ARRIVAL BY SEA. The _Quay_ where almost all the steamers (p. 331) are
berthed is 10–15 min. from the hotels. The _Douane_ is close by. It is
best to entrust luggage at once to the hotel servants; if a porter
(hamal) is required his charge should be asked (usually 10 c. for
small packages, and 25 c. for each trunk carried to the cab or
omnibus). Cab (into the town 1 fr., each trunk 15 c.) and tramway (No.
1), see p. 330.
=Railway Station.= _Gare du Sud_ (Pl. E, 5; Restaurant), Place de la
Gare (Rue es-Sadikia).—Railway and sleeping-car office in the town,
König & Co. (p. 331).
=Hotels= (comp. p. 324; often full in Feb.-April). *TUNISIA PALACE
HOTEL (Pl. c; E, 4, 5), Avenue de Carthage, behind the Casino
Municipal (p. 331), with a small garden, R. 4–10, B. 1½, déj. 5, D. 7,
pens. 13–20, omn. 1½–2 fr.; *HÔT. DE PARIS & IMPÉRIAL (Pl. a; D, 5),
Rue al-Djazira 23bis, R. 3–6, B. 1½, déj. 3½–4, D. 4–5, pens. 9–16,
omn. without luggage 1 fr.—*GRAND-HÔTEL (Pl. b; D, 4), Avenue de
France, R. 3½–6, B. 1½, déj. 3½, D. 4½, pens, from 10, omn. 1 fr.;
*HÔT. ST. GEORGES, Avenue de Paris (N. of Pl. E, 2), near the
Belvedere Park (p. 338), suitable for some stay, R. 3–4, B. 1½, déj.
3, D. 4, pens. 9–12½ fr. (with dépendance HÔT. SUISSE, moderate); HÔT.
DE FRANCE (Pl. d; D, 5), Rue Léon-Roches 8, quiet site, pens. 9–11,
omn. 1 fr.—Plainer: HÔT. EYMON (Pl. e, D 4; ‘Gigino’), Rue de l’Eglise
1, corner of Place de la Bourse, R. 3–4, B. ¾, déj. or D. 2½, pens. 8
fr., good; TUNIS HOTEL & DE GENÈVE (Pl. f; D, 4, 5), Rue d’Italie 12,
R. 2½–6, B. ¾, déj. 2–2½, D. 2½–3, omn. 1–1¼ fr.; HÔT. D’ANGLETERRE,
Ave. Jules-Ferry 37, R. 2½–5, B. ¾, déj. 2, D. 2½, pens. 7½, omn. 1¼
fr.; HÔT. MAISON DORÉE, Rue de Hollande 10 (Pl. E, 5), with
restaurant, similar charges; HÔT. MODERNE (Pl. g; D, 4), Rue de
Constantine 12, corner of Rue de Bône, R. from 3½, déj. or D. 3, pens.
from 9½ fr.; HÔT. DE LA POSTE, Rue d’Espagne 5 (Pl. D, 5).—=Hôtels
Garnis.= HÔT. BELLEVUE (Pl. h; D, 4), Rue es-Sadikia 1; HÔT. RÉGENCE
(dépendance of the Hôt. Eymon), Ave. de France, R. 3–8, B. 1 fr.;
SPLENDID HOTEL, Ave. Jules-Ferry 74; ROYAL HOTEL, Rue d’Espagne 19, R.
from 3 fr.; HÔT. CENTRAL, Ave. de Paris 8; FAMILY HOTEL, Rue
d’Allemagne 15 (Pl. D, 5), near the marché (p. 333), plain.—_Furnished
Rooms_ (20–70 fr. per month) abound.
=Cafés.= _Café du Casino_, in the palmarium of the Casino Municipal
(p. 331), with a summer terrace in the Ave. Jules-Ferry;
_Café-Restaurant de Tunis_, Ave. de France 2, in the Hôt. Bellevue,
much frequented; _Café de Paris_, same street, No. 16. Arabian cafés
(p. 174) in the Halfaouine quarter (Pl. B, 2), at the Bab Djedid (Pl.
C, 6), etc.—CONFECTIONERS. _Engerer_, Place de la Bourse 1; _Wagner &
Co._, Rue d’Italie 24, and Ave. de Paris 8; _Montelateci_, Ave. de
France 7.
=Restaurants.= *_Brasserie du Phénix_, Ave. Jules-Ferry 74, in the
Splendid Hotel (see above); _Café-Restaurant de Tunis_, see above;
_Salvarelli_, Ave. de France, adjoining the Grand-Hôtel; _Maxéville_,
Ave. Jules-Ferry 63 (déj. or D. 1½ fr.); _Maison Dorée_, in the hotel
(see above); _Restaurant du Rosbif_, Ave. Jules-Ferry 56; _Restaurant
de la Poste_, Rue d’Angleterre 8.
Carriages. │ │ Voiture
│ Voiture de Place │de Remise
═══════════════════════════════╪═══════════════════╤═════════╪═════════
│ │With two │
│ With one horse │ horses │
│ (2–3 │ │ │
│ pers.) │(4 pers.)│ „ │
Drive (course) in the town │ │ │ │
(petite banlieue) │ 0.80│ 0.90│ 1.—│ 1.60
Outside the town, up to 8 │ │ │ │
kilomètres (5 M.) │ 2.50│ 2.70│ 3.—│ 4.50
Hour in the town │ 1.30│ 1.50│ 1.80│ 2.40
Hour outside the town │ 1.80│ 2.—│ 2.40│ 3.20
Day (12 hrs.) │ 12.—│ 12.—│ 15.—│ 20.—
The chief limits of the inner town are the Bardo and the Belvedere
Park. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (or in April-Sept. 11–5) a fare and a
half is charged. During festivals and races, and also for long drives,
bargain advisable. Small packages free; trunk 15 c.—There are also
TAXIMETER MOTOR CABS (comp. tariff).
=Motor Cars.= _Auto-Palace_, Rue d’Autriche Prolongée 3; _Garage
Peyrard_, Rue de Belgique 10; _Tunisienne Automobile_, Rue de Grèce.
=Tramways= (fares by zones, from 5 c. upwards; also transfer-tickets),
from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.: =1.= _Porte de France_ (Pl. D, 4), Ave.
Jules-Ferry (Pl. E, 4), Ave. du Port, _Harbour_.—=2.= _Porte de
France_, Rue al-Djazira (Pl. D, 5, 6), Ave. Bab-Djedid (Pl. D, C, 6),
_Place de la Kasba_ (Pl. B, 5).—=3.= _Porte de France_, Rue des
Maltais (Pl. D, 4), Place Bab-Souika (Pl. B, C, 3), _Kasba_.—=4.= _Rue
al-Djazira_ (Rue d’Algérie; Pl. D, 6), Rue es-Sadikia (Pl. D, 5; Gare
du Sud), Rue de Rome (Pl. D, 4), Ave. de Paris (Pl. E, 4, 3), Place
Bab-Souika, _Bab Bou-Saâdoun_ (Pl. A, 2).—=5.= _Place Bab-Souika_ (Pl.
B, C, 3), Bab Bou-Saâdoun, _Bardo_ (p. 339; every ¼ hr., 15 c.), _La
Manouba_ (p. 342; every ½ hr., 30 c.).—=6.= _Porte de France_, Rue des
Maltais (Pl. D, 4), Bab el-Khadra (Pl. C, 2), Cimetière Municipal,
_Belvedere Park_ (p. 338; Ave. Carnot, 15 c.).—=7.= _Rue de Rome_ (Pl.
D, 4), Ave. de Paris (Pl. E, 4–2), _Belvedere Park_ (Rond-Point; every
10 or 15 min., 15 c.; on week-days there and back 25 c.), _Ariana_ (p.
338; every ½ hr., 30 c.).—=8.= _Ave. de France_ (Pl. D, 4), Ave. de
Carthage (Pl. E, 5–7), Bab Alleoua (Pl. E, 7), _Abattoirs_ (to the S.
of Pl. E, 7).—For the electric tramways to _Carthage_ and _La Marsa_,
see p. 343.
=Post & Telegraph Office= (Pl. D, 5), Rue d’Italie 30; branches on the
quay and in the Place Bab-Souika.
=Steamboat Agents.= For the _Comp. Gén. Transatlantique_ (RR. 21, 22),
Banque de Tunisie, Rue es-Sadikia 3, and on the Quai Ouest; for the
_Società Nazionale_ (RR. 25, 26, 64), Florio, Rue d’Alger 1; for the
_Comp. de Navigation Mixte_ (RR. 21, 26, 64), Ave. Jules-Ferry and
Quai Ouest; for the _Hamburg-American Line_, the _Hungarian Adria_,
and the _German Levant Line_, Siebert & Co., Rue d’Italie 5bis; for
the _North German Lloyd_, Heckmann, see below.
=Tourist Offices.= _Eisen_ (travel and sport), Rue Léon-Roches 6;
_König & Co._, Rue es-Sadikia; _Pernull & Myddleton_, Ave. Jules-Ferry
39; _R. Heckmann_ (Universal Tourist Office), Ave. de Carthage,
opposite Tunisia Palace Hotel; _Lubin_, Ave. de France 5.—_Comité
d’Hivernage_, Ave. de Carthage 8.
=Consuls.= British Consul-General, _E. J. L. Berkeley_, Place de la
Bourse (Pl. D, 4); vice-consuls, _Chas. A. Goodwin_, _R. Schembri_.—U.
S. Vice-Consul, _A. J. Proux_, Ave. de France.
=Physicians.= _Dr. Domela_, Ave. Jules-Ferry 72; _Dr. Valetta_, Rue
d’Espagne; _Dr. Zammit_, Rue Amilcar (all three speak English); _Dr.
Jaeggy_, Rue d’Autriche; _Mlle. Dr. Gordon_, Rue de Rome 18.—CHEMIST.
_Heyler_, Ave. Jules-Ferry 54 (Théâtre Rossini, Pl. E, 4).
=Baths.= _Dublineau_, Rue d’Allemagne 17 (Pl. D, 5; well fitted up;
bath 1½, Turkish 3 fr.); _Bains Français_, Rue de Suisse 8; _Bains
Maures_ (comp. p. 175), Ave. Bab-Menara.
=Banks= (comp. p. 174). _Banque de l’Algérie_, Rue de Rome 18; _Comp.
Algérienne_, Rue de Rome; _Banque de Tunisie_, Rue es-Sadikia 3;
_Comptoir d’Escompte de Paris_, Ave. de France; _Cooperativa
Italiana_, Rue es-Sadikia 7; _Krieger_, Rue al-Djazira 45.
=Goods Agents.= _Meyer_, Porte de France 35; _Dana_, Rue es-Sadikia 9.
=Booksellers.= _Niérat & Fortin_, Ave. de France 15, and _Saliba_, No.
17.—PHOTOGRAPHS (and photographic materials). _Lehnert & Landrock_,
Ave. de France 17, and _Garrigues_, No. 9; _Neuer_, Rue Léon-Roches 6;
_Vella_, Rue d’Allemagne 4.—NEWSPAPERS. _Dépêche Tunisienne_, _Tunisie
Française, Unione_ (Ital. and Fr.).—SHOP for European goods, _Magasin
Général_, Ave. de France 22 (fixed prices). Oriental goods at the
_Musée Ahmed Djamal_, Souk el-Attârîn 11 and Rue d’Autriche 108;
_Pohoomull Frères_, Ave. de France 17. The Oriental articles in the
SOUKS (pp. 335–337) and even the fezes (chechia) are mostly of
European make and may be bought cheaper at home. Important purchases
should not be made without the aid of a friend who knows the country
and its ways (bargaining necessary). The services of touts, guides,
and hotel servants should be declined, as they tend to raise prices.
=Theatres.= _Théâtre du Casino Municipal_, in the Casino Municipal
(see below), entrance in the Ave. Jules-Ferry, for operas and
operettas, 15th Nov. to 15th April; _Théâtre Rossini_ (Pl. E, 4), Ave.
Jules-Ferry 48, for Italian and French dramas.—CASINO MUNICIPAL (Pl.
E, 4), Ave. de Carthage 1, with hall for concerts and varieties
(‘Palmarium’), a summer terrace, card-rooms, and American bar. The
_Pavillon du Belvédère_, in the park of the Belvedere (p. 338), is the
summer casino of the same company.—BAND on Sun. and Thurs. afternoons,
Place de la Résidence; on Wed. in front of the Cercle Militaire.
=English Church.= _St. George’s_ (‘Egl. anglic.’; Pl. C, 3), Rue
Bab-Carthagène 39, service at 10.15 a.m.
=Sights.= _Bardo Museum_, same as Musée Alaoui, see below.
_Bardo Palace_ (p. 340), week-days, at any hour; tickets at the Musée
Alaoui (comp, below).
_Bibliothèque Française_ (p. 333), week-days 9–11 and 2–4 (in summer
8–11 only).
_Dâr el-Bey_ (p. 336), daily, 9–11 and 3–5; fee ½–1 fr.
_Jardin d’Essais_ (p. 338), daily 8–11 and 1–5 (April-Oct. 7–11 and
3–6).
_Musée Alaoui_ (p. 340), daily except Mon. and great Catholic
festivals 9.30–11.30 and 1–4 (16th Feb. to 15th Oct. 2–5), 1 fr. (Sun.
free); the same ticket admits to the Bardo Palace also, if visited on
the same day.
=Two Days.= 1st. Forenoon, _Ave. Jules-Ferry_ and _Ave. de France_ (p.
333); walk through the _Souks_ of the Medina (p. 335) and the
adjoining _Mohammedan Quarters_ (p. 334); visit to _Place
el-Halfaouine_ (p. 337). Afternoon, _Bardo Museum_ (p. 340) or
_Belvedere Park_ (p. 338), or, by carriage, both.—2nd. Excursion to
_Carthage_, see R. 53.
_Tunis_, Ital. _Túnisi_, capital of the _Régence de Tunis_, and seat of
the French Resident-General (p. 323) and of the Mohammedan university,
is the largest city in N. Africa after Cairo and Alexandria, and vies
with Sfax as a most important harbour. Population about 200,000, of whom
about 115,000 are Mohammedans, 22,500 Jews, 41,000 Italians, 14,000
French, 5400 Maltese, and 250 Greeks.
The town lies in 36°47′ N. lat. and 10°10′ W. long., on the E. margin of
the narrow tongue of land (rising to 190 ft.) between the _Lac de Tunis_
(or _Lake Bahira_, p. 129) and the small salt-lake _Sebkha es-Sedjoumi_,
an old lagoon. The central part of the sea of houses composing the old
town is the _Medina_, the oldest Moorish quarter, built largely out of
the ruins of Thunes, Carthage, and Utica, and now the chief focus of
trade and industry. Adjacent, to the N. and S., are two poor quarters,
also chiefly Mohammedan, the _Rebat Bab-Souika_ and _Rebat Bab-Djazira_,
formerly N. and E. suburbs. The monotonous European new town in the low
ground to the E. of the Medina, exposed in summer to the exhalations of
Lake Bahira, is gradually extending from the _Porte de France_ (formerly
_Bab el-Bahar_, sea-gate) towards the harbour. On the brow of the hill
to the W. of the old town are the old Kasba and most of the public
buildings, almost all built under the French protectorate. Some of these
lie outside the Turkish town-wall, once 6000 yds. long, erected in the
17th century.
_Tunis_, the ancient _Thunes_, a Berber name given to an earlier
Phœnician colony, appears in history in 508 B.C. as an ally of
Carthage. In 395 it was destroyed by rebellious Berber tribes. It was
from Thunes that Agathocles (p. 163) and Regulus (p. 345) advanced
against Carthage, and here, after the first Punic war, the
discontented mercenaries from Sicca Veneria (p. 360) established
themselves. Tunis was probably destroyed by the Romans at the same
time as Carthage (146 B.C.) and rebuilt later. After the downfall of
Carthage Utica (p. 353) entered into the heritage of her proud
neighbour, but for a short time only; for from 29 B.C. onwards
Carthage resumed her ancient supremacy and continued to flourish down
to her second destruction in 698 A.D. This time Tunis was her natural
successor. But the nomadic Arabs, being ignorant of navigation, and
the Aglabides (p. 323) preferred Kairwan (p. 372), which had recently
been founded in the heart of the Tunisian steppe; and the succeeding
Fatimite and Zirite dynasties favoured the Sahel, with Mehdia (p. 369)
as their new capital, to the detriment of N. Tunisia. At length, under
the Hafsides (1206–1573; p. 323), Tunis became the capital, and
rapidly grew to be the greatest and fairest city in the land, as well
as a zealous promoter of the glorious Moorish art and science of the
13th and 14th centuries. The most distinguished of the Hafside
sovereigns was Abû Abdallah Mohammed el-Mostanser Billah, who in 1270
defended his capital successfully against Louis IX., the Saint (p.
346). After the decline of that dynasty at the close of the 15th cent.
and the capture of Tunis by Kheireddin (p. 221) in 1534, the city was
attacked by the Spaniards in three different campaigns (p. 323), and
was conquered four times by the Turks and the Algerians (in 1569,
1573, 1689, and 1757); yet in the 17th and 18th centuries, thanks to
its Oriental trade and the booty of its pirates, it again enjoyed
great prosperity.
The only mediæval buildings in the old town which have survived all
these vicissitudes are three mosques, now much modernized. The
distinctive character of the present town is of Mauro-Turkish origin.
Those who cross the threshold of the Orient here for the first time
will be specially struck with the narrow and crooked lanes of the
Mohammedan quarters, only 12–16 ft. wide, with the motley crowd in the
Souks (p. 335), and with the picturesque concourse of all the tribes
of N. Africa and the Sahara. The poor Jewish quarter (p. 337) is less
interesting. The strange costume of the women, with their kufias or
sugar-loaf hats, loose jackets, and tight-fitting trousers, is now
rarely seen except on members of the older generation, while the
pretty, old-fashioned costume of the girls is a thing of the past.
_John Howard Payne_ (b. 1792), author of ‘Home, Sweet Home’, was
United States consul at Tunis from 1842 until his death in 1852.
a. The New Town.
From the _Harbour_ (Port; see inset map, Pl. E, 1), which together with
the Bahira Canal (p. 129) was constructed in 1888–96, the short Avenue
du Port (tramway No. 1, p. 330) leads through the _Piccola Sicilia_, a
group of workmen’s huts, into the town, ending at the bronze statue of
_Jules Ferry_ (1832–93), the French statesman who brought about the
occupation of Tunisia.
The AVENUE JULES-FERRY (Pl. E, 4), or AVENUE DE LA MARINE, the finest
street in the new town, 66 yds. wide and 710 yds. long, is planted with
double avenues of fig-trees. On the left, just beyond the divergence, to
the right and left, of the unfinished Avenue de Paris (p. 338) and
Avenue de Carthage (Pl. E, 5–7), which together are 2¼ M. long, rises
the _Casino Municipal_ (Pl. E, 4; p. 331).
The Ave. Jules-Ferry ends at the PLACE DE LA RÉSIDENCE (Pl. D, 4; band,
see p. 331), the centre of the new town. To the left, on the S. side,
rises the =Palais de la Résidence= (Pl. D, E, 4), or _Maison de France_,
built in 1856–60 for the French consulate (see p. 334), and tastefully
remodelled in 1890–2 by _Dupertuys_ as a dwelling for the
resident-general. The beautiful garden is not accessible. Opposite the
Residence is the =Cathedral= (Pl. D, 4); erected in 1893–7. The Rue
es-Sadikia leads to the S. from the W. end of the square to the _Gare du
Sud_ (p. 329).
The Ave. Jules-Ferry is continued by the much narrower AVENUE DE FRANCE
(Pl. D, 4), intersecting the older European quarter, the favourite
promenade of the town. A little to the S. of it, in the Rue d’Italie,
which leads to the _Post and Telegraph Office_ (Pl. D, 5), is the
_Marché_ (Pl. D, 5; interesting from 7 to 10 a.m.).
In the Rue de Russie, the southmost street in this quarter, is the
_Bibliothèque Française_ (Pl. D, 5; adm., see p. 331), which is well
supplied with literature relating to N. Africa.
b. The Old Town.
At the W. end of the Ave. de France (p. 333), the starting-point of
several tramway-lines (see p. 330), is the Porte de France (p. 332), and
beyond it lies the PLACE DE LA BOURSE (Pl. D, 4), which presents a busy
scene all day. In and near this square are most of the =Consulates=
(British among others), as during the Turkish period. The old _French
Consulate_ (about 1650 to 1860), which served also as a warehouse
(fondouk), is at No. 15 Rue de l’Ancienne-Douane.
To the W. from the Place de la Bourse run the two chief thoroughfares of
the Medina. To the right is the RUE DE LA KASBA (Pl. D, C, 4, 5; p.
336), leading past the Jewish quarter (p. 337) and the _Souk el-Grana_
(Pl. C, 4) to the upper boulevards (p. 336), to which it is the chief
approach. To the left is the RUE DE L’EGLISE (Pl. D, C, 4, 5), leading
direct to the Souks of the Medina, the main business street of the
Christian merchants in the Turkish period.
We follow the Rue de l’Eglise. On the left is the small church of _Ste.
Croix_ (Pl. C, D, 4, 5; 1662), to which the street owes its name. Then,
on the right, is the _Administration des Habous_, the headquarters of
the Mohammedan pious foundations. Lastly we pass through a vaulted
passage under the _Direction des Antiquités_.
The Rue de l’Eglise ends at the Rue de Djamâa ez-Zitouna, on the E. side
of the chief mosque, the =Djamâa ez-Zitouna= (Pl. C, 5), which is said
to trace its origin to the tomb of St. Oliva of Palermo, a Christian
saint revered even by many Mohammedans. The mosque was founded in 732 by
Obeïd Allah ibn el-Habbab, enlarged by the Aglabide Sijadet Allah I. (p.
374), and repeatedly altered under the Hafsides. When Tunis was
plundered by the troops of Emp. Charles V. the mosque was used as a
stable. Since then the edifice has been much modernized, and is lavishly
adorned with spoils from Carthage. The chief portal, behind the
colonnade in the Rue de Djamâa ez-Zitouna, where on Fridays the clergy
receive the Sheikh ul-Islam, or supreme pontiff, and the side-portal in
the Souk des Etoffes (p. 335) have each an ornamental ancient pillar as
a lintel. The many-aisled interior, with its 161 columns and two domes
over the nave, is similar in plan to the Sidi Okba Mosque at Kairwan (p.
374). The new minaret, 145 ft. high, erected in the Andalusian style by
_Si Slîmân Ennigro_ in 1894, is a free copy of the old tower. The pile
of buildings is best surveyed from the roof of the Dâr el-Bey (p. 336).
The mosque serves also as a lecture-room for the Mohammedan
_University_. The instruction is under the direction of the Sheikh
ul-Islam; there are about a hundred teachers and 400 students.
Admittance to the twenty-two medersas, or colleges, for students from
other parts of the country, and to the library famed for 7000 Oriental
MSS. is granted to none but Mohammedans.
The Zitouna Mosque lies in the region of the *=Souks= (Pl. C, 5; Arabic
_sûk_, market), the market quarter of the Medina, dating from the
Hafside period (13th cent.). As usual in the East the lanes are roofed
over. The small narrow shops are shut in by a counter, over which the
trader swings himself into his seat with the aid of a rope. Most trades
have their own streets. It is interesting to watch the people at work in
those souks where the wares are made on the spot. The larger bazaars in
some of the streets are designed solely to attract foreigners. The
busiest time is the early morning. Friday is the Mohammedan, and
Saturday the Jewish day of rest. As to purchases, see p. 331. In and
near the Souks are many small Arab coffee-houses and barbers’ shops.
From the Rue de Djamâa ez-Zitouna we turn to the right to visit the
=Souk el-Attârîn=, the spice-market, founded in 1249. Besides the
spices and perfumes sold here (such as essence of jasmine and
rose-geranium, sometimes palmed off on strangers as attar of roses),
we observe amber, dried henna-leaves, henna-powder (p. 108), and the
big candles, often branched, which are used at weddings and for the
tombs of saints.—The side-street to the right, opposite the N. side of
the mosque, is the _Souk el-Blagdjia_, for leather-wares.
At the W. end of the spice-market, to the left, opposite the Rue Sidi
Ben-Arous (see below), is the =Souk des Etoffes=, on the W. side of
the mosque, with its display of silk and woollen stuffs, carpets from
Kairwan, and rugs from the Djerid (p. 386) and from Djerba (p. 393).
Adjoining the Souk des Etoffes is the busy _Souk des Femmes_, the only
one frequented by Mohammedan women, where female apparel, trinkets,
and slippers of Saffian leather (p. 109) are sold.
Between these two souks the _Souk el-Leffa_ (Pl. C, 5), off which, on
the right, is the _Souk el-Kebabdjia_ (lace), leads to the *=Souk
Sekajine=, the saddle-market, where, among gorgeous caparisons
embroidered in gold and silver, we are specially struck with the
ornaments worn by horses at the fantasias (p. 99).
We return to the Souk el-Leffa. Thence, to the left, we follow the
short _Souk ed-Dziria_, past the _Hôpital Sadiki_ (Pl. B, C, 5),
destined for natives, to the—
Rue Sidi Ben-Ziad, on the S. side of the Dâr el-Bey (p. 336). The
small _Sidi Youssef Mosque_ (‘Mosquée’; Pl. C, 5), belonging to the
Hanefites (p. 445), with the handsome tomb of the founder and an
octagonal minaret, dates from 1610–37.—At the lower end of the street,
where the Souk el-Bey branches off to the left to the Place de la
Kasba, we turn to the right into the—
=Souk el-Berka=, the slave-market, which was abolished only in 1842.
Down to 1816 Christians captured by the pirates were sold here by
auction. This is now the seat of the silversmiths, goldsmiths, and
dealers in antiquities, mostly Jews. The best of their gold trinkets
are from Paris; the fine silver filigree is Genoese or Maltese; the
ancient coins are often spurious.
From the Souk el-Berka the _Souk el-Trouk_, the street of the tailors,
almost all Jews, who make the rich costumes of the Moslems, leads back
to the Souk el-Attârîn.
From the N.W. angle of the Zitouna Mosque the Rue Sidi Ben-Arous leads
into the Rue de la Kasba (p. 334). At the junction of these streets,
adjoining the burial-chapel of _Mohammed Murad Bey_ (d. 1705), is the
Hanefite _Mosque of Sidi ben-Arous_ (Pl. C, 5), of 1654, similar in plan
to that of Sidi Youssef (p. 335), with an elegant minaret.
The Rue de la Kasba ends at the PLACE DE LA KASBA (Pl. B, C, 5), with
its charming grounds.
On the S. side of this square rises the =Dâr el-Bey= (Pl. B, C, 5), the
largest pile of buildings in the Medina, erected in 1810 on the
foundations of a Roman theatre(?) by Moroccan architects under Hamuda
Bey as his town-palace. It is now the seat of the French
secretary-general and other authorities. The Bey usually comes hither on
Monday mornings from La Marsa (p. 351) for the transaction of business.
Admittance, see p. 331. The entrance is by the portal where a sentry is
posted.
The covered quadrangle (patio) on the first floor forms the centre of
the palace. The fine timber ceiling in the dining-room is the only
object of interest in the state apartments. The council-chamber of the
ministers has a dome with remarkably fine stucco-work. Here, as in the
Bardo and at Kassar-Saïd, the effect is marred by European gewgaws.
Fine *View from the flat roof over the white houses of the town, the
Zitouna and many smaller mosques. Best light at and after noon.
To the W. of the Place de la Kasba, at the junction of the two upper
boulevards Bab-Benat (Pl. B, 4; p. 337) and Bab-Menara (Pl. B, C, 5, 6),
the old town culminates in the =Kasba= (Pl. B, 5), an extensive group of
barracks on the site of the palace of the Hafsides and the Turkish
citadel. The _Kasba Mosque_, with its fine minaret, well restored in
1904, dates from 1231–5.
Near the old Bab-Menara, where the Souk des Sacs diverges to the
reservoir of the waterworks (p. 339), is the small _Mosquée el-Ksar_
(Pl. C, 5), the oldest in Tunis, said to have been founded by Hassan ibn
en-Nôman (p. 322). The handsome minaret (1545) is an addition of the
Turkish period.
On the N. side of the mosque runs the Rue du Château. No. 3 is the
DIVISION D’OCCUPATION (Pl. C, 5), the seat of the French commandant,
formerly the *_Dâr-Hussein_ (18th cent.; well restored in 1876), one of
the finest Mauro-Turkish palaces in Tunis. (Adm. by special introduction
only.)
The _Rue des Andalous_ (Pl. C, 5), which begins here, and its
side-street Rue du Riche are the aristocratic streets of the Medina.
Many of the houses have elegant marble portals and artistically grated
windows. Parallel, on the E., leading to the Avenue de Bab-Djedid, runs
the long Rue Tourbet el-Bey, in which at No. 62, at the corner of the
Rue Sidi-Zamouhl, rises the _Tourbet el-Bey_ (Pl. C, 6), the domed tomb
of the Husseinites (p. 323; ladies sometimes admitted).
The Rue Sidi Kassem, the next side-street on the left, leads to the
_Djamâa Djedid_ (‘new mosque’), or _Mosquée des Teinturiers_ (Pl. C, 5,
6), founded by Hussein Ali ben-Turki (p. 323). The modern minaret is by
Si Slîmân Ennigro (p. 334).
The open space near the dilapidated _Bab Djedid_ (Pl. C, 6), dating from
1277, is an afternoon haunt of snake-charmers and story-tellers (5–10 c.
to the boy soliciting money).
Between the Bab Djedid and the Place aux Chevaux (Pl. B, 6; p. 339) is
the =Market Quarter= of _Rebat Bab-Djazira_ (p. 332), containing the
_Souk el-Aâssar_, the _Souk des Armes_, and the _Marché-au-Blé_.
From the Bab Djedid we return to the Place de la Kasba (p. 336; tramway
No. 2, see p. 330).
In the BOULEVARD BAB-BENAT, in an old Moslem cemetery on the right, is
the _Tekia_ (Pl. B, 4, 5), a home for the aged (1905). On the left,
founded in 1876, is the _Collège Sadiki_ (Pl. B, 4), a high school for
Moslems. Farther on rises the handsome _Palais de Justice_ (Pl. B, 4;
1901). These two buildings are in the neo-Moorish style.
We may now proceed direct to the Place Bab-Souika (see below; tramway
No. 3, p. 330); but it is better to take the less direct route through
the N.W. part of the Medina, by the Rue du Lutteur (diverging to the
right from Boul. Bab-Benat, a little before the Palais de Justice), Rue
du Pacha (Pl. B, 4), Rue de la Hafsia (Pl. B, C, 4), Rue Achour (Pl. C,
B, 4, 3; with the Hanefite _Mosque of Sidi Mohammed Bey_ on the left),
Rue el-Monastiri, and Rue Sidi-Mahrez.
On the left, in the last-named street, rises the *=Mosque of Sidi
Mahrez= (Pl. B, 3), with several domes in the Turkish style, built in
the latter half of the 17th cent., resembling in the interior the Ahmed
Mosque of Constantinople (p. 550). The square minaret was added early in
the 19th century.—On the right is the school or _Zaouïa Sidi Mahrez_.
The picturesque PLACE BAB-SOUIKA (Pl. B, C, 3) lies between the Medina
and the poor _Rebat Bab-Souika_ (p. 332). Executions took place here in
the Turkish period. The Rue el-Halfaouine (‘alfa street’), partly
vaulted over, and lined with butchers’ shops, leads hence to the lively
and industrious—
PLACE EL-HALFAOUINE (Pl. B, 2), with its numerous Arab cafés, where on
Mohammedan festivals, such as Ramadan (p. 447) and Bairam, the evenings
and nights are spent in mirth and frolic. On the W. side is the _Djamâa
Sahab et-Taba_ (Pl. B, 2), one of the largest mosques in Tunis, founded
on blocks of stone from Carthage. The _Souk el-Djedid_ on the N. side is
for silk wares.
Time permitting, we may glance at the _Rue des Potiers_ (Pl. C, 3), seat
of the once noted pottery of Tunis, or at the =Jewish Quarter= (_Hara_;
Pl. C, 3, 4), in the N.E. part of the Medina. The chief _Synagogues_
(visitors admitted) are in the Impasse es-Snadli, at the corner of Rue
Sidi-Mardoun, in Rue Zarkoun (Pl. C, D, 4), etc.
The interesting _Old Jewish Cemetery_ (Pl. D, E, 3), just outside the
old town, is entered from the Rue du Cimetière-Israélite.
c. Environs.
=1.= About 1¼ M. to the N. of Tunis lies the *=Jardin du Belvédère=,
laid out in 1892, the most popular promenade in the environs, well
shaded with palm-trees, but still unfinished. The grounds cover 250
acres on the slope of _Belvedere Hill_ (269 ft.), which was fortified in
the Turkish period. The chief entrance is at the Rond Point at the end
of the Ave. de Paris (p. 333; tramway No. 7, p. 330), and there is a
side-entrance (tramway No. 6) in the Ave. Carnot, near the _Pépinière
Municipale_ (nursery-ground) and the _Cimetière Municipal_ (opened in
1883).
Halfway up, above the main entrance, rises the _Pavillon du Belvédère_
(café; fine view from the terrace). On the S. slope of the hill, ¼ M.
from the Avenue Carnot and concealed amid the thick vegetation, is the
_Mida_, the ruin of a mosque-court brought from the souks of the Medina.
Farther up is the *_Pavillon de la Manouba_, a freely restored Moorish
garden-pavilion from the Palais de la Manouba (pp. 342, 343), with fine
ornamentation in stucco and a charming view. The top of the hill affords
a splendid *Panorama, especially towards evening. To the S. is the old
town with the Kasba, the Manoubia Hill, and Fort Sidi Bel-Hassen; more
to the right, beyond the Sebkha es-Sedjoumi, rise the distant hills of
Zaghouan; to the E. lies Lake Bahira with the island of Chikly, the Ship
Canal, and the little towns of Goletta and Rades, backed by the Gulf of
Tunis and Cape Bon; then, more to the N.E., rise the hills of Carthage,
with the cathedral and Sidi Bou-Saïd; a little to the left, in the
plain, lie La Marsa and the Sebkha er-Riana; to the W. are seen the
Bardo and the two aqueducts.
Adjoining the _Institut Pasteur_ (1904), on the N. side of the
Rond-Point, is the entrance to the =Jardin d’Essais= (adm., see p.
331), opened in 1892, with many tropical and subtropical plants.
Connected with it is the _Ecole Coloniale d’Agriculture_, founded in
1898.
The tramway (No. 7) runs on through olive-groves to (3 M.) the village
of _El-Ariana_, once famed for its Hafside palace of _Abu Fehr_, and
now noteworthy for its beautiful roses. It is a favourite resort of
the Jews of Tunis, especially on Saturday afternoons, when Jewish
musicians and dancers perform at the cafés.
=2.= A less extensive but more picturesque *View than that from the
Belvedere is obtained from the hill, to the W. of the old town, on which
lie the decayed Turkish forts of =Bordj Flifel= and =Bordj Rabta= (193
ft.). The shortest way to the hill is by the Rue Bab el-Allouch (Pl. B,
3; see tramway No. 3, p. 330) and through the gate of that name. We then
follow the Bardo road (comp. p. 339), straight on, between the garden of
the _Hôpital Civil_ (Pl. A, 3, 4), on the right, and the _Ecole
Professionnelle Loubet_ (Pl. A, 4), a technical school, on the left.
About 6 min. from the gate we diverge to the right by a field-road, and
we reach the top in 6 min. more. Near the forts are numerous dilapidated
_Silos_ (rabta), once the bey’s granaries.
[Illustration: TUNIS et ses environs]
The Bardo is about 1 M. farther on, but we now return to the crossroads
(see above) and follow another road to the S., leaving the village of
_Mélassine_ on the right, to the _Bab Sidi Abdallah_ (Pl. A, 5). Close
to this gate is the _Château d’Eau_ or _Reservoir_ (Pl. A, B, 5;
visitors admitted) of the waterworks of Tunis, which was substituted in
1859–62 for the Roman aqueduct of Carthage (p. 348). It is supplied by
the main conduit from Zaghouan (p. 359), 58½ M. long, by an auxiliary
branch from the Aïn Djouggar (1276 ft.), 23 M. distant, and (since 1905)
by a new branch, 50 M. long, from Djebel Bargou, which flows partly
through a tunnel 4 M. in length.
=3.= The =Manoubia Hill= (240 ft.) may be reached in ¼ hr. by a road to
the S. from the _Bab Sidi Kassem_ (Pl. A, 6), a town-gate 3 min. to the
S. of the reservoir. Or we may start from the Place aux Chevaux (Pl. B,
6; p. 337), whence, near the _Collège Alaoui_ (seminary for teachers),
we have a good view of the city and of Lake Bahira, and then follow the
Rue Bab el-Gorjani (Pl. B, C, 7). The hill offers a fine view,
especially in the morning, of the city, Lake Bahira, the hills of
Carthage and Cape Bon; at our feet lies the Sebkha es-Sedjoumi; to the
S. rise the hills of La Mohamédia and Oudna, backed by the jagged
mountains of Zaghouan.
=4.= From the _Bab Alleoua_ (Pl. E, 7; station of tramway No. 8, p. 330)
diverge the roads to Rades (p. 363), Hammam-Lif (p. 363), and the Mornag
(p. 358). We ascend across the _Cimetière Sidi Bel-Hassen_ (Pl. E, 7),
the largest Mohammedan cemetery of Tunis, now desecrated and therefore
open to ‘unbelievers’, to the (12 min.) _Zaouïa Sidi Bel-Hassen_, where
we enjoy a charming view of the city and Lake Bahira. The mosque, where
many of the former beys’ wives are buried, stands on the site of a
cavern which was for many years inhabited by the Moroccan saint Sidi
Bel-Hassen ech-Chadly, the founder of the Chadlya brotherhood. The
beautiful view from the top of the hill (240 ft.), a little apart from
the small _Fort Sidi Bel-Hassen_, resembles that from the Manoubia Hill.
=5.= The =Bardo=, the former winter-residence of the beys, lies in the
fertile plain to the W. of Tunis, 1¼ M. from Bab Bou-Saâdoun (Pl. A, 2),
and 2 M. from Bab el-Allouch (Pl. A, B, 3, 4; see p. 338) or from Bab
Sidi Abdallah (Pl. A, 5). Starting from the Porte de France, we may go
by tramway No. 3 (p. 330; 5 c.) to Place Bab-Souika, and thence by
tramway No. 5 (15 c.) to the Bardo. About halfway we cross the _Aqueduc
du Bardo_, originally Roman, a branch of the Carthage aqueduct (p. 348),
restored by Andalusian Moors in the 16th century.—Those who prefer to go
by carriage should drive out past the Reservoir (see above), and return
round the N. side of the old town, past the _Feskia_ or _Ancien
Réservoir_ (Pl. A, 1, 2; for rain-water) and the Mohammedan _Cimetière
el-Bsili_ (Pl. B, C, 1, 2), to _Bab el-Khadra_ (Pl. C, 2).
During the Turkish period the Bardo, like the Moroccan palaces of the
present day, formed a little town by itself. It included several palaces
of the beys and of the widows of deceased princes, a treasury, dwellings
of the court officials, a mosque, baths, barracks, and a prison
(zendala), and the whole group was enclosed by a massive rectangular
wall. Most of the sadly ruined buildings have been utilized since 1900
as material for the new harbour-works. At the S. end the outer wall has
disappeared. From the tramway station we enter the pretty grounds (1903)
to the right. Immediately to the left is the way to the remains of the
chief palace of the beys, and beyond it, on the left, to the Museum.
Straight ahead rises the ruin of a domed building; beyond it are the
mosque and the prison (now a reformatory for natives).
The =Palace of the Beys=, erected after 1782 by Hamuda Bey (p. 336),
contains several objects of interest, apart from its tasteless European
furniture and poor pictures. Adm., see p. 331.
We enter by a flight of steps, adorned with marble lions of mediocre
Italian workmanship, and through a vestibule with delicate decoration
in stucco. The anterior colonnaded court is adjoined on the right by
the hall of justice, where the beys used to pronounce sentences of
death which were immediately carried out close by; opposite to it is
the reception-room. A passage to the left brings us to a second
colonnaded court. A tasteful marble portal (Italian) leads thence into
the Salle des Glaces, which has a fine ceiling and a valuable Kairwan
carpet. We then mount the staircase to the First Floor, where the
large festal hall is on the right.
The old _Palace of the Harem_, a creation of the extravagant bey Sidi
Mohammed (1855–9), rivalling the Alcázar of Seville (p. 61) in its
wealth of decoration, was carefully restored in 1885–1888 and converted
into a national museum.
The *=Musée du Bardo=, or _Musée Alaoui_, named after Bey Ali Pasha
(1882–1902), containing the rich yield of excavations in every part of
Tunisia, is now the finest collection in Barbary. The Moorish and
Turkish antiquities were arranged in 1900 in a pretty little adjoining
palace under the name of _Musée Arabe_. Adm., see p. 331; catalogue
(1897) 10 fr., supplement (1906–10) 27 fr.; director, M. Merlin.
=Ground Floor.= The ENTRANCE ROOM contains Roman mosaics from Henchir
Sidi Djedidi, etc.; family tombstone of the imperial slave Optatus,
from the burial-ground of the Officiales (p. 348). Also, on the right,
votive stones from the temples of Saturn at Aïn-Tounga and on Jebel
Bou-Kornin (p. 363), Roman milestones from the Tebessa road, etc.; on
the left, Roman tomb-cippi and inscriptions. Then two altars bearing
regulations in favour of farmers on the imperial estates: D441. from
Henchir-Mettich near Testour (time of Trajan), and D 442. from
Aïn-Ouassel (time of Septimius Severus); C 1030. Statue of Concordia
from Djorf Bou-Grara (p. 392). At the end of the room, a much damaged
Roman sarcophagus with the Muses.—On the right is—
ROOM I (Pre-Roman Room). Along the walls are Punic and neo-Punic
votive stones dedicated to Baal, Tanit (p. 356), and other deities;
then tomb-stelæ, catapult-balls from an arsenal at Carthage, etc.—At
the back-wall of the side-room is a stela from Maktar, nearly 7 ft.
high, with a Libyan and neo-Punic inscription.—On the left of the
Entrance Room is—
ROOM III (Early-Christian Room). In the centre, B 53. Font from
El-Kantara (p. 394). Along the walls are mosaics from Tabarca and
other places, and sarcophagi. In the show-case, lamps and vessels in
clay from Oudna (5–6th cent.).—In the passage to R. IV, terracotta
slabs with reliefs, once the mural decoration of churches.
ROOM IV (Bulla Regia Room), containing finds from Hammam-Darradji (p.
326): Roman sculptures of the time of Antoninus Pius (138–161), incl.
C 1017. A Minerva Polias in the style of a Parthenos with the
cornucopia of Bonus Eventus and a mural crown; *C 1018. Torso of
Athena; C 1014. Æsculapius, after a Greek original of the 4th cent.; C
1013. Colossal statue of Apollo, after the school of Scopas; C 1015.
Ceres; Roman inscriptions.—In the adjoining Room V, terracotta figures
from the temples of Baal and Tanit at Bir Bou-Rekba.
On the STAIRCASE, C 1033. Head of Hercules, Roman mosaics, etc.; on
the upper landing, C 939. Statue of Apollo from the theatre at
Carthage.
=First Floor.= ROOM VI, the old inner court (patio) of the palace. In
the centre are two large Roman mosaics from Oudna (2nd cent. A. D.): A
103. Bacchus presenting the vine to the Attic king Icarius (A 104.
Hare and fox hunt, in front); A 105. Representation of a country
estate, with hunting scenes. Between the columns of the portico are
Roman statues in marble from Carthage (C 944. Ganymede; C 979.
Bacchus; C 924. Juno; C 982. Isis; and others). Along the walls are
marble busts and heads, most of them from Carthage.—Adjoining this
room on the N. is—
ROOM VII, formerly the banqueting-room, with superb *Dome carved in
wood. In the centre, A 1 Mosaic pavement, about 150 sq. yds., from a
Roman villa near Susa (‘Cortège de Neptune’). By the end-walls, A
25–27. Three semicircular mosaics from Tabarca (beginning of the 4th
cent. A.D.) representing a country seat with park, stable, granary,
sheds, and cellar. By the left side-wall are two Roman mosaics (A 7.
Fishing; A 12. Head of Oceanus); A 19. Early-Christian relief with
circus-scenes; old Christian *Sarcophagus Mosaics from Tabarca, mostly
representing the deceased in the attitude of prayer, between two
candles. The wall-presses contain Punic, Rhodian, Roman, and
early-Christian lamps. By the back-wall are Roman pottery, and
implements in bronze, ivory, and bone. Also a fine bust of Athena from
Carthage.—Next comes—
ROOM VIII. In the centre, bronze armour of Campanian origin (end of
3rd cent. B.C.), found in a Punic tomb at Ksour-Essaf (p. 370): *E 3.
A silver-gilt patera (sacrificial bowl) from Bizerta, weighing nearly
24 lbs., with reliefs (contest of Apollo and Marsyas, sacrifice to
Dionysus, Bacchic scene).—In the side-cases are gold trinkets and cut
gems, mostly from Carthage. In the window-cases are Mauretanian,
Roman, and Byzantine coins. Along the walls are Roman mosaics from
Dougga and from *Chebba (A 292. Neptune and the Four Seasons; A 293.
Orpheus among the animals); C 1115. The Graces and the Four Seasons
(front of a fine marble sarcophagus).
ROOM IX. In the centre, A 287. The Procession of Bacchus, a large
mosaic from El-Djem. Along the walls are Roman mosaics from El-Djem (A
288. Hare-hunt; A 289. Nine Muses; etc.), from Thina (Thænæ), from
Susa (A 6. Boat with quaint representation of the water), and from
Djorf Bou-Grara (A 301, A 301 bis. Wrestlers). In the corners, C 1026.
Torso of a draped woman, perhaps a Victoria, in black marble; C 72.
Head of Augustus; C 1027. Head of Hercules (all from El-Djem). In the
press on the left, three leaden urns and six admirably preserved glass
cinerary urns from the burial-ground of the Officiales at Carthage (p.
348). In the press on the right, bronze utensils. In the wall-cases,
leaden and bronze objects from Carthage and Hammam Darradji; also
so-called ‘tabellæ defixionum’, rolls of lead with curses directed
against enemies in the circus (found in tombs at Susa). Detached, C
16. Torso of a Bacchante from El-Djem.—We return to R. VI and thence,
to the left, enter—
ROOM XI, formerly the concert-room, containing Roman mosaics. In the
centre, A 166. Mosaic pavement from Medeïna, showing the different
kinds of Roman trading vessels; also the heads of a river-god and of
Oceanus. By the entrance-wall, A 171. Temple (containing statues of
Apollo and Diana, and hunting scenes) from Carthage. By the wall
opposite, A 162. A seriously damaged representation of a banquet (4th
cent. A.D.) from Carthage.—The opposite—
ROOM XII was formerly the dining-room. The presses contain relics from
Punic tombs (some of them imported, Egyptian, Greek, and Etruscan). In
the two central cases, terracotta-masks (to avert evil spirits), which
also were among the objects buried with the dead.—A door on the same
(W.) side of R. VI as that to R. XII gives access to three rooms
(XIV-XVI) containing objects discovered at the bottom of the sea near
Mehdia (see p. 370) in 1907–10.
ROOM XIV. A bronze *Hermes of Dionysus, in an archaic style, by
Boëthus of Chalcedon (according to the inscription; 2nd cent. B.C.).
On a shelf are remains of a large bronze capital with two female
heads. In the glass-cases are two bronze lamps with the figure of a
runner; numerous bronze statuettes, among others an Eros playing a
lyre, two female dancers, a buffoon, Satyr, and actors; bronze
utensils.
ROOM XV. In the centre, a bronze *Statue of a winged Eros (4½ ft.
high). Along the walls, a leaden anchor; terracotta amphoræ, bars of
lead with stamps in Latin, flour-mills; in the glass-case, a
terracotta lamp with its wick still preserved.
ROOM XVI (marble objects). Large mixing bowls (‘crateræ’), adorned
with Bacchic subjects; candelabra in the neo-Attic style; capitals;
Greek inscriptions; busts and heads, among which should be noted, in
the middle, a well-preserved Aphrodite; torsos and statuettes.