"Mountain Town" Top 5 Page for this destination El Kef by Orchid

El Kef is a quiet, reasonably attractive town. perhaps not quite the gem implied by the guidebooks, but worth a short diversion anyhow.

The crennelated walls of the old kasbah guard the town, and overlook the sea of green fields all around (at least they do in springtime - I'd guess it'd be blithering hot in summertime)

Sidi Boumaklouf mosque

Above the larger busy new town is the old centre, with it's whitewashed walls and blue doors and windows, all winding up through narrow streets to the kasbah atop the hill. The mosque Sidi Boumaklouf is an important pilgrimmage spot, with the eponymous saint buried there.

On the street leading to the mosque is a rather odd arcaded structure, variously labelled a basilica, hammam, or caravanserai. It has interesting carvings, and is cool and shady after walking the steep streets in the afternoon sunshine

Old El Kef - Window decorations

Everyone takes great pride in their elaborate window decoration, once more in the traditional blue and white.

In the cafes on the main street, the guys all have their tables staked out by early afternoon, spending the evenings with conversation, the odd hubble bubble pipe and of course, numerous coffees

Of course we came here mostly for a diversion on the way to Dougga, so a whistle stop only. It is onle an hour by bus to either the ruins at Dougga or those at Bulla Regia, and a pleasant change from busy Tunis