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Medina of Tunis - Tunisia
Website Category: Fortified Cities of the Maghreb
Area: 3.0 km2
Inscribed: 1979
Criteria: (ii) interchange of values (iii) cultural tradition (v) interaction with the environment
Location and Values: The Medina of Tunis covers about 3 km2 of the city centre, set back behind Lake Tunis about 10 km from the Mediterranean coast. It grew to prominence between the 12th and 16th centuries, when it was one of the wealthiest cities in the Islamic world. More than 700 monuments from this time survive, including palaces, madrasas, mosques, mausoleums and fountains. The Medina is a maze of narrow streets and alleyways, covered passageways and souks (markets). More than any other Medina in North Africa, Tunis features an incredible variety of elaborately decorated doors, each colour heavy with symbolism and significance.
Slideshow of the Medina Of Tunis: The slideshow features 50 photos showing the streets and architectural elements seen during a walking tour beginning in the northern part of the Medina around Bab Souika and ending at Bab Bahr and the Place de la Victoire in the east. The variety of door designs is a particular focus, together with the distinctive minarets of the various mosques and a range of street scenes that should give a strong ‘sense of place’ without any detailed photo-essays of particular monuments.
Slideshow of the Medina Of Tunis:
Google Earth View: To view satellite imagery of the Medina of Tunis on Google Earth, click here. This opens a new window, so when you are finished, just close the Google Earth page and you will be straight back here to continue browsing.
Links to other places featuring fortified cities of the Maghreb: Beni Hammad I Algiers I Fez I Marrakech I Meknes I Tetouan I Kerkuane I Kairouan I Sousse
Other Links: Official UNESCO Site Details
