Lost in medina antiquity

A road leading to Bou Said Village, a Impian Monalisa-famous hill-top tourist destination near Tunis. All homes are blazing white and decorated with intense blue on the windows, doors, verandahs and balconies. (JP/Pandaya)

Three-hour's bus journey from Tunis to heartland in the south of Tunisia took us to Kairouan, a town built in 670 AD which was the center of country until the 12th century.

Kairouan prides itself as an education and cultural center, but what makes the town special is that it was the first place Islam took off in Tunisia.

The city's founders had learned from the doomed city of Carthage on the northern coast, that seaside cities were vulnerable to invasions from the Mediterranean sea. So Kairouan was built further inland, some 50 kilometers from the coast.

We explored Kairouan's world-famous medina (non-European part of a north African city), where Islam first came to Tunisia and spread into northern Africa.

In the medina and in much of Kairouan, everything looks ancient: the buildings, the souk (Northern Africa or Middle Eastern market), the alleys and the culture.

Kairouan is reputed as the forth holy city in Islam -- alongside Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Locals say if you go to Kairouan seven times, it is equivalent to making a haj pilgrimage to Mecca. My God! I still have another six visits to go!

Unlike in the modern Tunis, which is very much a "European" city, Kairouan apparently lacks symbols of modernity.

The most important attraction in the Kairouan medina is the vast Sidi Oqba -- the Grand Mosque named after an Arab general who founded Kairouan -- and, of course, the colorful souk. In this quarter you can find anything from locally made carpets and tapestry to silverware.

A minaret in Tunis medina, which boasts numerous mosques and souks (marketplaces) in a vast complex with a seemingly endless network of alleyways running through it. (JP/Pandaya)

The massive but plain grand mosque is illuminated with intricate chandeliers which give it a sacred atmosphere. Visitors can take a peek inside but are forbidden from going past a velvet rope.

A curious attraction is Bir Barauta, an enclosed fountain where a blindfolded camel drives a water wheel. The camel at work is a must see (pun unintended). Can you imagine coming all the way to Tunisia without touching a camel?

Legend has it that this well communicates with the Zemzem spring in Mecca. Ah, and don't forget to drink a mug of fresh water that the big gentle animal draws from the well. Who knows, your wish may be granted.

The overly pushy traders (who can also be found in such places as Kuta Beach and Borobudur, Indonesia) are often annoying. Some will insist on taking you to their tapis (carpet) factory, saying "no problem if you don't buy".

The tourist guide also claims the more complex medina of Tunis is a must see -- a claim I found was fair enough on my visit there the following day.

From the moment I set foot in the medina of Tunis, I was overwhelmed with the sights and sounds of this ancient city: old-fashioned palaces, undulating chants of prayer calls, the mosques, strong smells emanating from spice shops -- and those colorful doors.

Friendly traders in the souk make you fell at home, smiling and guessing your nationality with their knowledge of foreign words, like "konnichiwa" or "nihao?" if you look East Asian. If you are white, they will address you in French, or in English if you don't react ... and then in German if you still look baffled.

I got a warm hug (or two) for being Indonesian, a nation with whom they have a high regard for some reason -- probably history and the countries' shared main religion.

Visitors who venture without guides can easily become lost in the Tunis medina's seemingly endless narrow twisting alleyways -- while blissfully unaware because there is so much to see, especially for those interested in cultural heritage. This eclectic area was the core of 7th-century Tunis, whose sturdy old-fashioned walls are reminiscent of the Yogyakarta Tamansari complex.

The Tunis medina lures tourists as a place which has retained its ancient cultural diversity -- and yet still functioning as a bustling commercial center. While the rest of Tunis, like other big cities around the world, are crowded with modern western-style shopping malls, one can still find artisans at work in its medina, and they aren't just there to entertain tourists -- their wares are for sale. These artisans make everything on site, from leather goods to silver lamps, using traditional techniques and tools.

Here, too, are well-preserved symbols of early Islamic splendor, including the awesome Zitouna Grand Mosque (also known as Mosque of the Olive) smaller mosques (all with towering minarets), the Kasbah and the citadel. And madrasah Islamic schools have been here since the medina was founded.

Tunis's most important building, Zitouna, is honored as it once housed notable scientists who taught there, such as Ali Ibn Ziyad (in the 8th century) and Imam Ibn Arafa (in the 14th century). Rebuilt in 1894, Zitouna stands out with its 44-meter-tall minaret.

The narrow intertwining alleyways are lined with covered shops selling various wares -- all manufactured by local artisans -- including fabrics, carpets, silver lamps, jewelry, leather cowboy hats and perfume. And what is great about shopping in the souk is that visitors can test their haggling prowess.

Merchants are generally friendly. They will laugh merrily if you haggle too low and patiently ask you to raise your price.

The medina is also home to numerous marvelous palaces including the 18th century Dar Hussein with its beautiful courtyard and the Bardo Palace with treasures from the antiquity.

On exiting the ancient quarter from the eastern main gate, one arrives on De France Avenue feeling like a character out of Back to the Future (after traveling through time). Just outside the medina is the modern European-style city that was built by the French who arrived in Tunisia in 1881.

Not surprisingly, within this perimeter, all Tunisia's roads bear French names. A walking distance from the Avenue De France is Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Tunis's main thoroughfare linking the Old City with the Little Sea.

The Avenue Habib Bourguiba area is a neatly designed new town for government offices, embassies, hotels, theaters and spacious leafy parks. Somewhat out of place in this Islamic country is Cathedral St. Vincent de Paul which was built by the French in 1882 (just one year after their arrival, suggesting their intention of staying). Locals love to say that all but foreign nationals are Muslim.

A stroll down the avenue will give you a glimpse of Tunisia's diverse cultures. The wide sidewalks are bustling with French-style cafes, but only a few of them serve wine or beer. These places are hangout places for townsfolk, who spend hours sipping coffee and shooting the breeze with buddies there.

A cup of coffee costs around 3 Tunisian dinar, or about US$2. Often, townsfolk share a drink with friends as a token of friendship.

Another place not to be missed in Tunisia is the blue-and-white village of Sidi Bou Said. 12 kilometers from Tunis, this lovely village is perched on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Tunis.

The beautiful Sidi Bou Said attracts tourists, who appreciate its landscape, as well as super-wealthy Tunisians who reside or build holiday houses in this affluent suburb -- which is not far from Carthage, the famed ruins of a Phoenician city.

As the bus climbs past Carthage, visitors get a glimpse of the wide blue bay below. The marina is awesome with its white sails of boats arriving and departing.

Sidi Bou Said village originally grew serving Muslims who were making their pilgrimage to the tomb of the 13th century sufi, Sidi Bou Said.

In this leafy tourist haven, the dominant whites and blues simmer under the Mediterranean sun when viewed from afar. Visitors are quickly bewildered in its labyrinth of narrow roads with breathtaking flowery gardens and upscale mansions.

Every building bears the village's signature colors: bright white walls and staircases, and everything else in vivid blue. Larger doors are painted yellow, white or red.

Sidi Bou Said has, since the 19th century, been attracting painters from European countries to visit, or even to build their studios there. Painter Soro Lo Turco of Italy has a studio and gallery here. Such great artists as Colette, Simone de Beauvoir and Andr* Gide are several others who have fallen under its spell.