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Medina of Tunisia Medina of Tunisia

The medina in Tunis is classed a UNESCO World heritage site and is a marvelously intact example of urban planning in North Africa from the 10th-18th century. The main reason I wanted to visit was to find out where Ibn B's college of the Booksellers was as there is no madrasa of that name now. Jamila thought there were two possibilities; a madrasa located in a tiny impasse off the souk des attarines, or perfume souk, or the Madrasa Shamaiyah built in 1273 and one of the oldest in the Maghreb. It now houses a school of artisanal trades where pupils take 3-year courses to learn leatherwork, glasswork, embroidery etc.

The medina, or old quarter, of Tunis was built during the seventh century AD. From the 12th to the 16th centuries, Tunis was considered to be one of the greatest and wealthiest cities of the Islamic world and its medina is testimony to its former grandeur. Today, visitors can step back in time through the maze of narrow, winding streets and barter for souvenirs with the locals; goods on sale include colourful hand-made carpets, hand-crafted jewellery, copper and brassware, pottery and exotic spices. Among the more frequented attractions found within the walls of the medina are: the ninth-century Ez-Zitouna Mosqu (Mosque of the Olive Tree), the perfume makers' Souk el Attarine and Tunis's first Ottoman-style mosque, Sidi Yousef, built in the 17th century.

 
Medina of Tunis
History Medina of Tunis

Dar Ben Abdallah : This 18th century palace Dar Ben Abdallah houses the Musée du Patrimoine Traditionnel de la Ville de Tunis- the folk museum. The expositions in four ground rooms represents the life syle in the end of the 19th and in the beginning of 20th century. In one room is represented women's activities, in another - wedding scene, in third - men's daily life. The internal countryward is extremely beautiful.

Great Mosque : After paying of a small fee (2TD) you are able to enter the country yard of the Great Mosque.
The mosque is also known as Zitouna, meaning "olive tree", because its founder (Obeid Allah Ibn ab-Habhab) tought Koran under an olive tree.
The mosque was found 734, and totally rebuilt the 9th century (861-866) by the architect Fath with funds from Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir.
Though the minaret is quite new - it was built in 19th after the model of Kasbah mosque and is situated on the corner, not in the centre.

Hamuda Pasha Mosque (17th century) : similar to another mosque in Medina of Tunis - Yussef Dey mosque - but with better proportions and a richer decorations; there is a mausoleum of Miradite family tombs

Kasbah : Kasbah - the citadel town built in 12th century (by Almohdas) as a part of the fortification system. Kasbah spread over 8 hectares and included a mosque, palace, administrative buildings and barracks. Further reconstructured in Hafsid times and later in the Turkish period. Knocked over in the late 50s.

Kasbah Mosque : Built in 1231-1232 by the architect Ibn Qasim.

Youssef Sahab Ettaba Mosque : Built between 1808 and 1814 by Yussef Sahab Ettaba mosque in Ottoman style with marble from Italy. On the ground there are little shops. It has also mausoleum, medresa and fonduk.

Dyers' Mosque : known also as the Djemaa el Djedid, the New Mosque built in 1715 modeled on the Sidi Youssef Mosque

Zararaia Mosque : the only information about this mosque that I was able to find is that it was built in 13th century by Ibn Mrzouk, the uzurpator of the Hafsid throne.

El Ksar Mosque : Built in 1106. The minaret dates back to 17th century, built in Hispano-Mauresque style.

French Gate (Bab el Bahr) : The original name of this gate was Bab el Bahr meaning 'Gate to the Sea". Before French colonization this gate lead to Tunis lake. After building the colonial houses the gate 'separated' the Oriental from the European part. And the today's landmark of Tunis began to be known as French Gate (Porte de France).
Medina of Tunis
 
Medina of Tunis
Medina of tunis Facts
Medina of Tunis
  • ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE IN THE MEDINA
    A useful map can be picked up free from the Tunis Tourist Office, avenue 1 Mohammed V (00 216 71 341077), just off avenue Habib Bourguiba, which includes a walk designed by the Association de Sauvegarde de la Medina (the conservation body) that takes in the most important sites. The Associations office itself, Dar Lasram, 24 rue du Tribunal, is worth a visit, as it is slightly off the beaten track. The Dar Ben Abdallah museum, Impasse Ben Abdallah, closed Monday, houses traditional arts and costumes, and contains a detailed model of the Medina, including all the hammams.
  • THE ZITOUNA MOSQUE
    The Zitouna mosque, which dates from 732AD, stands at the centre of the Medina and was rebuilt in the ninth century, incorporating 200 Roman pillars salvaged mainly from the nearby ruins of Carthage. Built by an Andalucian architect for Ottoman rulers in the 17th century, it is one of the many examples of Islamic architecture that led UNESCO to add the Medina to its World Heritage list in 1979.
  • The medina, or old quarter, of Tunis was built during the seventh century AD. From the 12th to the 16th centuries,
  • Tunis was considered to be one of the greatest and wealthiest cities of the Islamic world and its medina is testimony to its former grandeur.
  • Today, visitors can step back in time through the maze of narrow, winding streets and barter for souvenirs with the locals; goods on sale include colorful hand-made carpets, hand-crafted jewelry, copper and brassware, pottery and exotic spices.
  • Among the more frequented attractions found within the walls of the medina are: the ninth-century Ez-Zitouna Mosqu (Mosque of the Olive Tree), the perfume makers' Souk el Attarine and Tunis's first Ottoman-style mosque, Sidi Yousef, built in the 17th century.
 
Getting There
Air: Tunis-Carthage International Airport.
Water: Ferry: Services from Sardinia, Sicily, Genoa, Naples, Marseille and Malta.
Rail: Train: Tunis Ville Station. Underground: Medina.
Road: Car: Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Place de l'Independence and Avenue de France (from Carthage).
 
Medina of Tunis
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