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Tunisia's is a capital of Tunis. Is it the reminiscents of the French protectorate, which is still expanding as the modern city. Or is it the old town, one of the Arab worlds best (as long as you don´t want to shop handicrafts)? The truth is somewhere in between, Tunis is neither very Arab, nor African. It is not European either, even though Tunisians might tell you so. Tunis is highly functional, effective, clean and is mixing the old and the new, all at the same time, all over. Tunis is not a typical tourist site, but tourists going to places like Hammamet and Sousse, often go on day trips to the capital with their tour operators. When entering Tunis keep your eyes open for the efficiency, the cleanliness, the lack of beggars, and all the women wearing modern garments. Depending on your preferences, visit the Bardo museum, which is nice, but not big. Or the zoo, in the northern part of the city, which is very charming, well kept, and with far more animals than you would expect to find before entering. Next to that, you will find yourself surrounded by people, but no Westerners. But more than anything else, use your time in and out of the suuq, stroll along the vegetable stands, head into the meat and fish market (between the suq and the railway station), and end up in almost any cafe, ordering Direct with three sugar cubes. And do not forget sitting down, relaxing, looking at people, telling quick moving young men to get lost, and start talking with everyone else.
Bab el Bahr It was during this period that the area became known as Tunisia. Bab el Bahr means "Gate to the Sea". Before the French came in the 19th century, that was exactly what it was too. Then there was just open grounds here, leading down to the lake of Tunis. For the French the Bab el Bahr became a symbol, as the gate between the Oriental part and the European part of Tunis. Hence its other name came to be "Porte de France".
Government quarters This is one of my favourite areas of Tunis. The modern government quarters are easy to find: you just pass the Zitouna mosque, and walk up the streets for about 100 metres, and turn right. This is the place where the prime minister has his office, and the location is notrandom. His office is in the Dar al Bay, House of the Bey, which was used as a royal guest house. The surrounding area is always clean from the smallest piece of paper. At certain times of the day, the nearby streets are full of government officials in traditional Tunisian costumes.
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