Tunis is a clean modern city with four-lane highways, fast moving cars, tall buildings and Coca Cola billboards. Flower stalls grace the sidewalks with fragrant, colorful blooms. We walked along the walls of the Kasbah (citadel of the old city) and into the souks or markets. The Medina (Old Town) is a relic of the old ways, a warren of twisting cobblestone lanes and tiny shops under a protective roof with open skylights to provide air circulation and cooling.
Souks (markets) in the Medina (Old City) of Tunis
In the market are many, tiny shops grouped by merchandise selling jewelry, ceramics, carpets and much more. This is a land of bargaining and the shopkeepers keep a sharp eye for any interest displayed by shoppers. They will pounce, plead, and offer “deals” with intense perseverance making it difficult to think for those who are not used to it. It is all a cultural game and they love to play. The photo above was taken in one of the walkways through the jewelry section. It would be easy to get lost in all the twists and turns of tunnel-like hallways. The colorful, red Tunisian flag is flying at every turn.
Carpets of Tunis
Tunisia is renowned for its fine, colorful carpets of knotted wool. We were guided into a shop where we watched a young woman creating a lovely rug of complex design with knots of wool. Her nimble fingers moved so fast that I couldn’t figure out her technique.
Carpets of Tunis
