Country book · Middle East & Africa

Tunisia

Mediterranean blue, Saharan gold

Tunisia packs Roman amphitheaters, whitewashed clifftop villages and Sahara dune country into North Africa's smallest Maghreb nation. It was the birthplace of the 2011 Arab Spring and remains one of the region's most walkable, approachable countries for travellers.

Myths

What's true, what isn't

Actually true

Tunisia sparked the Arab Spring
Protests beginning in December 2010 led to the fall of the government in early 2011, inspiring uprisings across the region.
It has some of North Africa's best-preserved Roman ruins
El Djem's amphitheatre rivals the Colosseum in scale and preservation.
Women have relatively strong legal rights here
Tunisia's 1956 Code of Personal Status was among the most progressive in the Arab world at the time.
The Sahara genuinely begins in the south
Douz and Ksar Ghilane sit at the edge of true Saharan dune country.

Commonly believed, wrong

"It's basically the same as Morocco"
Tunisia has its own distinct dialect, history and much smaller, French-influenced urban centres.
"It's all coastline, no desert"
The south transitions into genuine Sahara, with dunes, oases and salt flats.
"There's no ancient history, only beach resorts"
Carthage, Dougga and El Djem hold some of the Mediterranean's richest Roman and Punic ruins.
"It's unsafe for travellers"
Tunisia's main tourist areas are calm and well set up for visitors, with a long history of European tourism.

Highlights

The best of Tunisia

El Djem's Roman amphitheatre

A colossal 3rd-century arena still standing nearly intact in a small inland town.

Sidi Bou Said's blue and white streets

A clifftop village overlooking the Mediterranean, its doors painted in matching cobalt blue.

Carthage's ancient ruins

The remains of the ancient Phoenician and Roman city that once rivalled Rome itself.

The Sahara at Ksar Ghilane

Palm-fringed hot springs at the edge of genuine desert dunes in Tunisia's deep south.

Culture

Cultural riches

Berber ksour architecture

Fortified granaries in the south, like Ksar Ouled Soltane, were built by Amazigh communities to store grain.

Tunis medina life

The old walled city holds souks, mosques and Ottoman-era palaces in a compact historic core.

A strong café culture

Mint tea with pine nuts and long conversations over strong coffee define daily social life.

Star Wars filming heritage

The southern desert town of Matmata's underground homes were used as sets for the original Star Wars films.

Food

What to eat

Couscous

Tunisia's national dish, often made spicier than its neighbours with harissa and a rich fish or lamb broth.

Brik

A thin pastry parcel fried crisp and filled with egg, tuna and parsley, meant to be eaten carefully to keep the yolk intact.

Lablabi

A hearty chickpea soup with bread, cumin and harissa, traditionally eaten for breakfast in winter.

Harissa

A fiery chilli and garlic paste used as both a condiment and cooking base in nearly every Tunisian dish.

Makroudh

Semolina pastry filled with date paste, fried or baked and soaked in honey syrup.

History

Important people in history

Habib Bourguiba

1957–1987

Tunisia's first president after independence from France, known for major social and legal reforms.

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

1987–2011

President whose government fell during the 2011 uprising that began the Arab Spring.

Kais Saied

2019–present

Current president, elected following Tunisia's post-2011 democratic transition.

Cities