Tunisia
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The Tunisian Republic, often referred to as Tunisia, presents visitors with many faces. The most northerly country in Africa and an Islamic nation since the end of the first century AD, it became a French colony in the late 19th century. Today it is an independent republic and a fascinating mélange of its three main influences without being overwhelmed by any one of them. Tunis has a pearl of a Medina, or Old Town, at its center but it is a modern and expanding metropolis as well. The population is mostly Muslim, but Tunisia is one of the most liberal countries in the Arab world; alcohol is not banned, and western fashions are seen as often as Islamic dress on the city streets. Modern Tunis also wraps around the remains of ancient Carthage, one of the most important cities in the ancient Mediterranean world.
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Tunis
Tunis's position on the Mediterranean Sea helped to clinch its status as a cultural melting pot and a gateway to the country. The first thing visitors notice, besides its infectious energy and chaotic surge of people and traffic, is Tunis's cosmopolitan—and sometimes bewildering—mix of East and West. The city is rich with historical interest, and once past its nondescript modern facade you'll find plenty of local character and historical attractions. Get lost in the tumult and clutter of the medina's labyrinthine streets, where vendors hawk everything from rugs to slippers, then savor a sweet mint tea and pastry in one of the many miniscule cafés. Just outside the city, the magnificent ruins of Carthage are the most important and extensive vestiges of the ancient Carthaginian civilization.
