Tunisian Safari - photographic tour - Cover Story

PSA Journal, August, 2003 by Jane H. Black

The first time I visited Tunisia was in the 1960s not long after the country had gained its independence from France and President Bourguiba was in power. The country was just beginning to dip its toe into the rapidly expanding river of tourism.

Tunisia is the northernmost country of Africa situated between Algeria to the west and Libya to the east. A small country, about the size of England and Wales, it has a long Mediterranean coast facing mainly east and scalloped by the three large gulfs of Tunis, Hammamet and Gabes. In the north of the country is the easternmost limit of the Atlas Mountains, the Northern Tell and High Tell. In the south the Tunisian Sahara begins with salt-flats or Chotts and then the desert takes over.

The northern part of Tunisia has a Mediterranean-type climate producing large quantities of olive oil, fruit and vegetables. The south produces dates and is the world's largest supplier of phosphates.

Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Spanish, Turks and French have all passed this way and stayed for various lengths of time. In World War II the Allies drove out the Germans and finally on July 25th, 1957 the New Republic came into existence under the leadership of Habib Bourguiba as its first President.

In the three decades since I had last visited Tunisia, the country has come a long, long way, mainly due to the foresight and economic and political skills of Bourguiba. In 2002, I experienced a "developing country" with its skates on, rushing through several stages of social and economic development all at once. Bourguiba saw the potential of tourism and encouraged its development. Monastir, where he was born, is a good example. Here is the modern and spacious Bourguiba Airport, your point of arrival. Good roads lead to lines of four- and five-star coastal hotels, their architecture vying with each other to be the most spectacular. In the summer the tourists come for the sun and the wonderful beaches. In the winter the hotels are occupied by the "golden years"--senior citizens on their long getaway from the British winter. Close by is the real Tunisia, the medina at Sousse, the troglodyte dwellings at Matmata, the desert market at Douz, the Chott and the mountain oases. The photography is exciting and challenging and for a Muslim country--the least restricted that I have experienced.

Sousse, Tunisia's third largest city, is an unusual combination of beach resort, industrial port and Islamic city. Each part of the city is separate, so you pass from one world to another quickly and totally. The old medina is a maze of winding streets and endless photographic opportunities--the ideal place to start your journey and become acclimated to the country. A few miles along the coast is Monastir, the birthplace of Bourguiba in 1903. He developed the town from a tiny fishing village into a modern and attractive tourist resort, but it lacks the old core and character of Sousse. However, the Bourguiba mausoleum is a lavish and elegant building well worth a visit. I have great admiration for Islamic architecture and this is one of the most beautiful buildings I have seen with its gold domes, elegant arches, colorful tiles and graceful minarets. Even the approach down the long avenue to the tall iron gates is quite stunning.

Travelling south from the coastal resorts, the Great Mosque at Kairouan is worth a visit. Kairouan is Tunisia's holy city. It is the fourth holiest city in all Islam after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. The Great Mosque is the oldest place of prayer in North Africa AD 670. The original Mosque and the four built after it, have long since disappeared. Today's building is a restored structure of the 9th century. It is not interesting for its Islamic architecture, but the sheer size and simplicity is striking when you enter the vast paved courtyard. It is interesting and amusing to see the surrounding colonnades. These are a mix of Roman and Byzantine columns, obviously removed from ancient buildings and supporting Islamic horseshoe arches. Continuing south, the Roman amphitheatre at El Jem is worth a brief visit. Built around AD 200-300 it is better preserved than Rome's Colosseum. Another settlement of the Sahel is Matmata, reached by a steep, twisting road that takes you into a landscape reminiscent of the surface of the moon. Here many of the Berbers still live in underground homes, the best defense against the fierce summer heat. Now the desert beckons.

In the southwest are the salt-flats or Chott. The largest of these is the Chott el Jerid (covering 2,000 square miles), which is crossed by a causeway built by the army. The Chott are a series of closed basins which drop to more than 52 feet below sea level. This is an area of very high temperatures in summer and little rainfall. The temperature difference between winter and summer, day and night is considerable. Wadis do flow into the Chott, but only when it rains. Water supply is insignificant compared with the evaporation, which is seven times higher than the volume of water provided by rain, mn-off and ground water. Evaporation leaves a covering of salt. In summer the area is a shimmering white expanse, rich in mirages and devoid of plant life.