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Who has not heard of Hannibal and this city that
dared brave the might of Rome? Now the ruins of both these
great empires lay open to the sun and wildflowers. Declared
a national monument the town of Carthage and nearby
Salammbo abound in vestiges of the Punic and Roman
empires, baths, dwellings, temples, shrines and the fabulous
naval port of the Carthaginians. The hill of Byrsa, where in
the 8th century BC, Carthage was founded by the
legendary Princess Elissa-Dido, is a storehouse of history.
Newly restored, the former cathedral of Saint Louis, which
crowns the hill is now a cultural centre and the nearby
national museum of Carthage holds an impressive
collection of Punic statues, steles and urns. How strange
that this breathtakingly beautiful site should have been the
theatre of such violence, as a Roman historian wrote of the
fall of Carthage "the city was then razed and burnt
to the ground and the accursed land covered with salt to
ensure its barrenness."
As to "Sidi Bou" as the people of "Tunis" call
it; it is all beauty and charm, serenity and freshness,
delectation and pleasure. A saint protects it and since the
beginning of the century a very appraised holiday palace.
The magic village is full of treasures of architecture and
decoration and represents by itself the whole Tunisian way
of life. In the "Café Des Nattes" you can drink the famous
peppermint tea and discover the nice shops and art
galleries.
Cultural Events & Festivals :
- International Festival of Carthage (July/ August)
- Carthage International Festival of Film (October every 2
years)
- Carthage International Festival of the theatre (October
every 2 years)
- Carthage-Byrsa Festival (exhibition) (July - September)
- Medina Festival - Tunis (during the holly month)
- Shopping - Tunis (August / September)
- International fair of cars (April - Every 2 years)
- The international fair of Tunis
- Mediterranean International Tourism fair MIT (Mai)
- Fish & Sea food Festival - La Goulette (August)
- Nights of El Marsa - La Marsa (July/ August) |
