Carthage and Sidi Bou Said

Two of Tunisia’s primary attractions, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, are pleasantly located overlooking the Mediterranean, a thirty-minute drive from Tunis.

Carthage: The fame of this ancient city, the capital of an empire, once resounded across the ancient world. Here, Dido wept for Aeneas, Hannibal set forth to conquer Rome, and the bulls tossed St. Perpetua. ‘Delenda est Carthago’ (Carthage must be destroyed), the elder Cato told the Roman Senate, and so it was. Following the Third Punic War against Rome in 146 BC, the city burned for 17 days. From the ashes of the original settlement rose a new Roman city second only to Rome in its magnificence. This rebuild was, in turn, destroyed by the Vandals and Arabs. The ruins of ancient Carthage are now scattered between several sites in an upmarket suburb of Tunis, and unless one is prepared, a visit can be disappointing. Here, you will see the stele of the Tophet – a cemetery for children and place of ritual sacrifice; Byrsa Hill – the centre of the city of Dido with its Hannibalic Quarter and the Carthage Museum; the once splendid Punic Ports from where Carthage controlled her empire and the waves of commerce; and the grand remains of the Antonine Baths.

Sidi Bou Said is perched high above the cliffs overlooking the sea and is among the most picturesque villages in Tunisia. The whitewashed town is picture-perfect and has become a writers’ and artists’ colony. A profusion of architectural details is on display, ranging from traditional blue and green painted doors studded with black nails in patterns to curving mashrabiya (carved wood) grills overflowing with cascades of jasmine and bougainvillaea. Souvenir shops are plentiful, with reams of prints and watercolours for sale. Said Bou Said can get busy, but it is a delightful place to discover on foot over a few hours.