Tunisia: Useful Tips
According to YOUREMAILVERIFIER, French is widely spoken in Tunisia, and in the business and tourist centers of Tunisia, your German or English will always be understood.
The most popular purchases made in Tunisia are ceramics, carpets (the center of sale is Kairouan, although there is also a good selection of carpets in Tunisia and on the island of Djerba). Fine Berber silver jewelry can be found in the markets of Tozeur, Duza and Tata Vina. In the north, many places offer coral jewelry, which, unfortunately, is not always authentic. In addition, you can buy jeans from well-known companies, shirts, leather goods: bags, jackets, jackets, shoes of very good quality at reasonable prices. Very good products from onyx.
Bargain – you are in Africa. And if the trader names the price, say, 100 dinars, this means that you will agree on 20-30 dinars.
Tipping in Tunisia is not required, but it can be used to thank people who provide you with numerous services, from a simple suitcase porter to a parking lot guard. As a rule, in cafes and restaurants tips are already included in the price of the order. If this is not the case, then they are 10% of the cost.
There are no private closed beaches in Tunisia. All of them are available. But each hotel has its own area, for the cleanliness of which he is responsible. Access to the beach is free, sun loungers are usually too. Paid (about $ 1) on some beaches are plastic sunbeds with mattresses. By the pools there is always a hotel employee who, at your request, will bring a free sun lounger or umbrella.
Do not take money and valuables to the beach. Only change to buy drinks. Do not buy fruit on the beaches. They are expensive here and can be poorly washed. Do not exchange currency on the beaches.
Just in case, don’t carry your wallet in your back pocket. Carry only the essentials with you, leave the essentials in the hotel safe. Carry bags and camcorders in your hands or over your body (not over your shoulder).
The most important rules for a tourist who came to Tunisia is to thoroughly wash vegetables and fruits and not to drink raw tap water.
Sights of Tunisia
Carthage. The city was founded in 814 BC. e., was destroyed and rebuilt by the Romans. The remains of Roman buildings have survived: the Capitol, an amphitheater for 50 thousand spectators, the baths of Antoninus and Byzantine churches. Museum Lavigerie.
Tunisia, the capital and main port of the country: the medieval medina, the Grand Mosque and the vast covered bazaar, the Hassanid mausoleum, the Dar al-Bey palaces of the 18th century. and Dar ben Abdallah XVIII-XIX centuries. decorated with multicolored marble and painting.
Bardo Museum – the world’s largest collection of Roman mosaics, a museum of Islamic art in the Dar Hussein Palace.
Sidi Bou Said – A blue and white Arab village – a meeting place for artists, a unique view of the Gulf of Tunis.
Arc: the ruins of the forum with the capitol II-III centuries. n. e., temples, term. A special impression is left by the wide arcs of the stone steps of the theater for 3,000 seats. Mausoleum of Ateban (III-II centuries BC)
Utica – one of the first Phoenician colonies (1101 BC), the remains of Roman houses, an amphitheater, a term have been preserved; Phoenician cemeteries.
El Jem: the beautifully preserved Colosseum from the 3rd century BC. e.
Kairouan – the first Muslim mosque in Tunisia Sidi Okba VI, became a place of pilgrimage for North African Muslims; a cemetery from where, according to legend, the soul of a Muslim goes straight to paradise, a museum of Islamic art, a carpet weaving center.
Sousse: Ribat (780), Great Mosque, whose towers and battlements give it the appearance of a fortress. Museums of archeology and Islamic art, remains of Phoenician tombs, Roman houses and Byzantine fortifications.
Monastir: Ribat (796) became part of the Kasbah, the Bab as-Sur and Bab ad-Darb gates of the 13th century, the vaulted mosque of the 9th-11th centuries, the mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba, the Museum of Islamic Art. Mahdia is the first fishing port in Tunisia and a wonderful resort. Bordj-al-Kebir Castle of the 16th century, the Great Mosque and the gate of Skif al-Kala.
Sfax: remains of the city walls, Great Mosque (849) with a massive minaret, Archaeological Museum.
Hammamet: The medina and the fortress on the very seashore are real historical sights, the Grand Mosque of the 13th century, the Sidi Bou Ali marabout, converted into a cafe; International cultural center.
Tozeur – an oasis city: Museum of traditions Dar Shrayet, museum “1001 nights”, zoo. Matmata is a city of troglodytes or “cave” dwellers. Kebili – the main center of the archipelago of oases in the Sahara, the salt lake Chott el Jerid. Djerba is a beautiful resort, connected to the continent by an ancient Roman road, the oldest synagogue of the 6th century BC. BC e.
Port El Kantaoui is a true pearl of Tunisian tourism, a small garden port with luxurious hotels and villas, a golf course, a diving center and a yacht club.
Nabeul is an actively developing seaside resort, a center of handicrafts.
Bizerte is an old seaport overlooked by the Spanish Bastion: Martyrs’ Square, Moorish houses and a wonderful fish market.
Tabarka is an ancient Phoenician port with a Genoese fortress. An ideal place for lovers of diving, golf and walks along the rocky shores.
Tunisia: Money and currency of Tunisia
The national currency of Tunisia, the Tunisian dinar, is divided not into a hundred, but into a thousand millimeters. The rate is practically fixed, so it does not matter where to change the currency. In Tunisia, they love not only dollars, but also euros. Duty free shops at the Tunisian airport do not accept dinars. Holders of Eurocheques and credit cards can withdraw cash from an ATM.
