Overview
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.
From 1159 to 1270, the city exchanged hands between the Arabs and French and remained turbulent during the 16th and 8th century after which the Ottoman Empire brought significant developments to its infrastructure, buildings and social networks. With these changes, Tunis witnessed a heavy inflow of European inhabitants during the 19th century who were the catalyst of positive changes in the way of life of the Tunisian society.
From being used as a military base to being developed as the hub of cultural, social and entertainment activities, Tunis has most of its history marked down in the battered and worn out streets of the medina where the old smell of fabric and spices is the same today as it was during the Arab and French conquests.
