Tunis has become an attractive tourist spot in Africa, with wide coastlines, refreshing beaches and a variety of water activities on one end of the city. On the other end the city is surrounded by the blazing Sahara desert which stands as a challenging escapade to trekkers and participants of the Sahara run. With such stark contrasts of beaches and deserts, the city has come to be one of mixed cultures, traditions and values where French liberalism alongside Arabic values has framed a very open and accepting mindset of Tunisians.
Tunis has been home to world’s greatest civilizations, including the Arabs, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Turks, Spanish and French, all of whom have left their marks on Tunisia’s monuments, culture, language and way of life. Tunis achieved importance as the capital of Tunisia after the 7th century when the Arabs were dominant in the country and realized the importance of the strategic location of the city.
Being a Mediterranean city, Tunis has extreme temperatures. In the summers, as one approaches the Sahara in the south, one can experience extreme heat as well as very bitter winters in the north. Therefore, the ideal time to visit is in spring, from April to June when beautiful green fields blossom at very pleasant temperatures and again during autumn, from September to October when the cool breeze lowers the unbearably high temperatures! Locals and tourist can have fun on the beaches or explore the historic city and learn more about it during the various festivals that are held in these peak times.
• Location: Tunis lies on the Mediterranean coastline of the Gulf of Tunis with beautiful hills surrounding its perimeter and the Sahara surrounding the South of Tunisia. Being the smallest city in North Africa, Tunis is a bundle of surprises with the festive and historical sites in store for visitors. • Dialing Codes: country code: 216 ; city code: 71 • Emergency (police or ambulance): Police: 197 Ambulance: 190 Firefighters: 198 Free emergency call: 112 • Airport enquiry: Tunis-Carthage Airport : +216 (0)1 755 000 • Population: 728453 • Density: 3,425.9/km2 (8,873/sq mi) • Language: Tunisian Arabic, English and French are the most spoken languages with Tunisian Arabic being the official language of the country. Most people in holiday resorts speak English very fluently while French has most importance in academically. • Total Spread of city: Tunis covers a total area of 212.63 km2 • Time zone: CET (UTC+1) • Annual Rainfall: 1520mm • Highest Summer Temperature: 32 • Lowest Winter Temperatures: 7
Month Min. Temp °C Max. Temp °C January 7 15 February 8 16 March 9 18 April 11 20 May 14 24 June 18 29 July 20 32 August 21 32 September 20 29 October 16 25 November 12 20 December 9 16
Tunis, and Tunisia at large, has a very high percentage of a younger population which dominates most of the activities of the city. Coming from a very diverse social environment, Tunisians are very open to differences in culture, religion and values and are very friendly to tourists. Although Arabic is the official language of the state and French can be mostly found in commercial activities, most Tunisians are also fluent in English that makes them come up to international standards and has helped them communicate better in the international arena.
Tunisian Currency is : Tunisian Dinar
1st January- New Year’s Day 20th March- Independence Day 21st March- Youth Day 9th April- Martyr’s Day 25th APRIL- Liberation Day 2nd May- Labor Day 25th July- Republic Day 13th August- Women’s Day 7th November- New Era Day
Doing justice to the historic city in one day is impossible! However, in this one day if you explore most of the Medina, the most historic and bustling district of Tunis, you are bound to get a flavor of Tunisian life, culture, history, religion and tradition.
