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| Tunis | ||
| Governorate | Tunis | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1.056.247 (2014) | |
| height | 4 m | |
| Tourist info | 216 71 120 300 Discover Tunisia | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Tunis (تونس) is the capital of Tunisia. It is located in the north of the country not far from the Mediterranean.
Districts
Dynamic cardsThe colonial quarter between the main train station and Lac (Ville Nouvelle) is laid out like a chessboard, the streets of the Arab old town to the north, the Medina traditionally angled. This district is part of the world cultural heritage as an ensemble.
Old mansions (Dar) are therefore extensively restored and in some cases can be viewed (City administration overview). in the 1 Dar Lasram
, 24 Rue du Tribunal, has the authority responsible for the world heritage Agence Sauvegarde de la Medina, their seat. A small exhibition is offered here Mon.-Fri. 9.00-16.30 information. The Dar Othman was the private residence of the first Ottoman governor from 1594. Accessible 8:00 am-2:00pm in summer and 9:00 am-1:00pm and 2:00 pm-5:00pm in winter. in the Dar ben Abdullah is a folklore museum that Mon.-Sat. Opens 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in the Dar el-Haddad only the inner courtyard can be visited, but this is free, daily Sat.-Thu. in summer 8 a.m.-2 p.m., in winter 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2 p.m.-5 p.m. At the same times you can enter the courtyard of the Dar Hussein, The antiquities administration has its seat in the building.
Between the city and the Gulf of Tunis lies the Lake of Tunis, a shallow lagoon that was cut by a ten-kilometer road as early as the colonial era. The nicer areas away from the city center are the government district Le Bardo, in the north the area around the Belvédère hills and the newer settlements El Menzah and Ariana. To the north of La Goulette, towards the airport, line the affluent suburbs of Qartāj (Carthage). Le Berges du Lac I and II are newly built districts for the wealthy. Those who want a more rustic life prefer the city center or Lafayette. The industrial districts of Megrine and Ben Arous are to the south.
background
Since 1195, under the Almohads, the place has had the function of a capital, and nothing changed during the Ottoman and French colonial rule.
Due to the rapid growth of the city, the entire area of the Tunis Governorate is now built up by the city, even if individual localities are not incorporated into the city of Tunis. In 1966 only 642,000 people lived here, today there are well over two million in the greater area. Since the administration under President Bourghiba was exemplary for African standards, there were hardly any slums to emerge.
getting there
By plane
Only one terminal for domestic and international flights. Since the modernization, completely wheelchair accessible. WiFi has been available in the entire terminal since 2019. Currency exchange options through 6 banks are available all day. No showers or luggage storage. Taxi drivers in advance can be aggressive and pushy and claim their meters are "broken."By train
The central station 2 Gare de Tunis (Information ☎ 216 20 893 817) is directly at the central tram transfer point Place du Barcelone. The lockers (behind the police station) are not accessible at night.
The long distances are in the country article described.
By bus
The most important operator of long-distance buses is the semi-public SNTRI. Reservations are particularly advisable on weekends.
- 3 Gare Routière Nord (محطة النقل البري للشمال بباب سعدون, northern shared taxi / bus station), Ave. Habib Bougatfa (Metro 3, 4, 5, 14: Bab Saadoun, then 200 m). With post office.
- 4 Gare Routière Sud (محطة النقل البري تونس الجنوبية, southern bus station) (Metro 1, 6, 12, 14: Bab Alioua). The buses to Algeria also leave here: daily until Annaba, once a week through to Algiers.
- Taxi station Door Aliyou (محطة سيارات الاجرة باب عليوة, Louage Bab Aliwa station, a shared taxi stand) (100 m from the bus station).
- 5 Louage Moncef Bey station (Ave Hammouda Pacha). Shared taxis to Sousse, Sfax and Gabes.
In the street
Shared taxis (minibuses), which also depart from the bus stations, can be recognized by their white color with a longitudinal red stripe.
By boat
The ferry connections from Italy and France are in the corresponding section of the Country article described. The ferry terminal is in 6 La Goulette port. The S-Bahn runs regularly.
The marina is in Sidi Bou Said.
mobility
Taxis costs (2019) 0.50 TDN basic fee, plus 1 TDN / km, waiting time 15 TDN / h; Night surcharge from 9 p.m. They all have one meter at their disposal, but foreigners may have to insist on switching them on.
Operates local public transport Transtu. A zone system applies. Combination tickets for different modes of transport are also sold. The different ones can be quite interesting for tourist stays Carte hébdomadaire, these are bundles of eight single tickets each.
Suburban train
From Tunis to the eastern suburbs, the so-called runs over 19 kilometers TGM ("Tunis - Goulette - Marsa"), the first electric train on the African continent. The trains depart from Tunis Marine station and serve La Goulette, Carthage (Kathago), Sidi Bou Saïd and the coastal town of La Marsa.
Stations: Tunis Marine, Le Bac, La Goulette, Goulette La Neuve, La Goulette Casino, Khereddine, Aéroport, Le Kram, Carthage Salambo, Karthago Byrsa, Karthago Dermech, Hannibal Karthago, Carthage Présidence, Karthago, Amilcar, Sidi Bou Said, Sidi Dhrif, La Corniche, Marsa Plage. There is a train every half hour from 3:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.
A zone system applies to the fares. There are 1st and 2nd class. The cheapest single trip costs 0.32 TDN in 2019.
Train
S-Bahn trains run from Tunis via Radès, Ez Zahra, Hammam Lif, Borj Cédria to Erriadh and between Sousse, Sahline, Monastir, Moknine and Mahdia, the line from Tunis runs every 10-20 or 30-40 minutes, depending on the time of day served, those from Sousse every 60-90 minutes.
Tramway
There is a modern tram network in Tunis, Metro Léger called, with routes through the city center and out to the suburbs of Ben Arous, Den Den, Ibn Khaldoun and La Ariana. The National Museum Le Bardo also serves one route. The network has a length of around 45 kilometers with 66 stations.
buses
Also on the buses of Transtu a zone system applies. A network of more than 5800 km is served.
Tourist Attractions
Square in front of the monumental government building. The 2011 demonstrations were concentrated here. Behind the government building is the Ahmed Khodja mausoleum (ضريح أحمد خوجة) and the well worth seeing Dar El Bey (دار الباي), formerly the Prince's Palace, is the prime minister's official residence here today.Sacred buildings
Has a characteristic minaret in Ottoman style, erb. 1616-37. The prayer room is on the upper floor, rents for the shops below traditionally provided for the upkeep of the building and the clergy.
The construction has its origins in the 9th century. However, the square minaret was not erected until the 19th century. In the near r. des Libraires are three Koran schools from the 17th century.Open: Viewing by unbelievers (not in the prayer room) Sat.-Thu. 8.00-12.00, Fri (outside areas only) 9.00-11.30, completely closed. at isl. Holidays.
On the opposite side of the street is the ornate mausoleum Zaouïa Sidi Mehrez..Open: Unbelievers are generally prohibited from entering the mosque.
Built in the 189s over a Christian slave cemetery. Stylistically a mishmash of neo-Gothic, Byzantine and Moorish elements.Museums
- 7 National Bardo Museum (المتحف الوطني بباردو, Metro Bardo, lines 4, 14; numerous buses, stop at Bab el-Khadra. Behind the parliament buildings), Route Nationale 7. Tel.: 216 71 513 650.
Former palace of the Husaids.Open: Tue-Sun: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (summer), 9.30 a.m.-4.30 p.m. (winter).Price: Price for foreigners 13 TDN. - 8 Musee de la Monnaie (متحف العملة, Numismatic Museum), Ave Mohamed V / R. Gandhi.Small, fine exhibition run by the central bank.Open: Tue-Sun 9.30am-4.30pm.
- Dar Maâkal Az-Zaïm (دار معقل الزعيم), Place du Leader (= Maâkal Az-Zaïm) (On the edge of the medina). A traditional residential building that was built by the later long-term president Habib Bourguiba was used as a residential building and is therefore used today as a national memorial and museum. In the environment is the El Hawa-Mosque, Sidi Kacem El Jellizi-Mausoleum (المركز الوطني للخزف الفني) and a small porcelain museum.
- Kheireddine Palace (متحف قصر خير الدين باشا, municipal museum), Rue du tribunal. Classic building in which changing exhibitions of modern art take place.Open: Mon-Sat 10.00-18.00.
- 9 Cité des Sciences (مدينة العلوم, Natural history and science museum), Rue La Cité des Sciences. Tel.: 216 71 766 000.Several halls, which are primarily intended to bring young people closer to the natural sciences, there is an extensive program of courses and events. With a Foucault pendulum, dinosaur garden and planetarium.Open: Tue-Sun 9.00-17.15.Price: adults 2.5 TDN, planetarium extra 1.5 TDN. Weekend surcharge 0.5 TDN. Rooms in the Abou Fehr guest house: single 30 TDN, double 50 TDN.
Green spaces
- 10 Parc du Belvédère (حديقة البلفيدير), Ave Mustapha Khaznadar (i.a. Bus: Place Pasteur; Yughurta).Created 1892-1910. Was the preferred park of the ruling class in colonial times, today towered over by a flagpole in the northern part. The pavilion is well worth seeing La Koubba in the Moorish style. In the southern part of the park is the zoo. At the Place Pasteur bus stop there is also a post office and the on the park side Piscine Municipale Belvédère..Open: Tue-Sun: 9 am-5pm (very busy on weekends).
- 11 Botanical Garden (الحديقة النباتيّة بتونس) (Metro: El Fell).Especially palm arboretum.
- 12 Nippon Garden (الحديقة اليابانية تونس), Av. du Japon, Cité Montplaisir et Borgel (At the Lac; El Khadra bus stop). Open: 7 am-7pm.
activities
The city center empties quickly in the evening after 8 p.m. In Ramadan (start: April 12, 2021) business operations are restricted, and work is often over at around 4 p.m.
- Baths
Especially in the medina you can still find public baths that Hammams (“Turkish bath”), which also had an important social function in traditional arbic society. Before visiting them, you should familiarize yourself with the customs there. It goes without saying that use is separate for men and women.
shop
The traditional business district, the partially covered bazaar - a distinction is made between twenty names, also separated according to product groups, Souks - is located in the side streets on Rue Djamaa Ez-Zitouna between Place de la Kasbah and Place de la Victoire. One can say: the closer to the main mosque, the more exclusive and expensive the goods on offer. In the Rue Djamaa Ez-Zitouna, the souvenir vendors are geared towards tourists. Many of the items on offer can be found cheaper in the side streets with less bargaining. The city headquarters 1 Market hall (السوق المركزية) Joins in the east. Operation here is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Few shops open on Sundays. The gate Bab el-Bahr (alias Porte de France) at Place de la Victoire marks the separation between the Arab old town and the French colonial quarter.
If you want to buy French-style food, you will find some branches of the chain Carrefour. Really fresh goods are more likely to be found in the small bazaars, like on 2 Place Halfaouine and local businesses.
- Shopping centers
kitchen
In 2019 a meal in a simple restaurant costs 6-10 TDN, a beer 4-5 TDN and a small water around 0.70 TDN.
In better restaurants, you should set about 40 TDN for 2 people for a 3-course menu.
nightlife
Evening visits to shisha cafes are popular. Mint tea, coffee and freshly squeezed fruit juices are served there. Especially in the city center there are few places to go out with an alcohol license. The situation of the clubs changed after the upheaval in 2011, they became more dignified and more expensive. The local audience is therefore mostly unmarried educated people under 30.
- In the beach suburb of Marsa
- 1 Carpe Diem, Route de Gammarth ، La Marsa 2070. Women can also enjoy an (expensive) beer here alone or smoke in public without being attacked.Open: daily 6 p.m.-2 a.m.
- Le plug, Kobbet el hawa, 2nd floor (in the suburb of Marsa). Meeting point for the alternative artist scene. Talented musicians and DJs are actively supported. In a converted restaurant complex that was used to feed tourist groups before the overthrow. The offshoot Le Plug Pub is in the port suburb of La Goulette.Open: Mon-Sat from 3 p.m.
accommodation
youth hostel
- 1 Youth hostel Tunis (Auberge El Medina), Rue Saida Ajoua. Tel.: 216 98 57 86 38, Fax: 216 71 56 78 50, Email: [email protected].
- 2 Auberge de Jeunesse El Habib, 12 rue de Babel, Cite Hedi Nourira ("JWD"). Tel.: 216 22 371 976. Looks a bit sterile. 6 dorms. Minimum stay for groups 6 nights.
medium
- 3 Hotel du Parc, Ave. de l'arabie Saoudite (Metro 2, 12: Mohamed V vers ariana). Tel.: 216 71 903 722. Open: check-in from 2 p.m., check-out: 12 a.m.
- 4 Hotel Majestic (نزل ماجستيك), 36 Ave. de Paris. Tel.: 216 71 332 666. Built in 1914 in French Art Nouveau (Art Nouveau) the building and its lobby are architecturally worth seeing. The environment is noisy.
Upscale
In this category you have to start from 350 TDN in 2019. There is no real luxury class.
- 5 Grand Hotel de France, r. Hannibal. Tel.: 216 71 242 766. Colonial charm in the center of the market hall. Has seen better days.
- 6 Hotel Royal Victoria, 5 place de la Victoire, Port de France, Tunis. Tel.: 216 71 320 066. 39 rooms with a lot of "authentic-colorful" local color, the furnishing in the pseudo-18th-century style borders on the kitschy. With a restaurant. Extremely central location.
security
Especially petty crime such as theft occurs. Otherwise, cheating bazaars and taxi drivers are ubiquitous. Smugglers and self-proclaimed "guides" crowd in the tourist areas and on the Ave. Bourghiba up. Once you get involved in a conversation, it is difficult to get rid of them without having satisfied some fantastic demands for money. The conditions are not quite as bad as in Sousse or Morocco, but here, too, if you are addressed as a “friend”: Do not look them in the eye, but go on stubbornly without paying any attention.
Politically motivated acts of violence have become rare again since 2015.
health
- Hospitals
A real “medical district” is around the big one 4 Hôpital & Urgences Charles Nicolle (مستشفى واستعجالي شارل نيكول) On Blvd. du 9 Avril 1938. The Béchir Hamza Children's Hospital (مستشفى البشير حمزة للأطفال) Is a bit to the north on the same road. Not only does the medical training take place in the vicinity, there is also a neurological center, a veterinary clinic and the actual university clinic Hospital Rabta.
The private hospitals Clinique International Hannibal, Polyclinique Les Berges du Lac and Clinique de la Soukra are considered very good (and correspondingly expensive).
Practical advice
Consulates
- 7 FRG, Impasse du Lac Windermere 1. Tel.: 216 71 143 225, Fax: 216 71 14 32 98, Email: [email protected]. Emergency number ☎ 216 98 305 090.Open: Passport matters etc. for Germans by appointment which is to be carried out Mon. or Wed. by phone or email.
- 8 Austria (سفارة النمسا), 16, Rue Ibn Hamdiss El Menzah I, 1004 Tunis. Tel.: 216 71 23 90 38. Emergency number ☎ 21698329422. The Honorary Consulate in Sousse (Hotel Mövenpick) is not allowed to issue emergency passports.Open: Mon.-Fri. 9.00-12.00.
- 9 Ambassade de Suisse (سفارة سويسرا), 22, r. Plato, Z.A. Kheireddine, 2015 Le Kram, Tunis. Tel.: 216 71 192 030. Open: Mon.-Fri. 9.00-12.00.
trips
- Sidi Bou Said and the nearby ruins of Carthage
- Excavations in the old Roman, later Berber town 13 Uthinawho have favourited Sat-Thu 9.00-17.00 (July-September until 19.00) can be visited for 7 TDN. The amphitheater with seating for 10,000 is well preserved.
literature
See also the general guidebook above Tunisia.
- Henß, Rita; Tunisia, Djerba: Tunis: oriental metropolis; Djerba: fantastic sandy beaches; Gafsa: oasis at the gateway to the desert; Munich 2012 (Travel House Media); ISBN 9783834211576 ; ("Map atlas in the book & extra map to take out")
- Sebag, Paul; Tunis. Histoire d’une ville; Paris 2000 (L’Harmattan), ISBN 2-7384-6610-9
- Sommer, Anton F. W .; Mute, Hans; The vulgar Arabic dialect of Tunis; Vienna 2009 (author); ISBN 9783902731050
- City maps
- Tunis, Cité sportive, La Médina, Tunis & region, Tunisie Nord-Est; Metro-Link Métro Léger de Tunis, Plus: corresponding lines shown at each station; Fürstenfeldbruck ²2005; 1: 12000, 54 x 48 cm, folded; With 5 suffix. and road directory on the front and back - legend in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish language.
Web links
- Tourist information from the city administration (fr.)
- Local transport operator prices Transtu
- ↑The square is renamed after each overturn: after Bourghiba's death it was accordingly called Place du 7 Novembre 1987.