four half-domes. The mausoleum of the saint is opposite Sidi Mehrez is the patron saint of Tunis. The domes of the mosque, stylized, are represented on the emblem of the city. Mausoleums Mausoleums and zawiyas zawiyas are many. Some reserve the visiteurx rare aesthetic emotions. So are we struck by the quality of the interior decoration of the Sidi Brahim zaouia where carved stucco Due remarkable finesse, adorn the walls and the dome. The mausoleum of Sidi Kacem Zelligi (ceramicist) houses three museums: the Museum of Ceramics, epigraphic museum that tracks the evolution of the beautiful Kufic script and a lapidary museum showing Muslim tombstones. The mausoleum Sidi Bou Khrissan contains collections of headstones and monuments ... The madrassas Madrassas schools were intended primarily to welcome students. There are cells for their accommodation, rooms for classes and room for prayer. Simplicity and sobriety delicacy characterize the architecture of the madrasahs. The largest are the madrasa Achouria, madrasah Bachya and madrasah Slimanya. Grouped in the same area, they are referred to the complex of three madrasahs. There are others, such as the madrasa Mouradya. Today, they are assigned to other uses. The souks The souks are generally streets with established stalls of craftsmen and tradesmen of various trades. Clean trades are settled near the Grand Mosque. The planes that are less are below. There is a hierarchy codified trades. In mind, the trade and commerce of fez (woolen caps), followed by perfumes, silk weaving, upholstery, clothing manufacture, manufacture slippers, weaving, pottery and down of the scale, blacksmiths and dyers ... Very close to the Grand Mosque, which runs along part opens souk El Attarine (perfumers), built in the early eighteenth century. It surprises with its stalls of another time, full of vials containing a large diversity d'essences and fragrances. v Merchants are open, friendly and love to talk about their craft. From this souk, a street leading to the Souk Ech-Chaouachya (merchants fez). The chaouachya form the one of the oldest corporations in Tunisia. These are generally d'émigrés descendants Andalusian Muslims expelled from Spain. In some of their stores, you can see some beautiful woodwork. On the Souk El Attarine open two other souks. The first, which runs along the west side of the Grand Mosque, is the Souk El Kmach (fabrics). Two doors closed the access, one of which reflects the Moorish influence on the Tunisian architecture. The second souk, Souk El Birka dates from the seventeenth century. It houses embroiderers and jewelers especially. In the middle, we see a square: it was the slave market. The souk Fabrics extends the souk Women near which is the souk of Wool and, a little further, the souk Cotton. Souk el Berka leads to Souk El Leffa where it sells all kinds of carpets, blankets and other weavings. This souk is extended by the souk are Sarragine (saddlers), built in the early eighteenth century, specializing in leather goods today. Souk El Attarine extends through the souk and-Trouk (Turks) where we find the Mrabet coffee, traditional and Mrabet restaurant offers dishes of haute cuisine Tunisia. There are other souks: Souk El-Blat, Souk el-Blaghgia, Souk El-Kébabgia, In-souk Nhas (copper), Es-souk Sabbaghine (dyers). Souk el-Grana, where clothing and blankets and was occupied by the Jews Leghorn is now selling. Dars Dar means house. The term is used today to describe the great houses of notables, usually located in a residential area away from the hustle and bustle of the souks. The medina of Tunis has very beautiful. Dar Othman (Othman Dey), which dates from the late sixteenth century, is one of the oldest and most beautiful of Tunis. It is distinguished by a majestic facade, Hafsid style and interior décor of polychrome ceramics. Dar Ben Abdallah It is a princely residence in a renovated Italianate style, which was acquired by Mohamed Ben Abdallah, a silk weaver, and then bought by a French painter, Albert Aublet. The Tunisian state the acquired and made the regional museum in Tunis. The decoration of the lobby is beautiful. In this beautiful setting, the museum recreates the lifestyle of the great Tunisian bourgeoisie of the nineteenth century gold embroidered costumes, jewelery inlaid with stones, utensils ... Dar Dar Hussein Hussein was rebuilt in the mid-eighteenth century. It is now the headquarters of the National Heritage Institute (INP). The front courtyard is gorgeous with its decorations of tiles and stucco. One can detect the Andalusian influences, Turkish and Italian. Dar Haddad built in the sixteenth century, it now belongs to the city of Tunis and is a listed building. It is distinguished by the elegance and simplicity of its decor. Dar El Bey Sis in Tunis, Dar el Bey is a former residence of the seventeenth century rebuilt in the early nineteenth century. The Belvedere Park Belvedere Park is interesting for a security. It is a beautiful space that spans a hundred hectares. Located on a hill, it offers a multitude of viewpoints to d'embrasser entire city and its surroundings. There is a great variety of trees: pine, ficus, false pepper, palm, olive, eucalyptus, mimosas ... The zoo is very nicely furnished. It contains, in large enclosures, a large collection of animals from different continents. You can admire, in addition, a d'ablutions room (midha) seventeenth century and was the souk and Trouk. It was rebuilt here. The Kubba (bubble) has an even greater interest. The building, dating from the seventeenth century, was, originally, in Manouba, near Tunis. He was transferred to Belvedere in 1901, holds the attention with its ribbed dome, columns, galleries and especially its decoration: carved plaster trimmed with tiny multicolored stained glass, Tunisian ceramics on the walls, white marble ...

Tabarka

Along the north coast succession forests of cork oaks, olive groves, fields of beans and eroded cliffs jutting out into the sea to form the Cape Blanco the northernmost tip of the African continent. This forgotten region nonetheless has various attractions, that would appeal to a diverse clientele. The followers of golf can be at Tabarka golf reserving surprises and thrills in an environment combining pines, flowering shrubs, lakes and glimpses of the sea below the cliffs. Diving enthusiasts will explore the underwater caves of the Coral Coast, named with reference to the color of fire polyps that dot the depths ... 

Music lovers will enjoy the summer to attend the Tabarka Jazz Festival, World Music Latin Music or. Nature lovers will visit the lake Ichkeul classified reserves which amount refuge of migratory birds in winter. We see particular whistling ducks, greylag geese and coots. Things to see and do - A Tabarka, walking through the typical streets of the city and the outskirts of the Genoese fort watching over the coastline from the fifteenth century, continue to shore up Needles: a set of rocks, heights of nearly 20 meters and yellow ocher to get the new open-air theater. - From hiking and equestrian proposed in the forest between Tabarka and Ain Draham. - 15 km from Ain Draham is Hamam Bourghiba famous spa for its sulphurous waters that offer courses of care for respiratory and joint problems. - Visit also the Museum of Liège located in the center of Tabarka, to learn all about the extraction and processing of this versatile material. - On the road from Tabarka, Bizerte, make a stop at Sejnane, including the old station houses many stork nests. Some are even perched at the top of mine cars. Leaving the village, we can stop to buy Berber origin pottery offered by young women.

Sousse

The third largest city, Sousse, the "Pearl of the Sahel", is very old. Founded by the Phoenicians, Hadrumète has quickly risen to the third Punic cities, after Carthage and Utica. In Roman times, it was for some time the capital of Byzacène Roman province consists of the Sahel and central Tunisia. At the beginning of the Arab conquest, it is the port of Kairouan. Today it is the capital of the Tunisian Sahel. This is a very active industrial center textiles, engineering industries, building materials ... It is the one of the most important tourist centers of the country ... 

The medina The medina has rather small: an area of ​​32 hectares and a perimeter of 2250 meters. It is bounded by a thin wall embattled. May the modesty of its range contrasts with the extreme diversity of its monuments and its lively souks that have preserved all their old-world charm. The walls were pierced by eight gates which there remain only two: the Gate of Kairouan, south and Bab el Gharbi to the west. Kasbah There was an ancient fortress. The fact remains that the Tour de Khalaf, thirty meters high, built at the highest point of the ramparts. It served as a "manar" or signal tower, converted into flagship. From there, you have a beautiful view over the medina with at Northeast, the Ribat and Great Mosque. existing buildings in the Kasbah were built around the Tower of Khalaf, between the IX and XIII century. The museum's archaeological museum is housed in the Kasbah, around two gardens Due freshness. It presents the second collection of mosaics from Tunisia, after that of the Bardo Museum. Some pieces are Due beauty saissante: Head of Medusa with a radiant decoration scales creating a beautiful effect d'optique the Ocean god, Saturn and mustache, a very graceful composition, Triumph of Bacchus, a masterful composition, Zeus removing Ganymede, Apollo and the Muses ... the museum has dismantled wealth sculptures, fragments of statues, steles, votive offerings, pottery, terracotta figurines ... the ribat fortified monastery that was part of an entire device intended to protect the coastline. The monk soldiers spent their time between prayer and action. The ribats are mostly very active religious homes. Built in the thirteenth century and later enlarged, the Ribat of Sousse was recently restored, in the 50s and 60s It is a square fortress with towers and semi-cylindrical watchtower. The entry has the form of a square porch with antique columns, capitals and corbels. Here one can find the prototype of the vault cross d'ogive. The monument also has rooms guards, prayer room, cells ... The top of the watch tower is an excellent view of the entire city and its surroundings. Great Mosque eleventh century mosque-like, with its walls of stone and large round towers, a fortress. It was perhaps, originally, a Kasbah in defense of the inner harbor. Its courtyard is bordered on three sides by porticos. Other mosques that of Sidi Ali El Ammar, the Bou ... Ftata Zaouia Zakkak This mausoleum is dominated by an octagonal minaret Turkish d'époque. The souks souk st Rebaa where the fabrics are sold, also offers tourist souvenirs. The walk through the narrow streets is very nice. It extends the souk el Caid where you can see blacksmiths workshops. In the souks, there are coffee Kahouat el Kubba in a building Xth or XIth century, covered with small columns and cupola Due room. Right next to the souks, the tank of Sofra, underground construction covered with barrel vaults. Roman origin probably, it was restored in the eleventh century. The catacombs Made from 240 galleries, they were used to IIè the fifth century. They contain some fifteen thousand graves over five kilometers. The graves were dug in the walls are stacked and sealed with tile or marble slabs. Sousse Sousse today is, after Tunis and Sfax, the third largest city. It is the capital of the Sahel region of ancient civilization or village extends the oldest olive trees in the country, that of Sfax and other Tunisian regions are creating more or less recent. Located at the seaside or slightly behind, villages - often become small towns - are numerous. The high density of settlements is one of the characteristics d'ailleurs the Sahel of Sousse. Sousse is a city with multiple functions: regional capital, large fishing port and trade, vibrant industrial center, university town ... Its natural resources and the tireless work of men has brought prosperity. Sousse tourism success has other advantages: mild climate, low and sandy coast teeming las beautiful beaches, near the northern Tunisia and the international airport of Monastir, the wealth of the region in monuments of the past ... these strengths have enabled Sousse and its region d'ajouter in all their activities, a new branch that has quickly grown considerably: the tourism sector. The area is now one of the most important tourist centers of the country. Here we find more than a hundred hotels, including about half in 4 and 5 stars. It is in this area that represents Port el Kantaoui in Tunisia hotels, is a major innovation. Based on a new concept, it is the first integrated tourist resort in Tunisia. Performed according to an architectural model based largely on traditional ways of building, the station has everything you need for a comfortable stay: golf, marina, all kinds of shops, cafes, restaurants serving cuisines finest, post office, police station, pharmacy ... All formulas are proposed accommodation; Moorish-style villas, bungalows, apartment hotels ... In the area, there has been particular interest in the animation. The results d'Aoussou Festival each year a parade of the most picturesque. It is a grand event attended by tourists and people in the region. Aqua Palace is an entertainment center that attracts with its swimming pools and playground equipment, a huge crowd. The Hannibal Park is a recreational diverse. In approximately Hergla, a carting works throughout the year. A garden plant was recently established: there are plants and exotic birds. Various other events have been established: Disconight International Boujaafar show ... They are very successful. Festival of the olive tree is at Kalaa Kébira. Restaurants of all types are very numerous throughout the area. The nightclub did not have less. Finally, the last new feature is Ezzahra Medina, a few miles of Sousse on the road to Kalaa Kebira offers a sound and light show which traces the history of Tunisia.

Sidi Bou Said

 It is an admirable point of view, from where you can contemplate, never bored, one of the most beautiful bays in the world. Sidi Bou Saïd, it is mainly a special atmosphere, a certain nonchalance that charmed, enchanted, enthralled writers, painters and musicians from around the world ... A slow pace outside, indicating a more intense inner life. Before visiting Sidi Bou Said, a center of spirituality, it must be permeated by the climate of fervor that reigns here supreme. Sidi Bou Said is primarily a promontory at the end of which Carthage installed a port. At the time of the Arab conquest, the area is selected for the construction of a Ribat, a fortified monastery ... 

Its rvestiges the current lighthouse was built from where the name "Jebel Manar" (Mountain of the lighthouse). In the early thirteenth century, settled in Cape Carthage mystic named Sidi Bou Said, who became after his death, the patron saint of the village. His name will be adopted by the town in the nineteenth century. Jebel Manar becomes, from the eighteenth century., Location preferred summer residence of notables. In 1912, Baron Rodolphe d'Erlanger there fixed his residence and began its work to protect the village. In 1915, a decree of site protection is enacted. Also the village has he been able to keep intact its traditional character. The winding streets are paved, the pristine white walls, windows lined moucharabies, doors decorated with designs made of nails. Secret gardens and shaded patios that entreperçoit in favor Due door that opens one guesses. Coffee mats, one can follow the comings and goings of walkers. It was, originally, the monumental entrance to the grand staircase of the mosque built by his side, in the early eighteenth century. Later, on a hillside, the Café Sidi chabaane, from where one has a great view of the beautiful bay of Tunis and the twin peaks of Jebel Boukornine, on the other side. The hotel is built around the zaouia mystic, musician and fine poet, whose name it bears, There are several art galleries and numerous shops selling antiques, handicrafts products such as weaving, leather and silver objects. Here you can listen to live traditional Tunisian music, the famous Malouf, Andalusian origin enriched with local influences. The famous and beautiful Palazzo d'Erlanger, En-Ez-zahra Nejma acquired by the Tunisian government, has become a museum and a space for refined artistic events, Tunisian and foreign. It is the Centre of Arab and Mediterranean Music. It retains its sumptuous furnishings and rich collections of manuscripts, paintings, carpets ... It's the instruments museum Tunisian music. At the foot of the high cliff red ocher, is the marina of Sidi Bou Said, with cafes, restaurants and hotels. In the surrounding Gammarth is a tourist area of ​​high standing, Marsa, a seaside town of a long white sand beach. It was in this city that is the famous Café Safsaf installed around a former public wells from where the water is still drawn by a waterwheel driven by a camel spins endlessly.

Nabeul

 A short distance from Hammamet, Nabeul is located which is the second tourist hub of the region. The beaches are, again, nice and wide. But the ancient Neapolis has another attraction: it is one of the highlights of a dynamic and diverse craft, whose most important branches are, no doubt, pottery and ceramics. Its ancient name Neapolis, Neapolis, is, after that of Carthage, as mentioned previously. From the ancient times, the Jewish settlement Due presence is attested. The remains of the ancient Neapolis emerged: large Roman houses, a craft complex which prepared salted, streets ... The pottery was practiced in Nabeul since Roman times, perhaps even from the Punic era ... 

The potters make glazed pottery and the porous pottery. This craft is very creative. Its production is diversified. New forms are regularly invented, new objects are born. Crafts evolves preserving its authenticity. Ceramic and are also developed. Other crafts are also thriving: plaiting, distillation of perfumes from orange blossom and jasmine, embroidery, metalwork ... There is an archaeological museum in Nabeul, a museum ... The bread market Nabeul is held on Friday. It offers all kinds of animals, products and foodstuffs. It is very lively and worth a visit.