Most Interesting Facts about Tunisia
Ancient ruins and religious quarters, along with its beaches make quite a name for Tunisia.
Interesting Facts:
1. A part of the Sahara Desert is in Tunisia. It is also home to an erg, i.e., a flat land in the desert covered by wind swept sand, known as the Grand Erg Oriental which is like a field of sand dunes.
2. Cape Angela isn’t just the northernmost part of Tunisia but of all of Africa.
3. The country has 17 national parks. The Ichkeul National Park is in fact aid to witness a large-scale migration of birds. Thousands of flamingos, ducks, geese and storks stop over this park amidst their migration.
4. Additionally, there was once a lake here that stretched from Ichkeul to North Africa and now the last of it remains in Ichkeul alone!
5. In the city of El Djem resides one of the biggest amphitheatres in the world, with a capacity of seating approximately 35,000 guests and with axes that are 486 ft and 400 ft high. And that is not even the most impressive part. The amphitheatre has been around since 238 AD, it is a mark of the Roman empire, making it a rare sight here! No wonder it gained UNESCO recognition as early as 1979.
6. Speaking of Romans, did you know who their rivals were? The mighty Carthaginian (Punic) and Tunisia’s city of Carthage was once their capital after having been founded in the 1st millennium BC. However, it fell to Romans in the 2nd century and today is a city of ruins, theatres, baths and scattered collections.
7. The Romans then ruled over Tunisia for approximately the next 800 years. This was followed by the Arabs, the Ottomans and then the French from whom the Tunisians gained independence in 1956.
8. The Medina quarter of Tunis is replete with monuments, mausoleums, fountains and madrassas. And when I say replete, I mean over 700 of them!
9. Stone age tools from around 200,000 years ago during the Middle Stone Age were also discovered near Kelibia, indicating signs of early human activity.
10. Tunisia has actually been the pick for many movie locations, even Hollywood flicks and most significantly, Star Wars!
Trip Leader Niyati’s Recommendations:
1. The Ed Djem amphitheatre of course! Just imagine standing at a centuries old structure from the Roman Empire while you’re travelling in North Africa! That isn’t an experience to easily come by but in Tunisia you’ll find plenty of opportunities!
2. Houmt Souk is the splendour of colours and markets for you to get an essence of the daily hustle bustle from the livelihoods in this country.
3. And from Houmt Souk, people head to Djerba. What time is it? Its beach time! The beach of Djerba waits for you to explore its soft sands and blue waves, a gem to get lost into.
4. I would also urge you to visit Carthage, Roman Empire’s once arch rival. The ruins are a sight to see as you take in the history of this once mighty empire that the Phoenicians had built. It is also a reminder of the power play from those times, how a prominent one could fall so horribly because as always history etches not just its own tales but also realizations and lessons that unfurled from it.
5. And if that is something that piques your interest then the National Bardo Museum has a mosaic of exhibits just awaiting to be explored by you.
6. Is it Santorini? Is it Turkey? No, its Tunisia’s very own Sidi Bou Said, a village that is a splash of white washed alleys and buildings adorned with a bright blue, all together overlooking the baby blue water. It is the stuff of paintings and something that you definitely don’t want to miss out on when in Tunisia!
7. The beauty of Tunisia is how it offers you the best of almost everything, from beaches to a trendy artsy town to a rich history and to even the desert! Fancy a camel safari or quad biking? Grand Oriental Erg is beckoning you!
8. Hammamet is another town blessed with restored architecture and beautiful beaches.
How to Reach:
Reaching to Tunisia will require catching flights with one or more layovers via Germany, Dubai or Istanbul.