Tunisia: The empire strikes back

Picture: PCL

Everybody knows that Tunisia doubled up as Tatooine in the Star Wars trilogy, but Hollywood was actually the latest in a long line of invaders drawn to Tunisia’s shores over the centuries.

Long before package tourists discovered its sandy beaches, the Romans marched in and added the country to their empire. Today, a growing army of Brits is keen to explore an empire that existed a long time ago, but not that far away.

As with so much of their empire, the Romans left behind magnificent columns, temples and theatres that would excite visitors for centuries to come.

The remains at Dougga and the mosaics in the Bardo Museum are well-known stops on the tourist trail, but there is plenty more to Roman Tunisia for those interested in digging deeper into the past.

In Bulla Regia, not far from Dougga, you can see the underground villas built to keep out the summer heat. Further south, at Sbeitla, the emperor Vespasien founded an olive industry.

The churches he left behind are considered some of the most impressive monuments left by the Roman empire. After the empire’s decline the Arabs moved in and set about building the mosque city of Kairouan, a regular stop on most Tunisia itineraries.

Tunisian National Tourist Office UK director Leila Ben Hassan would like to see historical tours featured alongside the abundance of sun, sea and sand staples in UK operators’ brochures.

“There is sun, sand and sea in other destinations, but in Tunisia visitors increasingly want to leave the beach and see something typical of the country,” said Hassan. Most people explore the key sights on excursions from the main resorts, or independently with a hire car.

Wigmore’s Roman Tunisia Tour, a seven-night delve into Tunisia’s past, is aimed at those with a keen sense of history. Managing director Tijani Guetat said it appeals mainly to older clients or to younger people who are involved in archeology. The guide, he added, a Tunisian expert, is so popular some clients book the October tour and stay on for the seven-night Sahara Aspects journey he also leads.

You don’t need a degree in archeology to sell cultural tours, but it does help to know a bit of background about the main sites. If you were asleep at the back during history lessons at school, here’s a quick reminder of what’s out there.

Dougga

What? Originally a Numidian settlement, the site was given a Roman makeover when they arrived in the second century BC.

Where? Sixty five miles southwest of Tunis.

Highlights: Roman temples, amphitheatres and columns. Sights include the theatre, where summer performances are still held, the Capitolene Temple dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, and the House of the Trifolium.

Sample product: Wigmore Holidays’ seven-night Roman Tunisia tour spends a morning at Dougga. Departures are on April 3 and October 14 and it costs £949 full-board.

Carthage

What? The remains of the city destroyed by the Romans in 146BC.

Where? On the outskirts of Tunis.

Highlights: the ruins are scattered throughout a residential area so you need some imagination to envisage what it would have looked like. A visit to the museum helps. The best preserved site is the Antonine Baths, built by Romans. At the Tophet, a path leads to an underground chamber where children were sacrificed to the gods Tanit and Baal.

Sample product: Panorama offers a full-day excursion from Hammamet to Carthage for £25 per person.

Bardo Museum

What? One of the world’s largest collections of mosaics, with many from Carthaginian and Roman times.

Where? In central Tunis.

Highlights: mosaics depicting a variety of scenes, from myths and legends to everyday life in Roman Africa. Many illustrate the region’s role during Roman times as breadbasket of the empire and source of wild animals for the amphitheatres.

Sample product: Cresta offers three nights at the four-star Abou Nawas El Mechtel, a short walk from the medina in Tunis, from £373 per person, including flights and transfers.

Kairouan

What? The fourth holiest city in Islam.

Where? Thirty five miles from Sousse.

Highlights: more Mosques than you can shake a minaret at – more than 130 to be precise. You can get your fill in the medina, also famous for its carpet shops. The Zaouia of Sidi Abid el Ghariani has tiled and carved chambers; inside the Great Mosque prayer hall, a blue and white carpet allocates an exact amount of space to each worshipper.

Sample product: Cadogan’s three-day Desert Safari from Hammamet or Sousse spends time in Kairouan and starts at £105 per person half-board.

El Jem

What? A Roman amphitheatre.

Where? On the outskirts of Tunis, 40 miles from Sousse.

Highlights: built in 230BC, El Jem is slightly smaller than the Coliseum in Rome but better preserved. In its heyday, more than 30,000 spectators poured in to watch gladiators, charioteers and wild beasts fight to the death. Visit the underground chambers where they waited for death or glory.

Sample product: Thomson’s two-day Sahara Explorer or Sahara Discovery excursions visit El Jem and cost £67 per person (children £36) including meals and a night’s accommodation, bookable in resort.

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