White-blue city and antique ghosts
Syi Bu Said – one of the brightest and romantic places in Tunisia. The town, located next to the capital, is called "White pearl hanging over the azure bay". All this is true. White and blue – the colors of this village with narrow winding streets. If it were not for the numerous souvenir shops, orange and lemon trees and juicy pink bougainvilleys, then this is a white-blue Maorevo could just drive crazy. Two colors are so deliberately emphasized that sometimes they oversleep the other charms of this wonderful place. For example, a lightweight, air view of the bay or patterned with forged nails doors in the form of an archer with massive horseshoe handles.
Interestingly, even in new houses insert old doors, under which a special opening is done. But the house will still be white, carved shutters – Musharade, blue, and necessarily a blue balcony-veranda with lattice blinds. Such balconies were made so that women could watch through the lattice threads all that happened on the street, and they were not visible themselves.
- Syi bu Said
- New houses
Syidi village Bu Said named after the Muslim hermit, who settled here in the XIII century and preached Sufism – a rather mystical movement in Islam, here he is buried. At all times on this picturesque hill, the villas are rich and famous people of Tunisia. Settled here and a notable donor Baron Rudolf d’Erland, building a beautiful palace in Andalusian style on top of the hill. Today it is a museum and the national treasure of Tunisia. Everyone can visit him. It was Rudolph d’Erlane who turned to the then ruling tip with a call to preserve the historical value of the town. And in 1915 by Decree Beea it was announced that Sidi Said is an architectural monument, and all houses should be snow-white, and windows blue.
- Architectural monument
- In the Dar El Jeld Restaurant
All coming to this adorable town will certainly advise visit two "cult" Places: Vintage Cafe de Natte and Cafe "Sydi Shebaan", Where does the most beautiful view of the bay. None, nor other cafes we visited, because we were waiting for dinner at Dar El Jeld Restaurant. It is located in the old town of Tunisia – Medina (this is how the historical center or the old city is called in all Arab countries). The house where the restaurant is located, also a historic building, which in the Tunisian medina a lot. Once in it lived rich bai. The house was built and painted in a typical manner of the time when the Arabs pushed the indigenous people of Berber Tunisia and took up the construction of the city, using the stones of the ancient Carthage. In addition to the wonderful national cuisine, the restaurant is notable for a luxurious interior: painted ceilings and walls, decorated with colored tiles and carved plaster, antique furniture and vintage chandeliers.
Medina in Tunisia – one of the biggest and interesting. Noisy and motley tangled streets are an infinite oriental bazaar. Than just do not trade! Ceramics, Souvenirs, Fabrics, Chacking, Mirrors, Leather, Carpets, Perfume. And every trader appeals to you so politely, in French – "Madame", "Bonzhur", "Orevoir" Instead of annoying "Natasha, come on". The official language in Tunisia today is Arabic, but more recently, French also had the same status. Therefore, in French in Tunisia they say everything, he is studied at school. Many tunisians communicate with each other in French, even market traders.
We visited the Bardo Museum, located 5 kilometers from the capital. True, while there are restoration work there and for the general public it is closed. Bardo – one of the largest and most famous museums in Africa. In the former, completely magnificent, the palace of Beeev stores one of the best collections in the world: an ancient antique mosaic, monuments of Carthage, Byzantine and Roman art, underwater finds from Mahdia. And still samples of Arabic art – musical instruments, weapons, carpets, decorations from different parts of the country, coins, engraving XV and much more.
A short walk through the luxurious deserted rooms was just mystical. From ancient mosaic panels on us with surprise, gods and heroes of ancient myths, sirens, nonbeys, centaurs, tritons, sea horses and other allegorical figures. The images of the characters of mosaic masterpieces looked so vividly and fresh that the feeling of real presence involuntarily appeared. We are the only visitors to the museum – were random guests in this past in the past world.
