Tunisia Travel Marketplace: The Centralized Directory for North Africa’s Mediterranean Gateway

Tunisia as a Destination: Where Antiquity Meets the Sahara

Tunisia has been at the crossroads of Mediterranean civilization for over 3,000 years — first as the Phoenician colony of Carthage (which challenged Rome for Mediterranean supremacy), then as the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis, then through Byzantine, Arab, Ottoman, and French control. No country in Africa preserves a denser concentration of Roman ruins and Phoenician heritage. Tunisia also offers the full geographical range from Mediterranean beach resorts and ancient Roman cities in the north to Saharan dune fields and salt lakes in the south — all within a driving distance of approximately 600 km.

Morocco currently receives approximately 17 million tourists annually; Tunisia, with comparable heritage assets, received approximately 9.4 million in 2024, recovering strongly from the disruptions of the 2011 revolution and 2015 terrorist attacks. Tourism represents approximately 8% of GDP and provides direct and indirect employment for an estimated 400,000 Tunisians.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites (8 Sites)

1. Medina of Tunis (Inscribed 1979)

The medina of Tunis is one of the Arab world’s finest medieval urban environments, with over 700 monuments including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas, and fountains. The Zitouna Mosque (Great Mosque of the Olive Tree), founded 703 AD, anchors the medina and is one of the oldest mosques in the world. The souks surrounding it — organized by craft: perfumers, cloth merchants, leather workers — are among North Africa’s most authentic commercial environments, still functioning as they have for centuries.

2. Site of Carthage (Inscribed 1979)

Carthage, on a promontory overlooking the Bay of Tunis, was the capital of the Phoenician empire and Rome’s greatest adversary. The site encompasses Punic ruins, Roman baths (the Antonine Baths — the largest in the Roman world outside Rome), an amphitheater, and the Tophet — the Phoenician sacred precinct. The Bardo National Museum in Tunis houses the world’s finest collection of Roman mosaics, including the extraordinary portrait of Virgil.

3. El Jem Amphitheatre (Inscribed 1979)

The amphitheater of El Jem in central Tunisia is the largest in Africa and one of the best-preserved in the world, seating 35,000 spectators. Built in the 3rd century AD, it rivals the Colosseum in Rome in scale and state of preservation. Annual classical music festivals are held within the amphitheater during summer.

4–8. Additional UNESCO Sites

Tunisia’s additional UNESCO properties include the Medina of Sousse (inscribed 1988), the Medina of Kairouan (inscribed 1988 — one of the oldest Arab cities in North Africa, founded 670 AD), the Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis (inscribed 1985), and the Ichkeul National Park (inscribed 1980 — a critical migratory bird wetland).

Key Destinations

Sidi Bou Saïd

The clifftop village of Sidi Bou Saïd, 20 km northeast of Tunis, is one of the Mediterranean’s most distinctive and photographed villages — white buildings with blue painted doors and windows cascading down to the sea. The village’s aesthetic codes (white walls, Tunis blue shutters) were formally protected by decree in 1915 and have been maintained for over a century.

Chott el-Jerid & the South

Tunisia’s south is dominated by Chott el-Jerid — a vast salt lake covering approximately 5,000 km² that turns pink and white under the Saharan sun. The town of Douz on its southern shore is the gateway for camel treks into the Grand Erg Oriental dune fields. The Berber village of Matmata, with its troglodyte (underground) dwellings, was used as Luke Skywalker’s home planet Tatooine in the original Star Wars films.