Tunisia - for history, culture and holidays!

Cathage, founded by the Phoenicians in 819 BC was the bread basket of the Mediterranean world, expert ship builders and sailors the Carthaginian empire became the largest and most powerful in the werstern mediterranean bringing their empire to the attention of the expanding Roman world. The two sides fought what we now call the Punic wars, the winner would most certainly become the mightiest empire the world had ever seen.

The Punic race had decreed that the first born of every family be sacrificed to the gods, the ashes of their child were then buried in Urns with a grave stone...In Cathage graves dating to the 6th century BC have been excavated, 6 layers of graves all holding children...with the coming of the Romans the practice continued but animals replaced the first born...The manner of the deaths of these children is disputed by historians.

THE PUNIC WARS - (The First Punic War 264 - 241 BC)
The wars were born of the political and economic rivalry of Cathage and Rome, the Carthaginians had the upperhand with their superior maritime skills, at this time Rome didn't have a maritime policy until they captured a Cathaginian ship by pure luck.

Looking at the design of the craft the Romans copied and improved it, they could now take the fight to Cathage on land or at sea. It would turn the tide of the war.
After building their first large fleet, the Romans defeated the Carthaginians at the Battle of Mylae (260 bc) off the north coast of Sicily, but failed to capture the island part of which was held by Cathage. Over the next 13 years most of the battles happened at sea around the coast of Sicily and in 241 BC a final battle saw the Romans capture Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.

THE SECOND PUNIC WAR - Hamilca Barca who had been defeated in the last battle of the first Punic war, spent the rest of his life trying to swing the balance of power back in favour of Cathage...His son Hannibal led an army of war elephants through Spain, Gaul (France) and across the Alps into Northern Italy winning battles at Lake Trasimeno and the town of Cannae, before advancing south. He constantly asked for re-enforcements before Rome could respond but was ordered back to Northern Africa to help defend against the Roman leader Scipio who had totally defeated the Carthiginians in Spain. Hannibal was ill equipped and was utterly defeated at the battle of Zama in 202 BC. Cathage was forced to hand over all its islands in the Mediterranean, cede the rest of Spain, relinquish their navy and pay an indemnity to Rome. Cathage had been utterly defeated and would never rival Rome for power again.

THE THIRD PUNIC WAR - (146 BC) Cathage continued into the second century BC to be a strong trading power which annoyed the Roman world and through inciting discord Cato the Elder prompted the Roman leaders to take action against Cathage. What followed was the complete destruction of Cathage, those lucky enough to survive were sold into slavery...Legend has it that a line of salt was dug across the city as a curse to ensure Cathage would never be a major threat again.

By 5AD the Roman world was in dissary and Tunisa was lost to the Tuetonic tribe known as Vandals who ruled over the are from around 430 - 534 AD, when it was conquered by the Byzantine general Belisarius before being over ran by the Arabs in the 7th Century...Their rule would last well into the 16th Century, it was during this Arab domoniation the country became known as Tunisia.

Then in 1534 the pirate Barbarrosa II (Khayr ad-Din) Captured the city of Tunis only to be ousted by the Spanish, but even the Spanish failed to hang onto the country for long, they themselves being ousted by the Otterman Turks in 1574.

The Ottoman Turks ruled in Tunisia until 1881 bringing much stability to the country, however the economy relied heavily on piracy and when this was banned the Tunisian government fell into debt, this was made worse by costly uprisings of local tribes and so in 1883 the Tunisian government signed the convention of Marsa and became a French Protectorate. The French influence would stay with the Tunisians and become intertwined with the countries culture.

In 1954 nationalist sentiment boiled over and serious unrest threatened the French rule in Tunisia, so the then French Premier, Pierre Mendès offered internal autonomy with a goverment headed by Tunisians which was accepted by the main nationalist leader Bourguiba.

After long negotiations it was finally agreed in 1955 that a series of protocols be introduced that would greatly increase Tunisian self rule, on September 17th of the same year an all Tunisian government was installed for the first time in 74 years.

The first national legislative elections in Tunisian history took place on March 25, 1956 and resulted in a decisive victory for the Neo-Destour Party. On April 8 Bourguiba was elected president of the first Tunisian National Assembly; on April 11, he was named premier. The assembly adopted a constitution transferring to the Tunisian people the legislative powers hitherto exercised by the bey, the old Arab rulers. On November 12, 1956, Tunisia was admitted to the UN.

The self rule was put to the test the following year when French troops allegedly pursued Algerian rebels over the border in to Tunisia, they clashed with a Tunisian Boarder patrol creating tension. The following year French planes bombed the Tunisian village of Sakiet-Sidi-Youssef killing 68 and injurying 100, claiming Algerian rebels had once again crossed the border. It was later claimed by French officials that it was in retaliation for coming under fire from Tunisians the previous day.

In 1961 the Tunisian Government issued a note to the French demanding they leave the navel base at Bizerte, it was ignored and prompted the Tunisian Government to order their troops to take up siege. Over the following two days French forces broke the blockade and surrounded the entire city killing 1,300. The UN then ordered the French to leave Bizerte completely and in 1963 it was handed over to Tunisia.

After this the political scene in Tunisia settled, border disputes with Algeria were delt with and Tunisia began mending relations with France, However in a bid for greater autonomy the Tunisian government took back land owned by French families, the French in return withdrew all financial assistance to Tunisia leaving the country in serious financial trouble.

In 1987 Bourguiba was replaced as president by Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali whoes likeness adorns giant posters all around Tunisia. Bourguiba the 'father of the nation' died aged 96, he was buried in a mousoleum in Monastir where he was born.

Tunisia is split into 23 governorates all ruled over by a governor chosen by the president. There is free health care for the people of Tunisia and a welfare system. Life expectancy is 74 years for men and 77 years for women. Education is free with a 77% literacy rate amongst adults. Currency is the Tunisian Dinar, it is a closed currency and it is also an offence to take Dinars out of the country.

I visited Tunisia for the first time in July 2009 and didn't really know what to expect, for some reason I thought it may be a bit of a cultural shock...reading others experiences in the country my partner was a little concerned about the harrassment western women can get subjected to...while this is true in some cases of women travelling alone being a couple seemed to warn off any potential for trouble.

Then of cause was the haggling, the shop keepers who claim to be a waiter from the hotel etc...all happened but in all honesty although the market towns can be a bit over powering, it was all in good fun, only one or two venders on the beach became unpleasent but I found you just had to walk away.

Well let me go back to the beginning...We booked two weeks at the Mahaba Salem in Sousse, half board and were instructed by our travel agents (Thomsons first choice) to take Euro travellers cheques with us...DONT! The exchange rate in Tunisia as of July 28th 2009 was 89 Dinar per 50 Euro compared to 100 Dinar to £50. The travellers cheques were also a problem on arrival, we landed at 11pm in Monastir and as the Dinar is a closed currency this meant we had to change the cheques in Tunisia, the exchange at the airport only changed cash and left us without money...luckily a couple at our hotel lent us money otherwise we would have had nothing for an evening meal.

Monastir Airport is quite picturesque with its marble floors and columns, and, unlike most airports portrays an air of calm, this is probably of cause the time we landed at, but we were processed quickly and efficiently.

With in a day or two we were pleased to have gone half board, the staff at the hotel respond to the occasional small tip, this guarentees you good service it seems, for the duration of your holiday...This is in stark contrast to those paying all inclusive prices who found portions and service to be a lot different, and certainly not as good, as those on half board...In fact one person I met from another all Inclusive hotel in Skanes claimed he had to pay for food and drink from midnight until 8am!

You were allocated a table in the dining area which you kept for your entire stay, and a regular waiter who organised a baby seat for my son. The Breakfast at the Mahaba Salem was buffet style, consisting of cereals, yoghurts, toast, a variety of bread, tunisian style sausages, Baked beans, eggs, a variety of local fruit, tea, coffee, orange, water, doughnuts and jams. You could go up as often as you like and on a couple of occasions we took some back to our room for lunch.

The dinner time selection was as vast as the breakfast, with a strong Italian influence, there were a few Tunisian dishes but unfortunately from my point of view it was very familiar...EG pizza, pasta, chips. The dessert table was fantastic and you could request Ice cream for the children which came in some rather ecleptic flavours.

Not one for sunbathing and an avid historian I went on a trip to Cathage and the Bardo Museum which took in Roman remains and the capital Tunis. The first stop on the tour was at the foot of Zagawar mountains where you can see one of the oldest Berber settlemens perched somewhat precariously on a rocky out crop. We then followed the road closer to the mountains which are rich in natural spring water, this water is sourced by southern Tunisa now, but during the Roman age they built an Aquaduct some 134 kilometres long from the moutains to Cathage, and one of the stops took in an amazing view of some of the aquaduct. Moving onto The Bardo museum we saw some of the largest and most fantastic mosaics left from the Roman world...We then drove through Tunis where the cars drove four abreast and every one had a dent somewhere, horns blew playfully as every one fought for pole postion...The city opened up onto grass land in places where animals grazed but for the most part the houses stretched in every direction as far as the eye could see, the streets were pervaded by the smell of spices and Jasmin.

The tour ended at Cathage its self, a look around the Punic grave yards (see history of Tunisa) the Roman Military dock and the remnants of Roman Carthage. It was very easy to forget the modern world and drift back to ancient times, imagining what life would have been like, the view from the ruins of Cathage certainly wouldn't have looked much different then, as it does today...Then you realise the horrors that took place where you are standing, a whole city put to the sword, you can almost feel the Punic eyes staring at you from a bygone age.

Prices in the hotel were resonable, wine was about £5- £11, beer was £1.50 for a small and £2.50 for a large which was more than a pint! But the local restaurants and bars offer you a better deal on food if you want to eat out...Most of the places you see have Italian food, with some serving French and Tunisian but there is always something for the more fussy eater. I personnaly like to sample local cuisine and some of what I tried can be found in this lens.

A trip into Sousse is a must to see the world heritage protected Medinah and Rabat, some of which was used for the filming of Monty Pythons Life of Brian, to say nothing of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The narrow streets of the medinah are simply packed with shops, all the owners will entice you in claiming its cheaper than ASDA price, you can buy anything from souveniers to spice's, shoes to cows heads they gaurantee to give you a good deal ! Be strong willed unless you want to spend a lot of cash...some people may find it over powering but smile and say no and keep walking, watch out also for the mad moped riders.

Another thing to look out for is the friendly Tunisian who is so proud of the Rabat he gives you a tour, what he won't say is that its 8 dinars each until the end...My first time, so I got caught by this but I actually found it very interesting and worth the cash, however it was a good job I had enough on me.

Taxi drivers are also very helpful but get a fixed price before you enter the cab, our hotel to Sousse cost 5 dinar, if your put on the metre it will cost you 11. (July 09)

Don't be put off by any of this it is really great fun and do haggle they enjoy it and so will you, I haggled for a necklace for my partner, we opened at 105 dinar closed at 11, he still made a killing! However if haggling is not for you head for the fixed price government shops.

Over all Tunisa is a great destination for all ages, the people adore children and are usually very friendly and helpful. The country itself offers an abundence of history and places to visit as diverse as the Atlas mountains to the Sahara desert, there are a wide range of water sports available, camel riding, horse riding, boat rides or if you prefer, over 1000 miles of sandy beaches to get a tan while relaxing with a good book.

Mechouia Salad- if you try this recipe let me and others know what you think about it by leaving a message...

Preparation time 20 mins
Cooking time 15 minutes
difficulty; easy

This recipe serves 4

You will need
4.5lb /2kg of mild green chiles
1.25lb/500g of tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
7tsp of olive oil
1tsp of caraway seed
4 eggs.

METHOD: Broil the chillies and tomatoes on tin foil at 200c or gas mark 5 for 10 minutes. Then drain the tomatoes, carefully peel the chillies with fingers.

De-seed the chillies and cut in half length wise, then peel and de-seed the tomatoes then crush tomatoes and chillies in a bowl.

Once crushed add the garlic and mix well.

Season the Mechouia mixture with olive oil, caraway seeds and salt and mix well. Cook the eggs until hard boiled then slice.

Add a few olives and enjoy.

Radhkha - If you try this recipe let me and others know what you thought of it by leaving a message.

Preparation time 40 minutes
difficulty: Easy

Serves 4

you will need:
1.75lb /800g Tomatoes
5oz/150g mild green chillies
2.5oz tuna in oil
4 cloves of galic
7tsp of olive oil
half a lemon
pinch of salt

METHOD: Dice the tomatoes, then spilt the chillies in half and de-seed them. Flake the tuna.

Peel the galic cloves and grind them with a pestal and mortar if possible,

place the tomatoes and chillie in a bowl and grind this also add the garlic once finished.

pour the olive oil into the mixture and add the tuna...crush the mixture with the back of a metal spoon.

Add salt and then squeeze the lemon juice into the mixture....garnish with olives.

If you use this recipe then please leave feed back, many thanks for reading

Preparation time 10 minutes
cooking time 10 minutes
difficulty: Easy

Serves 4
You will need:
100g flour
3 eggs
1 lemon
200g sugar
1tsp olive oil

METHOD: Sieve the flour into a bowl and break the eggs mixing well. squeeze in lemon juice using just one half.

Make a syrup with the 200g of sugar by mixing it with 100ml of water until sugar has dissolved. Add the juice from the other half of lemon, cook in a pan until large globules form and then leave to one side.

With a tsp of olive oil heating a pan, using metal moulds for you biscuits place in the oil with some of the mixture cook unitl golden, reheat the syrup when it is hot dip the cookies in and leave to cool at room temperature.