Travel Tour to Australia
Tourism culture and History tour

Australia overview

Many harbor a very particular image of Australia as the Sydney Opera House or Ayers Rock, despite these famous icons render honor to the low abundance of natural treasures of the country and its cultural diversity and its immensity. Australia offers all kinds of experiences, from the extraordinary desert area and the spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef to the cosmopolitan character of Sydney and its vast beaches, considered the best in the world. Australia is a huge country, so that those who harbor the idea of going to the opera in Sydney one night and visit Crocodile Dundee the next day had better review their knowledge of geography. Its extension, adjacent to the friction between the ancient land steeped in Aboriginal tradition and Western culture subsequently adopted, gives Australia much of its character

When to go to Australia

Any time is suitable to visit Australia. Summer (December to February) is extremely hot everywhere, except Tasmania. During these months, the southern states are transformed into beach destinations. Farther north, they live a really wet season when the sea is full of jellyfish. At this time the top is a green sublime, and receives few tourists.
June-August, things have cooled toward the South and have been very dry north. It is a perfect time to visit Queensland or the field. For those who prefer to ski, it's time to go to the stations of Victoria and New South Wales. The best seasons are spring and summer because the climate is softened in the spring, you can enjoy the wildflowers in the countryside, while autumn is particularly beautiful in Canberra and the Australian Alps. It is better not to travel to Australia at Easter, to avoid chaos on the roads caused by the holidays

Australia festival and holidays

Christmas is part of the long summer school holidays, so in December and January is Australia half holiday. At this time, almost no accommodations are available. Among national holidays include the Australia Day (January 26), evoking the arrival of the first fleet, and Anzac Day (April 25), which commemorates the attack by military forces in Australia and New Zealand Gallipoli in 1915.
The great Sydney Festival, which takes place mainly in January, hosting a series of outdoor concerts, street theater and fireworks. The Adelaide Arts Festival takes place in early March in even-numbered years. In the odd, Womadelaide, the Adelaide festival (which celebrates outdoors) for music and dances of the world, takes place in February. Held at the Melbourne Comedy Festival (festival of humor) in February, the Writer's Festival (the largest festival of writers from the world) in September and the fabulous Melbourne International Festival in October. A couple of festivals are art and Aboriginal culture: the Stomper Ground Festival, being held in Broome in October and the Barunga Wugularr Sports & Cultural Festival, which takes place in June near Katherine.
As for sports, takes place in August in Darwin's Beer Can Regatta, a race in boats built with cans of beer in Alice Springs, the Henley-on-Todd is a race boat that is' run 'in the dry bed of a river. Other career highlights include the Sydney to Hobart Sailing (on December 26), Open Australia (Melbourne in January), the Grand Prix of Australia (Melbourne in March), Australian Rules Football (in the field of March to September) and the Melbourne Cup horse race, the first Tuesday of November.
In February or March we celebrate the festival multitudinous and extravagant Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and Melbourne, also emphasized the gay Midsummer Festival, which takes place in January or February

Australia attraction

Sydney

The first city in Australia is its oldest settlement, the center of economic power and the nation's capital in everything but name. Built on the banks of the mighty Port Jackson and is now a vital city, egocentric, full of casual urbanity and a slavishly obsessed with all manner of fashions. The magnificent Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 have increased the fame of the city as a civilized city, hospitable and  entertaining.

To prove that he has visited Australia, there is nothing better than a drawn picture of the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbor Bridge in the background.

Melbourne

Australia's second city is a contradictory place, full of hidden charms, a residential community near the Bay of troubled Yarra River, a city cosmopolitan, educated, conservative lover of football and ... A paradise for art. It is full of shops, restaurants, nightlife and sporting activities. Many people think living in Melbourne, one of the most active in the world.

From Melbourne it is worth leaving on a trip to Phillip Island with its penguins, the pristine Wilsons Promontory and the Great Ocean Road, a route that runs along the southwest coast of Victoria.

Great Barrier Reef

One of the greatest assets of Australia is the reef that runs the coast of Queensland, as an estimate of the natural wonders of the planet, is the largest barrier reef and the largest structure made by living organisms on Earth. In the north, the reef, located just 50 km from the coast, runs on an almost continuous in the South, rather individual reefs can be seen in some places more than 300 km from the coast. Hundreds of islands dot the reef area, and about twenty have tourist facilities, while in many others it is possible to camp.

Cairns

Cairns is the tourist capital of the north end and one of the most popular destinations for travelers. Until recently, it was just a tropical backwater lethargic, much of its charm and languor disappeared with the explosive growth of tourist infrastructure, but it is an ideal base for exploring the wealth of Queensland. From Cairns it is feasible to organize excursions to the Great Barrier Reef, Green Island, Fitzroy Island, the Atherton Plateau, the market of Kuranda, the 50 km strip of beach that stretches north to Port Douglas, and the jungle and the coastal landscape of Cape Tribulation and the Daintree River.

Darwin

The capital of Northern Australia is closer to Jakarta than Sydney and Melbourne to Singapore, so it is not strange to remember that most of Asia to the rest of Australia. Such proximity to the northern neighbors is reflected in the tranquil atmosphere, the tropical cosmopolitan city.

Uluru (Ayers Rock)

Uluru is an enclave of great cultural significance to the Anangu Aboriginals and the best-known symbol of the Australian landscape. The pilgrimage to Uluru and the ascent to the summit of infarction became a ritual Australian Aboriginal owners but always preferred that visitors climbed the rocks, and now many respected their wishes. The gigantic rock 3.6 km in length rises to 348 m from the surrounding bush, absolutely flat, situated in the middle of the field, especially impressive at dawn and at dusk, when the rock changes from red hues. Some tours around the base of the rock gives several caves, sacred sites and Aboriginal rock paintings. At the nearby Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), 32km west of Uluru, there are other monoliths of comparable beauty, and Mt Olga is actually much higher than Uluru. The Valley of the Winds is a 6 km circuit highly recommended.

Brisbane

Brisbane is the third largest metropolis in Australia and the capital of Queensland. Regarded by Australians as a city neglected zafado has this bad reputation and has become a thriving center to accommodate a range of major international events in the eighties, including the Commonwealth Games and Expo 1982 Universal 1988. Brisbane has been awarded the role of cosmopolitan and lively city, with interesting neighborhoods, a street of cafes, a great riverside park, a full cultural calendar and a vibrant nightlife.

Perth

Perth, the Western capital, is vibrant and modern, located between the Swan and Canning rivers, with Cerulean the Indian Ocean to the west and the Darling Range to  the east. His state is the sunniest of Australia, but the really striking is its isolation from the rest of the country, as Perth is closer to Singapore than Sydney.

Canberra

Canberra is a fascinating creation of the twentieth century that has struggled to establish itself as the epicenter of history, pride and national identity of Australia. Canberra is proud to have long been a city of politicians and bureaucrats who live at the expense of the hard work of rural people. Today this has changed: the politicians go home on weekends and many bureaucrats have lost their jobs because of recent cuts in public services. Canberra has moved from a federation of city adult babies with all the problems and benefits involved.

Adelaide

When the first settlers founded Adelaide, a city built with stones and solid looking solemn, quiet and civilized as any other state capital of Australia. The firm goes beyond the architecture, since there was a time when that was considered the city of the blessed, or uncompromising Puritans, gaining fame for its disproportionate number of churches. Currently, pubs and nightclubs outnumber the churches. This town sits on an excellent site, with the center surrounded by green areas and the metropolitan area surrounded by the hills of the chain of Mount Lofty and the Gulf of St. Vincent.

Hobart

South Hobart is the capital. The fact that it is small (129,000 inhabitants) is what gives it its particular charm. It is a coastal town with an active port and mountains which offer views of residential areas that are crowded slopes. Its beautiful Georgian buildings (stores up to the docks of the picturesque Port), relaxed atmosphere, its abundance of parks and their houses make Hobart one of the most attractive towns of Australia. Neighboring towns may consider that Hobart's interior is conservative and parochial, but it really has a thriving art scene and craft, coupled with a true historical sense, certainly, this is the place to stroll, eat and soak up the atmosphere.

Alice Springs

Alice Springs (20,000 inhabitants), built on the banks of the Todd River, usually dry, is a modern and pleasant city in the heart of Australia. May cause disappointment to those who wait on every corner saloons and genuine individuals of the desert, to explore the area but you can see the charm of this desert community. The city was founded as the scale of the telegraph line overland in 1870, but began its growth over the past 30 years. The road that runs south towards Adelaide, was not completely paved until 1987.

Barossa Valley

The Barossa Valley is the wine-producing region known more for Australia. The slightly sloping valley of southern Australia, which was colonized by Germans in 1842 fleeing religious persecution in Prussia and Silesia, still reminiscent Germanic. This is an area that houses primarily cared about fifty wineries, most of whom would gladly accept the visit of tourists to sample and buy wine. To fully appreciate the scenery, it is advisable to leave the main road and diverted by a secondary crossing different peoples. The main town is Tanunda. Adelaide is just one hours drive to the Southwest. The worst time to walk around this area is between July and October, because during the winter months the vines are pruned. The best months are March to May, the season of harvest.
There are other wine regions in the state, especially in the southeastern around Penola, Coonawarra and Padthaway, in the Clare Valley, north of Barossa and McLaren Vale around in the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Broome

The atmosphere of this cosmopolitan metropolis apart, its languid pace of old village collector of pearls and its relaxed tropical charm make magnet for travelers and an alternative to big cities and their lifestyle. Broome keeps Asian influences, in part because of its history as a collector of pearls enclave and partly because Perth, the capital, is twice as distant Indonesia that. Cable Beach, near here, is one of the most famous beaches in Australia, to promote the tourism sector between the category, the city has escaped the Australian rude masses that flood most of the western towns. Broome points out the tiny district of Chinatown, the Sun Pictures Cinema, an outdoor cinema for 80 years, the Japanese cemetery and dinosaur footprints in Gantheaume Point. Broome also appealing to the observers of birds as the Broome Bird Observatory, located in Roebuck Bay, is one of the best way points of migrating waders in the Arctic. Bathers are advised that between November and March the waters are full of jellyfish.

Flinders Range

Flinders mountain range rises from the north end of Spencer Gulf, east of South Australia and extends northward along the 800 km and for many is the epitome of rural Australia, an excellent area for walkers, because of the colorful wildlife and the countryside. In the north the mountains are surrounded by salt or salt lakes. The defining feature of the range is the huge natural pond called Wilpena Pound, gorges flanked by 1,000 m. Alligator gorges are interesting, in the Mount Remarkable National Park, and the summit crowned Brachina porcelain known as Great Wall of China. The time advisable to approach this area in winter, though the mountains tend to be more green and flowery spring. Quorn and Hawker are two people who deserve to visit.
Freycinet Peninsula

On the east coast of Tasmania, the mainland is part of Freycinet National Park, is known for its beaches and caves, unusual plants and wildlife. Encourages all hikers. A representative is the road trip back to Wineglass Bay. The park contains a number of places for camping and lodging, but is famous for its drinking water shortage, so it is advisable to stock up in the nearby town of Coles Bay.
Great Ocean Road

This route by the south-west coast of Victoria is very spectacular winds through steep cliffs, windswept beaches and towering cliffs, through a lush forest and enormous eucalyptus. The most captivating is the Port Campbell National Park, where there is a curious collection of sculptures in limestone, including the Twelve Apostles, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gorge. Another focus of interest lies in the mountain forests Otways, between Lorne and Apollo Bay. The coastal towns are indispensable Lorne resort and the historic Port Fairy, west of Warrnambool. The road officially starts at Torquay and ends at Warrnambool, but continues along the coast to Portland.

Kakadu National Park

Kakadu National Park is one of the natural wonders of Australia. Covers a range of magnificent scenery, is home to a diverse fauna and contains some of the best  examples of Aboriginal rock art. The park, a World Heritage Site for its cultural and natural significance, has an area of over 200 km from north to south and 100 km from east to west and is a 153 km road from Darwin in the Northern Territory. A strip of the park is Aboriginal land, and there are three conflicting lease contracts for uranium mines operating in the East.

Kimberley

The rugged Kimberley in the far north of Western Australia, is one of the last frontier, remote and little explored, with major rivers and beautiful landscapes, the quintessentially Australian landscape: red earth, rocks, rubber trees and blue skies. The fauna includes freshwater crocodiles, giant kangaroos and the rare Black-footed uallabí. Among its attractions include the throats of the Fitzroy River, the Wolfe Creek meteorite crater, the Gibb River Road and National Park Bungle Bunge. Halls Creek is the largest metropolis of Kimberley. Derby, 220 km, at the mouth of the Fitzroy River, is a good base for excursions in the practice area. The best time to visit is between April and September. Although the wet season (rainy season in the northern area) provides a carpet of storms and wild flowers. The rains make many channels impassable.

Snow Mountains

Located on the southwestern extremity of New South Wales, the snow-capped mountains are the highest mountains of the great divide of Australia. Kosciusko National Park, the largest of New South Wales (6,900 km ²), stretching from the border with Victoria to the Federal Capital Territory, covering almost all these mountains. Here are all ski resorts in the state, the most rugged mountain scenery, numerous caves, glacial lakes and forests. Despite its reputation as a place for winter sports, is also famous among hikers in summer, due to its high mountain wildflowers. Among the ski resorts, Thredbo contained, Perish Valley, Smiggins Hole and Mt Blue Cow. Mount Kosciusko, with 2228 m, is the highest peak. The principal city of the region is Jindabyne, situated on the edge of the park, beside a beautiful lake.

Australia ACTIVITIES

With more than 7,500,000 km of sparsely populated territory, it is not surprising that Australia is a favorite place for lovers of adventure. It is possible to travel the country in a 4x4, on horseback or even riding a camel. They are also good for cycling on paths, although the center, very dry, is reserved for very experienced. Fantastic routes for walkers in MacDonnell Ranges in the Northern Territory; Finders Ranges, in the south, in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales and the Snowy Mountains (on the border with Victoria), and wide and wild territory of Tasmania. The best place to ski and board show-practice are the Snowy Mountains, during the warmer months you can explore the excellent horse riding in the Snowy.
In Australia there are numerous beaches for surfing, some of them in cities (Sydney and Perth), other coastal cities (Lorne in Victoria, Byron Bay in New South Wales and the Gold Coast, Queensland) and in other areas more isolated (southwestern South Australia and northwest Western Australia). Apart from diving mecca of the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea, there are other places for sport in Kangaroo Island in South Australia (where there are several affordable prices) and at Esperance, Rottnest Island, and Carnarvon in Western Australia.
Whale watching is possible in many places, the most famous are Eden in New South Wales, Warrnambool in Victoria, Western Australia in Albano and Fraser Island in Queensland. You can go rafting and canyoning in the rough waters of the river Nybdodia in Coffs Harbor in New South Wales in the Murray near Khancoban, also in New South Wales in the Tully and North Johnstone rivers in Queensland between Cairns and Townsville, and in Tasmania.

Australia history

Aboriginal Australians have the largest continuous cultural history of the world: their seeds back to the last ice age. While many aspects of Australian prehistory are veiled in mystery, the theory that its first inhabitants crossed the sea from Indonesia about seventy thousand years ago is a significant acceptance. For the first visitors, called robustus austrolopithecus by archaeologists because of its powerful skeleton, twenty thousand years after they happened more stylized another race called the gracilis, the ancestors of Aboriginal Australians.
The Europeans made their entry into Australia during the sixteenth century, Portuguese sailors first arrived, followed by Dutch explorers and the enterprising English pirate William Dampier. Captain James Cook sailed along the coast east in 1770 and stopped at Botany Bay. After surrounding Cape York, claimed the continent on behalf of the British crown and named it New South Wales.
In 1779, Joseph Banks (a naturalist on Cook's trip) suggested that Britain could solve overcrowding problems in its prisons where the convicts transported to New South Wales. In 1787, he left the first fleet to Botany Bay under the command of Captain Arthur Philip, who became the first governor of the colony. The fleet comprised 11 ships, 750 convicts (men and women), four companies of sailors and provisions for two years. Philip arrived in Botany Bay on January 26 1788, but soon moved north to Sydney Cove, where land and water are best. For newcomers, New South Wales was a truly terrible and inhumane, and 16 years on the cologne hung the threat of hunger.
During the following decades, other free settlers were attracted by Australia, but what really changed the appearance of the colony was the discovery of gold in the 1850s. The influx of immigrants and some important findings re the economy and irrevocably changed the social structures of the colony. Aborigines were forcibly evicted from their lands as new settlers enabled land for agriculture or mining. The Industrial Revolution in England required plenty of time for raw materials and agricultural and mineral resources of Australia were able to meet demand.
Australia as a nation built on January 1, 1901, when he established the federation of independent colonies, but kept many of the legal and cultural ties with England. Australian troops fought alongside Britain during the War of the Boers and the two world wars. However, the role played by United States to protect Australia from Japanese invasion during World War I marked the beginning of a change of loyalties. Australia supported the United States during wars in Korea and Vietnam.
Immigration after World War II brought an influx of European immigrants, not just of Britain, who have since contributed greatly to the development of the country, turning its culture and broadening your horizons. In the 1980s, Australia accepted large numbers of Asian refugees, especially from Vietnam. From a socio-economic, Australia still tries to assume its position in Asia. Among the current issues, republicanism is the universal acceptance of the Aboriginal land rights law, enacted in 1993, and demand an official apology from the government for the injustice and theft suffered by generations of aborigines, many of whom still living in appalling conditions.
In the 1996 elections, Prime Minister Paul Keating was defeated by the conservative coalition led by John Winston Howard.
In the late 1990s, republicanism was the protagonist in the Australian political landscape, the idea of replacing the figure of the British monarchy by an Australian president as head of government was provided by a growing number of people, especially the most young population, which considered the constitutional links between Australia and United Kingdom of little significance and supported the declaration of Australia as a republic. Finally, the national referendum of 1999 gave victory to supporters of the monarchy and the continuation of Australia as a member of the Commonwealth.
In the 2001 election, John Winston Howard was re-elected prime minister.

Australia culture

Australia is a society of multiple cultures. Until WWII, Australians were mainly descendants of British and Irish. Then came huge contingent of immigrants from Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia, Lebanon and Turkey, to which must be added more recent flows of immigrants from Asia. There are about 230,000 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Many Australians speak Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Vietnamese or Turkish as their first language. Anglo Australians use a hodgepodge of slang words and abbreviations that indigenous becomes incomprehensible language.

Australia has an important artistic heritage and a fascinating panorama of contemporary art. The carvings and paintings made by Aboriginals in the rocks have an age of at least 30,000 years. European settlers began to develop their own forms of Australian art at the end of the nineteenth century. Various artists from the mid-twentieth century achieved world renown (Sydney Nolan, Arthur Boyd, Patrick White), his followers have emphasized in modern painting (Brett Whiteley, Fred Williams), literature (Peter Carey, Thomas Keneally), opera (Joan Sutherland) , films (Peter Weir, Bruce Beresford, George Miller, Gillian Armstrong), Comedy (Barry Humphries), dance (Graeme Murphy, Paul Mercurio), popular music (Nick Cave, INXS, AC / DC, Jet, Midnight Oil, Silverchair, Kylie Minogue) and actors (Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Mel Gibson). Contemporary Aboriginal art has resurfaced throughout the last decade, its representatives have explored ways to preserve their traditional values and share them with the wider community.
The sport is the religion of Australia, world champion in cricket, the rugby league from rugby union, swimming and cycling. Other sports that are of great interest are basketball, sailing, soccer and Australian football or Aussie Rules, Australia characteristic of a sport similar to Gaelic football. The 2000 Olympic Games held in Sydney, were considered by the then president of the IOC, Juan Antonio Samaranch, the best to date.

Australia Map .

Culture and History Travel Tour to Tunisia

The list of interesting places in Tunisia would do justice to a country twice as big. From the villages of the stone age, near the oasis of Kebili up scenarios where they filmed part of Star Wars (in Matmata), its landscapes, lush or moles, have seen more action than all the countries of Africa together. After traveling a few days, anyone would agree to let the imagination in the famous Roman ruins of Carthage and El-Jem is almost as immersed in the Aeneid of Virgil and have a drink with Dido, while a day holgazanea the beaches on the north coast were asking what Hannibal was looking away from Tunisia.
Whether the cultural mix of French and Arabic capital or vast extension of the Sahara, which is impressive in Tunisia. After all, three thousand years of history to convince any visitor.

Tunisia best time

In January and February, a period of cold weather and rainy, the hotel prices down. During the warm season from June to August, prices of hotels are increasing, a shortage of rental cars and markets and museums are packed with tourists.

Tunisia Mean festivals and Holidays

The Islamic calendar (which begins with AH, ie, the flight of Mohammed to Medina) is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian. Over the next few years Ras as-Sana, the celebration of Islamic New Year falls in April. Moreover, Moul an-Nabi celebrates the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad around June or July. The festivities include parades in the streets, feasts, drummers and special sweets. Ramadan, commemorating the month when it was revealed to Muhammad the Koran, is held during the ninth month of Islamic calendar (now in December). In deference, the faithful do not eat or drink until after the sun. At the end of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr) the fasting breaks with visits to friends, feasts and gifts.
Eid al-Adha is the time of the pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim must undertake at least once in life. The streets are decorated with colored lights and children wear their best clothes.                                                                                                          As a secular festivals, July and August are the months to remember. The main event of the calendar of Tunisia is the Carthage International Festival, which offers performances of music, theater and dance at the restored Roman theater in Carthage. The International Festival of Symphonic Music El Jem is held each July. Festival of classical theater Dougga happens in July and August. After the summer heat, it's International Film Festival of Carthage (the films focusing on African and Middle East), which takes place in October of odd years.


Secular holidays

January 1 - New Year
March 20 - Independence Day
March 21 - Youth Day
April 9 - Day of the Martyrs
May 1 - Labor Day
July 25 - Republic Day
August 3 - Fiesta official
August 13 - Women's Day
October 15 - Day of Evacuation
November 7 - Anniversary of access to the chairmanship of Ben Ali

Tunisia Most Attraction Places to Travel

Tunis  ( medina )

Compared to the great metropolis of the world, Tunisia is not too impressed. The center is compact and easy to navigate, it is essential for travelers located in the medina and the Ville Nouvelle.
The medina is the historical and cultural heart of modern Tunisia and a place to get an idea of life in the city. Built during the seventh century, it lost its privilege as the center of the capital when the French took over and built their new city by the end of the nineteenth century. One of the oldest attractions of the medina, Zitoun mosque was rebuilt in the ninth century on the original structure of the seventh century. Its builders recycled two hundred columns of the Roman ruins of Carthage for the central prayer hall. Non-Muslims can come dressed in modesty into the yard. The smell will help translate the name of the nearby Souq el-Attarine, the perfumer souk, where shops were fed with aromatic oils and spices. West, the Mosque of Youssef Dey was the first Ottoman-style was built in the City (1616). In nearby Souq el-Berka Muslim corsairs sold slaves.

Also in the medina, the Tourbet el-Bey is a huge mausoleum that houses the remains of many Beysen, princesses, pastors and counselors husseinitas, the guard is an enthusiastic guide. Not far from the Dar Ben Abdallah Museum houses the Center for Popular Arts and Traditions, where the exhibits seem mediocre in contrast to the majestic backdrop of the building. The area is Dar el-Haddad, one of the oldest houses. The Medina was declared Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO in 1981.

The streets of the ville nouvelle are flanked by buildings full of imprint French wrought iron gates and window slats, elements that give it a European air, accentuated by the terraces of cafes and bakeries. After admiring the colonial architecture, it is worth visiting the Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul, which presents an extraordinarily bizarre amalgam of architectural styles (Gothic, Byzantine and North Africa).

After about 4 miles west of downtown lies the essential Bardo Museum, in the former Bardo Palace, official residence of Beysen husseinitas. In the interior, the collection is divided into sections covering different periods: the Carthaginian, Roman, early times of Christianity and the Arab-Islamic. The Roman part contains one of the best exhibits of mosaics and statues from around the world. You can reach the museum by taxi or tram.

Carthage

Despite the fascinating history of Carthage and the dominant position it held in the ancient world, the Romans were such demolition work that remains today are somewhat disappointing. Almost all that remains is of Roman origin; any other Punic. There are six areas of interest, and most annoying for the visitor is that they are scattered and far apart from each other. To overcome this problem, you can take line TGM (light rail), which crosses the area, but cautions that, even so, one must walk a lot.

The best starting point is Byrsa hill, which dominates the area and provides an overview from the top. At his feet is the St Louis Cathedral, visible from several miles around. It is a staggering proportions, which was erected by the French in 1890 and dedicated to the king-saint of the thirteenth century, who died on the shores of Carthage, in 1270, during the Eighth Crusade. Although it was deconsecrated and closed for years, has now been restored and opened to the public. The National Museum is the large white building located at the rear of the cathedral, and its exhibits, refurbished, deserve a look. The Punic displays, on the top floor is highly recommended.

The Roman amphitheater in West Byrsa, 15 minutes walk from the museum, was one of the largest in the Empire, but today it is little of its luster. Most of its stones were removed for other construction projects in the following centuries. The set of huge tanks located northeast of the amphitheater was the main water supply for Carthage during the Roman era, is now in ruins and the difficulties of access, among spiny prickly pear, make little effort deserves.

The Baths of Antoninus is located to the south, in the seafront, and primarily impressed by its size and location. The Magon Quarter is another archaeological site near the sea, a few meters south of the baths. Recent excavations have revealed an interesting residential area.

Tofet the sanctuary has attracted considerable interest since it was first excavated in 1921. The Tofet was a place of sacrifice with a cemetery annex, where the children of Carthaginian nobles were killed and burnt to appease the deities Baal Hammon and Tanit. He is currently little more than a plot full of weeds with a few graves.

Sidi Bou Saïd

Sidi Bou Saïd is a whitewash village situated high on a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Tunisia, about 10 km northeast of the capital. It is a delightful place to stroll through its narrow cobbled streets. Its glittering walls are fitted with bars on every window, decorated and painted in an intense blue color, and eye-arched entrances that provide access to patios sprinkled with geraniums and bougainvillea. No one would blame you think you have encountered a tiny Greek island.

The center of activity of the population is its main square, Place Sidi Bou Saïd, lined with cafes, put candy and souvenir shops. The lighthouse, which overlooks the village, stands on the site of a fort of the IX century. There is a small beach nearby and relatively empty.

Cap Bon Peninsula

This fertile peninsula penetrating into the Mediterranean from the north-eastern Tunisia. Geologists speculate the possibility that in the past came to Sicily, forming a land link with Europe is plunged into the sea 30,000 years ago. At present, Cap Bon (especially the beaches of the Southeast around Hammamet and Nabeul) is the leading destination Tunisian tourists arriving with package holidays.

In a summer stroll through the streets of Hammamet is likely to discover ten tourists each neighbor of the people, and the pace never loose, except in the winter and for a short time. Its location on the northern edge of the Gulf of Hammamet is his great asset, and its old medina, which dominates a large area of sandy beach is undoubtedly one of the attractions. It is also a city filled with life, full of nightclubs, restaurants and colorful shops. Everything a visitor could want, except isolation.

The biggest difference between your neighbor and Hammamet, Nabeul, is that the latter has a variety of accommodations, including camping area better organized in the country. The market in Nabeul Friday is one of the liveliest in the country, even though not having an excess of bargains or items of quality.

When it comes to Kelibia have been behind the most popular tourist destinations in Tunisia. In its place will be a tiny town that survives mainly on its fishing fleet, with a few modest and resorts, fabulous beaches and a strong protection of the sixth century which dominates the port.

Halfway between El-Haouaria Kelibia and is Kerkouane town of Carthage, a city founded in the sixth century BC finally destroyed by Roman forces. Was excavated in 1962 and houses a museum these findings, as the princess of Kerkouane, the lid of a wooden coffin carved in the shape of the goddess Astarte.

The small town of El-Haouaria is located below the mountainous tip of Cap Bon. It is a passage with several quiet beaches acceptable, especially in Ras El-Drek, but its main attraction are the caves in the Roman coast, 3 km west of the city. Much of the stone that was used to lift Carthage was extracted from this remarkable complex of yellow sandstone caves. The quarrymen discovered that the quality of the stone was much better at the base of the cliffs on the surface, so it opted to open tunnels. After nearly a thousand years removing sandstone caves are the result today.

Dougga

The Roman ruins of Dougga, 105 km southwest of the capital, is considered the most spectacular and best preserved of the country. Occupy a prominent position on the edge of the mountains of Tebersouk, overlooking the fertile valley of Oued Kalle, where wheat is grown. The site was occupied until the early 1950, when residents were evacuated to help preserve the ruins.

In Dougga there'sa lot to see and it is worth hiring a licensed guide. The first monument to be seen is the theater, with capacity for 3,500 spectators on the hillside and built in the year 188 AD by one of the wealthy inhabitants of the city. Has been rebuilt and is ideal for light classical theater Dougga Festival which is held in July and August. A little beyond, a trail leads to the temple of Saturn, erected on the site of an earlier temple dedicated to Baal Hammon. Southwest of the theater, a winding road leads to the square of the Winds, where the surface is prepared as an enormous bar and lists the names of twelve winds. Another temple along the plaza to the north, while the market and the capitol are located south and west, respectively.

The Capitol is one of the most remarkable monuments of the country, which was erected in the year 166 AD Six striated columns supporting the portico, which is about eight meters above the ground. The frieze has eroded a little sculpture, rare indeed, which shows the emperor Pius Antonio between the claws of an eagle. Inside there was an enormous statue of Jupiter, whose fragments are now in the Bardo Museum in Tunisia. Near the house of Dionysus and Odysseus was once a sumptuous residence in it was a mosaic showing the last mesmerized by the sirens (now part of the Bardo Museum in the capital).

El-Jem

There are few sights more dazzling that El Jem, the well-preserved ancient coliseum and almost as large as that of Rome, which dwarfs the buildings of the modern city. Built on a plateau halfway between Sousse and Sfax, about 210 km south of the capital, El-Jem can see from several miles around, dominating the entire area.

The coliseum, built between the years 230 and 238 AD, has been used as a defensive position on many occasions. Suffered severe damage in the seventeenth century, when the troops of Mohammed Bey opened a hole in the Western Wall to the departure of members of the local tribesmen who had rebelled against the taxes required. The gap widened further during a rebellion in 1850, but, fortunately, it is now attaches great importance to conservation and has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

With a capacity for 30,000 people (a figure that exceeds that of the city's population), is one of the most impressive Roman monuments in Africa. Still be higher up the bleachers and watch the sand, or explore the two long subterranean passages that once housed gladiators, animals and unhappy convicts.
Tozeur

Tozeur is one of the most popular stops for passengers, and has been since the period capsiense (around 8000 BC). Its main attractions lie in a labyrinthine old town, an interesting museum and a vast palm grove on the northern tip of Chott el-Jerid. At about 435 km southwest of the capital, the road becomes exciting: the road crosses a Kebili Chott (dried salt lake) for a flyover.

The evocative old part of town, Ouled el-Hadef, was built in the fourteenth century AD to house the El-Hadef clan, which was enriched by the trade caravans. It is a maze of narrow alleys and tiny squares covered and has gained fame for his methods of real brick. There is a small but notable archaeological museum is worth a visit.

In addition to the Bardo Museum in the capital, Dar Charait Museum is another great museum in the country by the worth of the diverted route. It displays a large collection of pottery and antiques. Has an art gallery and rooms made up as replicas of Tunisian life, past and present. Include room for the last bey, a palace decorated, the baths (hammam) and a Bedouin tent. The guards of the museum, dressed as servants of the Bey, they collaborate with their appearance into the environment.

The palm groves of Tozeur is the second largest of Tunisia, with nearly two hundred thousand palm trees on an area of 10 km ². It is a classic example of oasis agriculture on the terrace and is stocked by over two hundred springs, which produce about sixty million gallons of water a day. The best way to explore the palm grove is on foot or by bicycle, which can be rented at the entrance.
Susa

Sousse is the third most important city in Tunisia as well as a prominent port. Is also the most popular tourist destination. The long beach that extends north from the town to the tourist enclave of Port el-Kantaoui is its main hook. However, Susa is not limited to the row of hotels that surround its shores.

The old medina contains quite a number of monuments. The walls are impressive, with an area of 2.25 km and a height of 8 m, fortified with a series of solid square turrets. The Ribat, a strong small square, was built at the end of the eighth century AD Presents a vantage point round which allows uploading and is an excellent viewpoint over the city. The austere Great Mosque, with its towers and crenellated walls, more reminiscent of a strong to a mosque. The Museum of Susa, which occupies the citadel (Kasbah) in the southwest corner of the medina, shows several of the most beautiful mosaics in the country.
Matmata

Anywhere else in Tunisia organized tourism is so excessive as in the village of Matmata, 400 km south of the capital, on the southeast coast. The houses of this village troglodyte underground have proved an irresistible claim for tourists or travelers who access the site in vehicles after a safari through the desert.

It is not difficult to understand why coaches do not let go of. The passage follows an almost surreal air, with both a lunar environment. Surely that is why it was chosen as a filming location for scenes from the movie Desert Wars. Berbers built houses on the ground over a thousand years ago to escape the extreme heat of summer. All the houses are virtually identical, with a courtyard excavated to about 6 m deep in tunnels and rooms open on the sides. The larger with two or three yards and are accessed via a narrow staircase from the courtyard to the surface.

If you want to see Matmata self (there are always guides available), it is appropriate to visit the hotels. It should arrive in late afternoon, after the tourist buses have departed, and a walk beyond the hotel Ksar Amazigh. From there, there are good views of Matmata, which is behind, and the valley of Oued Barrak, to the north. In return, we must quench the thirst in the Sidi Driss hotel bar (the famous cantina in Star Wars) and I look to the hotel and the hotel Berbere Marhala. This will have seen the most notable of the city.

Bizerta

The port city of Bizerte, 65km north of the capital, is the largest in the north of Tunisia. Yet undiscovered by mass tourism, is one of the reasons why it deserves a visit. Acceptable has beaches close to town, but its attraction lies in the architecture of the neighborhood's old port.

The huge citadel (Kasbah) is the most imposing structure of the old town with its massive walls descollando on the northern entrance to the port. Was originally a Byzantine strong built in the sixth century AD, the present was erected by the Ottomans in the seventeenth century. The strong small (ksibah) is the southern bastion of defense of the port, was built by the Byzantines and changed over the centuries. At present has its interesting Oceanographic Museum.

Bouchoucha Place, which is really more a street than a square, is located in the heart of the Ottoman city, flanked by the Old Port to the east and west Medina. The area offers lively fish markets, the Grand Mosque, built in 1652 with a striking octagonal minaret, and the source of Youssef Dey, inlaid with beautiful, dates from 1642. The so-called strong Spanish dominates the city from the hill that comes north of the medina, is actually Turkish, and was built in the year 1570 AD
Ichkeul National Park

Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this national park, 30 km southwest of Bizerte is a sanctuary for birds of passage, especially in winter when the lake Ichkeul and surrounding marshes are home to over two hundred thousand migratory waterbirds across Europe. These include a considerable number of coots, mallards silbones, various species of ducks and lesser-known birds such as red and purple Ansar common, the emblem of the park.

Ichkeul is the only national park in Tunisia with facilities for visitors, but does not have lodging and camping is prohibited.
Mahdia

Mahdia is one of the few cities in the central Tunisian coast that has not yet been exploited tourism. It is a quiet enclave, founded in the year 916 AD and located on a small peninsula about 200 km southeast of the capital. Medina has a fascinating, and when founded the famous historian Ibn Khaldoun visited during the fourteenth century and described as Mehdia the richest city on the coast of Barbary.

Walking tour take about two hours. The el-Skif Kahla, solid fortified gate access is all that remains of the original city and has some incredible views from above. This opens the narrow, cobbled main street, Rue Ali Bey, who was formerly the souk and now collects an increasing number of tourism jobs. Heading east to the Place du Caire, the passenger will be presented with a square shaded by trees, vines and cafes. The ornate arched entrance and the octagonal minaret in the south of it belong to the mosque of Mustafa Hamza, built in 1772, when the plaza was the center of the Turkish quarter.

Continuing east on the Rue Ali Bey, is the Great Mosque. Built in 1965, is a replica of the original, in the year 921 AD, which was destroyed in 1554 by Spanish troops who beat a retreat. Non-Muslims can enter the courtyard outside the hours of prayer. Nearby, you can admire the tiny minaret of the mosque Slimane Hamza, and if it continues eastwards, towards the Borj el-Kebir, is a sixteenth century fortress situated on the highest point of the peninsula. Leaving the fort are a cemetery and a lighthouse near the remains of the original port.

Tunisia activities

The recommended beaches of Tunisia are around the northern towns of el-Ghar Melhado, Tabarka and Bizerte, preferable to the crowded tourist areas. Those further south are theoretically good, but not suited for swimming, the most recommended is in Aghir.

The country is beginning to discover the possibilities of outdoor recreation. The forest in the mountains of Kroumirie around Ain Draham, has enormous potential, but not yet drawn detailed maps. Most popular at the moment are the camel tours, for which you are advised to move Zaafrane, 12 km southwest of Douz, where you can negotiate from a walk one hour to eight days of a trip to the oasis. If the traveler is caught in the charms of the desert in some places you can go skiing in the dunes and racing yachts in the sand.

Birding is a popular activity, although the country has few resident species, but it is an important stop for migratory birds during spring and autumn. Ichkeul National Park in the north is the best site to contemplate.

Upload balloon and seaplane flights are two relatively new options to see the country from the air which can be conducted in Tozeur and Aghir respectively.

Tunisia history

Tunisia may be the smallest country in northern Africa, but its strategic position has ensured a rich history. Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Ottomans and French have spoken in the region at some time in their history. The first to appear were probably a group of Homo Erectus make a few hundred thousand years. Accessed by the Northwest through the Sahara from East Africa. It is believed that what is now arid desert was covered in those days of forest, scrub and grass savanna, similar to the plains of Kenya and Tanzania at present. The first clear sign of human habitation was discovered near Kebili, located south of town near an oasis, and dates back some two hundred thousand years ago.

The first of Tunisia today that Utica was settled by the Phoenicians in the twelfth century BC Used it as a stopover en route from its port of origin, Tire (in the current Lebanon) to the Iberian Peninsula. They established a chain of docks along the North African coast, including Hadrumnetum (Sousse) and Hippo Diarrhytus (Bizerte). But the port that occupies a prominent place in history books is Carthage, arch in Rome. It became the most important city of the western Phoenician world in the seventh century BC, especially after the decline of Tire, and the most powerful African Mediterranean early V century BC His power continued until the Punic wars, which pitted Rome (263-146 BC). But Carthage was completely wiped out after the defeat of Hannibal to Scipio, its inhabitants were sold as slaves and the region became a province of the Empire.

The emperor Augustus consolidated Carthage city in 44 BC as Julius Caesar claimed his predecessor, proconsular Design Capital of Africa. The region served as a granary for Rome, to the first century AD, the plains of Tunisia met over 60% of the wheat Empire. The Romans founded cities and colonies on the plains and the coast of Tunisia, the region experiencing its period of greatest prosperity of the Flavian dynasty and severe, its ruins are the main attractions today.

At the beginning of V century, when the power of Rome was in a state of irreversible decline, the Vandals decided that it was ripe for conquest. In ten years, made his capital in Carthage. Dispossessed of their practices away from the native Berber population, which formed small kingdoms and began assaulting the colonies vandals. The Byzantines of Constantinople, who seized the territory in 533 and kept it over the following 150 years, also clashed with the guerrillas Berbers. During the Byzantine period there was an artistic and economic renaissance.

Islam made its appearance in the seventh century when Arab armies spread from Arabia and Egypt conquered quickly. His first foray dates from 647. The Muslims defeated the Byzantines in Sufetula, Kairouan make up their base camp in the year 670. In Kairouan as its capital, the region became a province of the Islamic empire.

Berbers adopted Islam, but they rose up against the cruel to them Arabs. The uprisings continued until 909, when a group of Berber Shiites, the Fatimids, regrouped and snatched the Berber tribes of North Africa to the Arabs. Cairo was founded in the year 973 and established his capital in Mahdia, but the unit was soon broken, the tribes began fighting among themselves and North Africa was slowly reduced to ruins. This weakness was exploited by the Normans, who occupied the island of Jerba in 1134.

Conflicts arose again when the area was involved in the rivalry between Spain and the Ottoman Empire in the mid-sixteenth century. Tunisia changed hands half a dozen times in about fifty years before the Turks finally conquered in the year 1574 and become part of Ottoman territory until the nineteenth century, when France became the new power of the western Mediterranean.

In 1881 France, under the pretext of responding to attacks on the border of its Algerian colony, sent 30,000 troops to Tunisia, which were soon to occupy the capital and force the bey ruler to cede power. Were gradually seizing the best land in Tunisia. The defeat of France early in World War II allowed the Tunisian nationalists intensified their campaign for independence. One man in particular, Habib Bourguiba, leader of the nationalist Neo-Destour, undertook the task of putting the country at the forefront of international politics.

Tunisia gained independence officially March 20, 1956, with Bourguiba as prime minister. The following year, the country became a Republic and Bourguiba became its first president. The president promoted political and social changes of far-reaching: considering religion as a brake on progress of the country undertook to reduce their role in society outside of the Orthodox influence in their traditional fields such as education and justice. The Shariah courts (Islamic law) were abolished, and lands that had funded the mosques and religious institutions seized.

Bourguiba was president of the country until 1987, when his Interior Minister Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, won the presidency and Bourguiba was declared mentally incapacitated to govern and that he had "retired" to a palace on the outskirts of Monastir .

Ben Ali appease the Islamic opposition, making a pilgrimage to Mecca and ordered to observe the fast of Ramadan. Currently the opposition parties remain in hiding and there is censorship in the media. In the October 1999 elections, Ben Ali won by an absolute majority. After the death of Bourguiba in April 2000 raised widespread and obvious discrepancies in the regime of Ben Ali and the riots are becoming clearer.

Tunisia culture & people

The Berbers were the first settlers in Tunisia but, over the centuries, successive waves of migrants settled Phoenicians, Jews, Romans, Vandals and Arabs in the country. In addition there was a considerable influx of Muslims from Spain and the Ottoman Turks also contributed their bit for the ethnic mix.

Islam is the official religion of the country. Despite an undeniable religious revival, particularly among youth and the unemployed, the nation is still fairly liberal. There is a small community of practicing Jews in the capital and the island of Jerba, and about twenty thousand Roman Catholics.

Thanks in large part to the efforts of secular and socialist former president Habib Bourguiba, the conditions for women are better than the other countries of the Islamic world (in the eyes of Westerners, at least). This agent outlaw polygamy and divorce by repudiation, and also placed limits on the tradition of the wedding subsidies, establishing a women 17 years of age to marry and giving them the right to reject the proposals of marriage. Your opinion on the veil ( "an odious rag"), explains its insignificant presence in the moment.

Yet, traditions are not easily lost, and is recommended for travelers to dress discreetly. Men shorts are considered to be in underwear and in specific situations can cause outrage. Public demonstrations of affection between couples are frowned upon in most parts of the country.

Today the nation is virtually bilingual: Arabic is the language of government, but nearly everyone is fluent in French. This was the language in which teaching is conducted in the early years of Bourguiba and still is taught from age six. At school is also studied English and German, but it is difficult to read in either language outside the main tourist areas. Berber dialect chelha or tachelnit only heard in the villages isolated.

The hammam (public baths) are one of the centers of life in Tunisia, as in all of northern Africa and the Middle East, and are considered places indicated not only for washing but for relaxing and chatting. All cities have at least a hammam, with separate sections for men and women (sometimes in completely separate buildings). Men need not take anything, they are given a Fouta (Cotton towel) to move in the hammam. Women are expected to bring your own towel (and are in their underwear when washing, so it is recommended to bring dry clothes to change afterwards). A session includes access to the bath, a sauna and steam Kassa, a vigorous scrub with a coarse mitten.

In Tunisia, the art has been greatly influenced by the cultural mix of the country. Architectural styles, for example, range from Punic and Roman contributions to the houses of alpine red tiles Ain Draham, the Islamic architecture of the Arab medinas and underground dwellings of the Berbers in the south.

Malouf, which means normal, is the name given to a form of traditional Arabic music, which has become a kind of institution in the country. Among the principal styles of classical music include the Tunisian Nouba (the oldest of Andalusian origin), the chghoul and bachraf (of Turkish origin). Musicians, singers and composers include all known El-Azifet (a rarity in this part of the world, because it is a group composed exclusively by women), Khemais Tarnane, Raoul Journou, Saliha, Saleh Mehdi, Ali Riahi, Hedi Jouini and Fethi Khairi, although it will be hard to find outside the country.

Tunisia have been discovered in large number of tiles in an excellent state of preservation due to its warm and dry. Dating from the sixth century A.D. II and come mostly in private houses and public baths. The Bardo Museum in the capital, has a magnificent collection and the Museum of El-Jem.

Introduced by the French, the painting is a very contemporary art in Tunisia, with styles that run from the shapes of Hedi Turki and free up the intricate Arabic calligraphy of NJA Mahdaoui. Under the French mandate, the Europeans moved to Tunisia in North Africa under the sun paint, perhaps the most famous was Paul Klee, who visited the country for the first time in 1914. The art galleries are located in the capital and the surrounding area, and highlights the artists' haven of Sidi Bou Saïd.