Medina of Tunis

The medina of Tunis grew from the 7th century onwards around the Zitouna Mosque, and under the Almohads and Hafsids it became one of the leading cities of the Islamic world. Inscribed by UNESCO in 1979, it still holds hundreds of monuments, including palaces, mosques, madrasas and fountains. The main entry is through Bab Bhar, the Sea Gate, at the end of Avenue Habib Bourguiba. From there, covered souks specialised by trade, such as perfumes, fabrics and the red chechia caps, lead uphill to the Zitouna, whose courtyard visitors can look into. Museums such as Dar Ben Abdallah show how the old families lived.