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.
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