"Tunisia" Tunisia by traveldave

Tunisia Travel Guide: 6,272 reviews and 13,242 photos

The history of Tunisia is a history of empire and conquest. From about the eighth century B.C. through the second century B.C., Tunisia was the center of the Carthaginian Empire. At the end of the Third Punic War in 146 B.C., the city of Carthage was sacked by the Romans and Tunisia became the center of Roman North Africa. After the fall of Rome in 433 A.D., there were periods of occupation by the Vandals, and then the Byzantines, until the Muslim Arab conquest in 647 A.D. After a succession of Arab dynasties, the Ottoman Turks took over the country in the sixteenth century. The French made Tunisia a colony in 1881, and ruled until 1956 when Habib Bourguiba led the country to independence.

Tunisia is wedged between its two larger neighbors of Algeria and Libya. It is a relatively small country, but contains a wide variety of landscapes and climate zones. In the north a series of mountain ranges dominates the countryside. They are a part of the Atlas Mountains that start in Morocco, pass through Algeria, and end in Tunisia. Oak and pine forests, brush and grassland, vineyards, orchards, and fertile agricultural land are a surprising feature of the north. (I mistakenly believed most of the country was arid). Tunisia's south is part of the Sahara Desert, with vast areas of sand dunes, salt flats, rocky plains, and oases. In between the lush mountains of the north and deserts of the south are arid savannas, dry steppes, rolling hills, and extensive olive groves.

I traveled to Tunisia on a birdwatching trip, and our itinerary took us from the fertile north, through the miles of olive groves in the center of the country, to the sands of the Sahara Desert in the south. Although finding birds was our priority, we did take the time to see some of the interesting attractions in Tunisia, including the ruins of Carthage, Lake Ichkeul National Park, the Roman colisseum of El Jemm, Bouhedma National Park, the troglodytes of Matmatma, the sand dunes of the Great Eastern Erg, the salt flats of Chott el-Djerid, and the oasis towns of Douz and Tozeur.

Last visit to Tunisia: Apr 2006
Intro Updated Jun 12, 2006
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Reviews (31)

The Kasbah of Bizerte Things to Do (8)

The Kasbah of Bizerte was originally a Byzantine fort built in the sixth century to guard the city's Old Port. However,... more travel advice

Matmatma Favorites (5)

The tiny village of Matmatma was settled by the Berbers when they began excavating underground pit houses in the soft... more travel advice

The Troglodytes Things to Do (8)

Many of the Berber inhabitants of the city of Matmatma are called troglodytes, which simply means "cave dwellers." This... more travel advice

The El Jemm Museum Things to Do (8)

Located about one mile (1.6 kilometers) south of the colisseum of El Jemm, the El Jemm Museum opened in 1970 to house a... more travel advice

Shopping (2)
See All Shopping For Souvenirs
Local Customs (3)
See All The Camel
Hotels (5)
See All The Grand Hotel de l'Oasis

Off The Beaten Path (2)
See All Chott el-Djerid
Warnings Or Dangers (3)
See All Scorpions
Transportation (3)
See All Djerba-Zarzis International Airport

Travelogues (1)

Written Apr 8, 2006

1 photo

Map of Tunisia

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Comments (12)

PierreZA Oct 18, 2009 at 3:51 AM Report Abuse

A very nice page, Tunisia is such a great place to visit.
scottishvisitor Apr 5, 2008 at 2:30 AM Report Abuse

Very informative page on Tunisia = thanks for the virtual tour
Bwana_Brown Feb 28, 2008 at 10:39 AM Report Abuse

Dave, your birdwatching trips sure take you to some interesting places! Very enjoyable tips and photos on your time in Tunisia - especially desert camping! Excellent job on this page.
LoriPori Sep 3, 2007 at 4:25 AM Report Abuse

Getting lost in Sand dunes - Unbearable Heat - Scorpions - and people like to visit the desert because ??? Oh well, at least the desert roses sound like a thing of beauty. Interesting page Dave.
Paul2001 Aug 13, 2007 at 4:47 PM Report Abuse

A very impressive page. Excellent research. You make want to go for sure.
Kuznetsov_Sergey Jul 24, 2007 at 8:16 AM Report Abuse

A very interesting country which I suppose to visit oneday... Many historic sights and beautiful nature. Roman Colesium really worth visiting. Thanks David for the virtual travel.
matcrazy1 Dec 31, 2006 at 9:37 AM Report Abuse

I am really impressed! Fascinating tips and beautiful pictures! My congratulations! I liked the deep South of Tunisia most! I didn't notice Libyan petrol :-)
deecat Aug 24, 2006 at 9:16 PM Report Abuse

Outstanding! I loved the information about Carthage and the Roman Collisseum. Also the warnings and cultural tips were terrific. Enjoyed the pages about the different cities. Loved the Desert Roses.
cheekymarieh Aug 20, 2006 at 8:39 AM Report Abuse

A very informative page. Your advice about the scorpions tells me I had better not wander around barefoot as is my usual habit.
globetrott Aug 16, 2006 at 3:57 AM Report Abuse

What an excellent page & great pics ! These Desert roses look great !