Discover Tunis: The Medina, Museums and Tunisian Cuisine

Tunis offers several cultural perspectives: the historic Medina, the collections of the Bardo Museum, other museums and Tunisian cuisine. The neighborhoods around Bourguiba Avenue also contribute to this picture with their architecture and urban character. If you are looking for a hotel in Tunis, these themes can help you decide what to focus on during your trip. Are you most interested in Tunisia’s long history, the Medina’s UNESCO World Heritage status, or the combination of museums, architecture and local cuisine? The following places offer concrete points of reference to help you decide.

Bardo Museum: Collections Spanning Many Eras

The Bardo Museum’s collections reflect the history of Tunisia from prehistoric times to the modern era and also include Roman antiquities. They are displayed across three levels: the ground floor and two upper floors. This layout gives the museum a specific spatial structure in addition to its broad chronological scope. Following a renovation and expansion project from 2009 to 2012, the Bardo Museum’s floor area nearly doubled. In the modern wing, the entrance hall houses the “Triumph of Neptune” mosaic; the wing also includes a large space for temporary exhibitions. For travelers interested in exploring art and history together, the collections, mosaic and temporary exhibition space offer distinct cultural points of interest.

Medina of Tunis: A Multifaceted World Heritage Site

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Medina of Tunis comprises the central Medina, dating from the 8th century, as well as northern and southern suburbs from the 13th century. The ensemble includes souks, residential neighborhoods, monuments and city gates. The Medina is exceptionally well preserved and is considered one of the best-preserved examples of its kind in the Islamic world. Its composition makes clear that the World Heritage Site encompasses not only individual monuments but also market and residential areas, as well as city gates. The difference in age between the central Medina and the two suburban areas offers another way to explore this wide-ranging historic ensemble. If you are more interested in the fabric of a city than in a single collection, the Medina offers a different focus from the Bardo Museum.

Eating in the Souks

Dishes found in the souks of the Medina of Tunis include brik à l’œuf, fricassé, kaftaji and lablabi. These dishes add a culinary perspective on the city to an exploration of its architecture and history. The availability of individual dishes may vary by vendor. So, if you would like to try one of them, check what is available locally.

Architecture and Other Museums

The neighborhoods around Bourguiba Avenue feature buildings in the Art Nouveau or Art Deco style. These neighborhoods are also known for their popular cafés and fashion boutiques. Alongside the heritage of the Medina, architecture and the city’s café and boutique scene are other themes to consider for your trip to Tunis.

Tunis is home to the Sidi Qacem Jellizi Ceramics Museum, dedicated to a 15th-century master ceramicist. Another point of interest is the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions of Tunis, housed in Dar Ben Abdallah, a 19th-century palace in the Medina. The two museums offer different thematic perspectives: ceramics in one, and popular arts and traditions in a historic palace in the other.

As you plan your trip, you can weigh these themes according to your own interests: the collections’ broad chronological scope, the multifaceted ensemble of the Medina, or architecture and culinary experiences. This can help you decide which cultural side of Tunis interests you most before choosing a hotel for your stay.

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