Tunisia Disney Travel Agents Near Me

Overview

Introduction

Sun, sea and sand are what draw most people to Tunisia: Its long Mediterranean coast is lined with beaches and resorts. Venturing into the interior, you'll find the country has more to offer: Islamic architecture in medieval walled cities, Roman ruins, unusual underground dwellings, dramatic sand dunes and lush palm-tree-filled oases.

Tunisia's more popular destinations have long since been discovered, evidenced by the large number of package-tour groups spilling out of hotels, restaurants and historic sites. The beaten path even applies to certain parts of the desert, where caravans of four-wheel-drive vehicles kick up minisandstorms in their wake. If an authentic Sahara experience, in relative solitude and comfort, is what you've always longed for, then we recommend a multiday trek—the local camel outfitter can make all the arrangements.

Geography

History

The area known today as Tunisia has seen a long line of invaders and conquerors. In the eighth century BC, the Phoenicians, maritime traders from present-day Lebanon, founded Carthage. The powerful city-state first traded with and then ruled North Africa and modern-day Sicily, Sardinia and parts of Spain. The Roman Empire conquered Carthage in 146 BC and razed the city. Nearly 500 years later, the Vandals swept across northern Africa, ousted the Romans and ruled in their stead. A century of Vandal domination ended when the Byzantine armies kicked them out.

The next invasion was the one that has left the most lasting influence. After the death of the prophet Muhammad, Arab armies pushed from the Middle East into North Africa. Kairouan, the first major Islamic city in the Maghreb, was founded in AD 671 and became the capital of Ifriqiyya. The Fatimids, a Berber Shiite group, gained control in the early 10th century and founded a new city, Mahdia, as their capital. (The Fatimids also later founded Cairo.) In the 16th century, Tunisia became part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1881, the country came under French control.

Independence came in 1956, and President Habib Bourguiba, a ruler in the strongman tradition, led the country until he was removed from office in 1987 at the age of 83. The government, now headed by Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, has continued Bourguiba's mixture of political autocracy and social liberalization. Because freedom of the press has been virtually eliminated in the country, and because thousands of fundamentalist Islamic dissidents have been jailed, it is difficult to determine whether the government is really that popular or merely effectively stifled opposition. Nevertheless, the country has enjoyed relative stability for decades.

Snapshot

Beaches, palm-tree-filled oases, desert treks, Islamic architecture in walled cities, Roman ruins and mosaics, traditional and souvenir-filled markets, and spas are the chief attractions of Tunisia.

Tourists who are interested in all-inclusive, warm-climate beach vacations and adventurous travelers who are interested in history, Islamic culture and dramatic landscapes will enjoy Tunisia. Those who need immaculate conditions and world-class service and accommodations at all times or who will wilt in the heat should go elsewhere.

Potpourri

Prices on rugs and carpets are determined by the number of knots per square meter (and your bargaining skills). There are three categories of textiles—superieure, premiere and deuxieme. A superieure carpet—the best—may have up to 250,000 knots per square meter. An attached label can help you determine which category of carpet or rug you're looking at.

Foreign film directors frequently use Tunisian settings. The movies The English Patient, The Little Prince, the Star Wars films, The Life of Brian and many others were filmed in the deserts of Tunisia. However, the "Tunisian" battle sequences of Patton were filmed in Spain.

If you ask a Tunisian a question and he responds by throwing his head back, that means "no."

Roman mythology holds that Dido, the founder and queen of Carthage, gave a great deal of help to the shipwrecked Aeneas, the founder of Rome. He repaid her by causing her to fall in love with him and then abandoning her (she committed suicide when she found him gone). He went on to father the race that destroyed Carthage.

Topless and nude bathing is permitted in many places, especially on Jerba Island.

Polygamy is outlawed in Tunisia, and most women do not wear a veil.

Hannibal the Great was born in Carthage.