Who has not heard of Hannibal and this city who dared brave the might of Rome? Now the ruins of both these great empires lay open to the sun and wildflowers. Declared a national monument the town of Carthage and nearby Salammbo abound in vestiges of the Punic and Roman empires, baths, dwellings, temples, shrines and the fabulous naval port of the Carthaginians.

The hill of Byrsa, where in the 8th century BC, Carthage was founded by the legendary Princess Elissa-Dido, is a storehouse of history .Newly restaured, the former cathedral of Saint Louis, which crowns the hill is now a cultural center and the nearby nationalmuseum of Carthage holds an impressive collection of Punic statues, steles and urns . How strange that this breathtakingly beautiful site should have been the theater of such violence, as a Roman historian wrote of the fall of Carthage "the city was then razed and burnt to the ground and the accursed land covered with salt to ensure its barrenness."

For a thousand years, Phoenicians were masters of the Mediterranean and over 200 war ships and innumerable merchant vessels were sheltered in the nearby port of Salammbo. At its center the Admirals island still exists and archeologists are reconstituting the pavilion with its shrine and docks. Next to the ports the ancient sanctuary of the goddess Tanit (Tophet) a quiet, shady square of hundreds of funeral steles.

The Romans returned to Carthage and built on its ruins a new Carthage resplendent with great buildings, theaters, villas and baths. Carthage became the administrative capital for Africa and its importance can be seen in the Antoinine Thermal baths, one of the largest built under the Roman empire with the "cool room" an amazing 47 meters long and 15 meters high. The Roman theater is still used today for the summer festival of Carthage.

Sidi Bou Said this lovely blue and white village, gaily perched on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Tunis, is perhaps the most cherished in Tunisia. The legend tells of Saint Louis - coming to wage war he fell in love with a Berber princess and, changing his name became the patron saint of this village where he lived in joy and peace. Visit Sidi Bou Said, fall under its charm and the story will seem most logical.

Following the cobblestone streets winding upwards, visitors will catch glimpses of the emerald sea with the mountain of Bou Kornine and the southern beaches of Tunis across the Bay. Sit and sip a green tea with mint at the "Café des Nattes" or continue upwards to the "lighthouse" and the fabulous view from "Sidi Chebaane" café. During the warm summer evenings concerts of traditional Tunisian music, malouf, attract visitors and Tunisians alike.

The former palace of Baron d'Erlanger has been converted into a museum and visitors can marvel at the princely splendor of this Arabian Nights "Palace of the Star of Venus". Small shops offer antiques,Tunisian handicrafts, lovely silver jewelry and the art gallery exhibits works of both Tunisian and international artists. At the foot of the cliffs lies the Port of Sidi Bou Said, a modern marina with restaurants and hotels. Finish your tour with a visit to La Marsa and Gammarth, nearby elegant beachside suburbs that come alive in the summer with joyous bands of liberated youth, and don't miss the "Café Saf-Saf" in La Marsa where a snow white camel draws water from a artisan well.

For visitors and Tunisians alike Hammamet is another word for vacations and its ritual of sun bathing on spotless beaches, the gasp of cool water on bronzed skin, dinner on the patio of a beachfront hotel , midnight swims, discos and watching the sun rise in the mirror of the sea.

Hammamet, the "Tunisian Saint Tropez", is all this and more. Its a way of life, taking the time to relax , meet old friends and make new ones.It's fishermen in brightly painted boats setting out at dawn, the medina surrounded by its ramparts and crowned by an ancient fort overlooking the sea, fashionable boutiques where resplendent traditional tunics and caftans rival the shimmering sun.

The Gulf of Hammamet shelters miles of fine sandy beaches, sparkling seas and modern hotels dedicated to the comfort a well being of their guests. A variety of sea sports, folklore, exhibitions, festivals and amusements are provided for an memorable vacation.

Near to Hammamet the town of Nabeul offers a authentic view of the art of pottery and ceramics. Visitors can watch as the potter's wheel spins out a work of art and admire the range of talents of these artisans who create the modern and sophisticated with the same definite touch as the traditional Tunisian ceramics.

Nabeul hosts a Friday market, once famous for camel traiding , with a variety of local products, as well as the orange blossom festival held each year in April. A small but interesting museum houses both Punic and Roman artifacts.

2 Km away is Dar Chaabane, a village noted for its stone carvers. It is just an hours drive to Tunis where day excursions will introduce visitors to this capital rich in history, its ancient medina with fabulous souks, prestigious suburbs of Carthage, Sidi Bou Said ,the museum of Bardo with its world famous mosaics alongside the bustling vitality of a modern city.

Tunis takes you by surprise with its modern conference halls, hotels and banks, bright yellow taxis rushing passengers to a business lunch, all the hustle and bustle of a modern Mediterranean city . Steel and glass blend with the baroque, palm trees look down on chic boutiques, gardens and cafés.

Begin at the monument of November 7, which marks Tunisia's turn towards the future, stroll down shady tree lined Avenue Habib Bourguiba, with its flower stands , passing bookstores and galleries. Beyond the Cathedral and the statue of Ibn Khaldoun, looms the gateway to the ancient Medina.

As you enter the narrow streets , centuries slip away and, like Alice, step into the looking glass to another world. Small shops, their treasures of brass, olive wood, leather and brightly colored garments spill out into the street. Souvenirs, antiques, berber jewelry , carpets and pottery vie for your attention. Continue, if you can resist their lures, upwards towards the Mosque of the Olive Tree, Ez Zitouna, as old as the town itself and the heart of the Medina.

Rebuilt in the 9th century, the Ez Zitouna was for centuries the focal point of life in the Arab city as urban planning decreed the order in which the different trades were placed, and the most noble, booksellers, perfumeries, dried fruits sellers and cloth merchants held the privilege of proximity to the Mosque. Today one can still see traces of this tradition -the Souk of the Perfumes, traditional clothing shops, almond and spice sellers are still located alongside its walls.

The medina, or city, is a wealth of ancient palaces, mosques and centers of trade and learning, a living museum. Dar Ben Abdullah, Dar Hussein, Dar El Bey,Dar El Jeld, Dar El Haddad, Dar Othman, once residences of wealthy traders or ministers now house cultural centers, restaurants or government agencies.

Monastir, 9th century walls and an imposing Ribat tower over a modern resort complex and the result is amazingly harmonious. Monastir captures that blend of the traditional and modern that characterizes Tunisia. A marina nestled in the shade of the walls provides a enjoyable promenade as does the long avenue that offers the bluest of Mediterranean seas on one side and open air terraces of Hotels, restaurants and coffee houses from where you can enjoy the view.

The "monastery" after which the town was named, was built by an Islamic religious order in 797 to defend the town from roaming nomadic tribes and Byzantine warships. The fortress houses a lovely museum of Islamic art and artifacts.

Tucked away like a precious jewel between Sousse and Sfax, this lovely port modestly conceals its prestigious and adventurous past. Proclaimed the capital of Tunisia in 921, Mahdia was long the center of a power struggle between the Caliph of Cairo and local sovereigns. Repeatedly attacked by nomads, Genoese navies, Sicilian troops, liberated by the Berbers, Mahdia became a headquarters for the pirates of Dargouth and battles with Spanish and Maltese knights.

The Central Mosque, austere and sober dates from the 10th century and the entrance to the Medina is through an enormous 16th century gate. Wandering through the old city visitors can see the vestiges of the ancient ramparts and fortress, visit the "Cape Africa" lighthouse and hauntingly beautiful sailors cemetery.

Mahdia of today is that of the fisherman mending his nets and the silk weavers in the Rue Sidi Jaber. A few kilometers from the town itself a myriad of modern first class hotels offer visitors one of the finest beaches in Tunisia.

An hour drive from Sousse, discover Kairouan "the city of 50 mosques" . The spiritual home of all Tunisians, the city itself rises like a dream of ocher and tawny beige, serene in its 13 centuries of Islamic culture, authentic and proud of the wondrous beauty of its mosques, the symphony of its columns and arches, the exquisite delicacy of the stone work. The towering and sober dignity of the Great Mosque seems to embody the spirituality that has inspired artists and poets from its creation until the present day.

Dating from the 9th century its austere beauty dominates the entire city. Inside, visitors can wonder at the exquisite elegance of the wood carved doors and stucco arabesques, as well as the forest of columns (400) of the prayer room with their Phoenician, Roman and Arabic capitals.

The medina, with its imposing walls and monumental gates encloses lovely mosques, an ancient well and hundreds of shops where world famous Kairouan carpets of pure wool are woven and sold and where the visitor can admire the handicrafts of artisans in copper, leather, and in the traditional jebba and burnous, ornate and richly adorned or elegantly natural . The artisanat Center provides an excellent exhibit on carpets and carpet weaving and visitors who may be thinking of buying a carpet are welcome to consult the Tunisian National Handicrafts Organization or Artisanat ,as it is familiarly called, for advice on quality, prices, styles, care and shipping their carpet home.

As Kairouan is the oldest and most renowned carpet center in Tunisia, the selection is enormous .Undoubtedly the hand knotted pile carpet reigns supreme with the typical design of Kairouan, Alloucha, being of natural wool colors with a large border of parallel stripes of geometric patterns and a central lozenge with a floral design. However, the creativity and artistry of the weavers embroiders this basic scheme with a infinite variety of patterns and colors creating a masterpiece of harmony and elegance.

Carpets are graded by their fineness ,the number of knots in a square meter ,with a normal weave from 10,000 to 40,000, fine weave from 65,000-90,000 and extra fine from 160,000 - 500,000. Silk carpets may be over 500,000 knots per square meter.

Kairouan also produces a woven carpet the margoum, using mainly geometric Berber designs, lighter in weight and in a multitude of colors.

Tunisian craftsmen have explored ,with outstanding success, a blending of traditional Tunisian patterns with modern designs creating a new line of knotted carpets to satisfy more modern tastes.

Justly proud of the excellence of its carpets Tunisia has established a strict quality control and only those that satisfy the high standards are given the coveted label with the seal of the Tunisian Republic and information on the date, size, fineness, of the carpet. It is your guarantee of excellence. Unless you are an experienced carpet buyer, or have purchased an antique carpet, best rely on this label of quality.

Kairouan is also noted for its brasswork, intricately designed trays, vases and bowels, embossed or engraved as well as leatherwork ranging from camel saddles to fine slippers.

Dougga or Thugga is a Roman ruin in northern Tunisia located on a 65 hectare site.