Africa & Middle East Tunisia Medina of Tunis By Linda Garrison Linda Garrison Linda Paull Garrison is a travel writer who has taken over 150 cruises and spent over 1,100 days at sea. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 06/06/19 P. Eoche / Getty Images The Tunis Medina (Old Town) is a fascinating place to learn more about this north African city, which is the capital of Tunisia. The 9th century Medina was originally surrounded by walls. Today the walls are gone, but the area is filled with narrow streets, souks, mosques, and historic structures. The Tunis Medina became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 and has over 700 monuments dating back to the Almohad and the Hafsid periods of Tunisian history. Cruise ships docked at La Goulette often include a tour of Tunis as a shore excursion option. These tours include a walk around the Medina and one of the enclosed souks (shopping areas). The city tours also will travel to the Bardo National Museum, which has the world's largest collection of Roman mosaics. Tourists might also choose to visit Sidi Bou Said, a small town near La Goulette and the remains of Carthage. While in the Medina, we visited a Berber carpet shop in the souk, where we learned more about the beautiful rugs made in Tunisia. We also climbed the stairs to the roof of the shop, where the views of the Medina and Tunis were beautiful. 01 of 14 Medina of Tunis Tunis (c) Linda Garrison This view of the old town of Tunis from the rooftop of one of the shops in the souk shows the white monochromatic look of the Medina. Continue to 2 of 14 below. 02 of 14 Tunis and the Atlas Mountains Tunis (c) Linda Garrison Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, sits between the Mediterranean and the Atlas Mountains. This photo was taken from the roof of a Berber rug shop in the Medina. Continue to 3 of 14 below. 03 of 14 View of the Medina of Tunis Tunis (c) Linda Garrison The newer part of Tunis, which has over 2 million residents, features skyscrapers and other modern buildings. Continue to 4 of 14 below. 04 of 14 Medina of Tunis - Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul Tunis (c) Linda Garrison The Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul is a late 19th century Roman Catholic cathedral in Tunis. When Tunisia was a part of France, many residents were Catholic. After the country gained its independence in 1956, the number of Roman Catholics in Tunis decreased, and many churches were either shut down or transferred to the Tunisian government. However, this cathedral is still owned by the Catholic Church. Continue to 5 of 14 below. 05 of 14 Al-Zaytuna Mosque in the Medina of Tunis Tunis (c) Linda Garrison The Al-Zaytuna Mosque is also known as the Mosque of Olive in Tunis. Al-Zatunya features columns from the original city of Carthage. Continue to 6 of 14 below. 06 of 14 Medina of Tunis - Souk Rug Shop Tunis (c) Linda Garrison A tour of a souk is not complete without a stop at a rug shop. This one in Tunis specializes in Berber rugs. Continue to 7 of 14 below. 07 of 14 Tailors in a Souk in the Medina of Tunis Tunis (c) Linda Garrison These tailors were hard at work as we walked by their shop in the Tunis souk. Continue to 8 of 14 below. 08 of 14 Souk in the Medina of Tunis Tunis (c) Linda Garrison The souk in Tunis is like those in many other locales--narrow passageways and many small shops in a covered building. Continue to 9 of 14 below. 09 of 14 Wall Mosaics in Tunis Tunis (c) Linda Garrison I love the way mosaics are used to decorate walls and floors. These aren't as old as the mosaics in the Bardo National Museum, but they add a bit of color to the walls. Continue to 10 of 14 below. 10 of 14 Tunisia Ministry of Finance in Tunis Tunis (c) Linda Garrison Like the IRS in the United States, the Tunisia Ministry of Finance is responsible for collecting taxes. Continue to 11 of 14 below. 11 of 14 Tunis City Hall Tunis (c) Linda Garrison The City Hall of Tunis was built in the late 1990's and is located on Kasbah Square. Continue to 12 of 14 below. 12 of 14 Trimmed Trees near the Medina of Tunis Tunis (c) Linda Garrison These trees in Tunis are trimmed so carefully they almost look like boxwood hedges. Continue to 13 of 14 below. 13 of 14 Tunis City Hall Garden Tunis (c) Linda Garrison The City Hall gardens are lovely to stroll around and enjoy the fountains and flowers. Continue to 14 of 14 below. 14 of 14 Tunis Lighthouse Tunis (c) Linda Garrison This lighthouse on a rocky island could easily be mistaken for New England; however, it is in the Mediterranean Sea near Tunis. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Tell us why! Submit