Old Tunis is given new life by festivals and guesthouses

 

Children's cries resound through the alleyways as they search for lost treasure as part of expanding efforts to revitalise Tunis's Old City.

The ninth-century medina is mostly deserted at night and on weekends, despite portions of it being crowded with tourists during the day.

The renowned Zitouna Mosque is located in the medina, one of the earliest cities to be founded during the Muslim conquests of North Africa, which writer Hatem Bourial claimed has a strong "emotional charge."

The Zitouna is one of the most renowned and first mosque-universities in the world, and it was the birthplace of the madrassa.

But when every souk shutters its doors at night, he continued, "people generally don't go in the medina at that time."

The medina was first established in the ninth century, but its major growth started in the 13th when Tunis became the centre of the Hafsid dynasty's realm, which extended from Tripoli in what is now Libya along the Mediterranean coast.

Ruler Louis IX's attempt to conquer the realm failed, and the French king later passed away from sickness.

The Hafsids made Tunis one of the largest towns in the Islamic world, and their influence can still be seen in the medina's cramped, narrow souks, which helped the area earn UNESCO historic designation in 1979.

Additionally, there are about 20 little souks in the area that are home to particular types of craftspeople, including tanners, perfume vendors, and shoemakers.

Salma Garbi, a 38-year-old architect who was participating on a guided stroll, said: "The medina is the lung of Tunisia, and it's where Tunis originated."

While most visitors stay to the medina's two main thoroughfares, she stated that "new cultural events are cropping up and pouring life into the medina."

Two new art festivals, Interference (art and lights) and Dream City, which include youthful artistic creations in odd settings like chapels, frequently at night, were warmly received by Garbi.

They have given the medina new vitality, she remarked.

She also mentioned how the medina is alive with music and modern dance performances well into the early morning hours during Ramadan, when stores and cafes stay open late.

The establishment of Art Rue, which coordinates art workshops with nearby schools, and a number of guesthouses have also given the area fresh life.

Leila Ben Gacem is on a quest to improve the neighbourhood after opening her first hotel in the UNESCO-listed ancient city in 2013.

To "create experiences so people enjoy coming to the medina, spend the weekend there, meet craftspeople, and enjoy authentic moments," she said, she has gathered a group of small enterprises.

The Mdinti project (Arabic for "my city"), funded by the German aid organisation GIZ, includes 21 participants, including artisanal businesses, guesthouses, cafes, and restaurants. It also advocates for better lighting and cleaner streets.

They hold events all year long, including treasure hunts, walking tours, workshops in North African cooking, Arabic calligraphy, and the construction of traditional "balgha" shoes (heelless leather slippers).

According to Souhail Fitouri, a participant in the Mdinti initiative, "shopkeepers will close later or keep their shops open if there is something to do at night or on Sundays."

Ben Gacem has compiled a list of possible events for visitors and locals this summer: screenings of movies on rooftops, gatherings with artisans, historians, and some of the 25,000 inhabitants of the medina.

Residents claim that greater official assistance is required for the medina to truly experience a resurgence, a huge request given the dire status of Tunisia's national finances.

The government started bailout talks with the IMF this month as the country's tourism and import-dependent economy was being hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak and rising food and energy prices on a worldwide scale.

Hatem Bourial laments the 15-year closure of the Dar Ben Abdallah museum of popular arts and customs and the Sidi Bou Khrissane lapidary (gem-carving) museum. The renowned Tourbet el Bey tomb is under the same category.

In addition, non-Muslims are not permitted within the Zitouna mosque. Opening "at least the patio" to guests is something Bourial advises.

"According to the current signage, entry is restricted to Muslims and women who have covered their hair. That is disrespectful to the idea of hospitality, he said.