Tunisia

2022 - 7 - 9

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Image courtesy of "Global Times"

'The lung of Tunisia' - Global Times (Global Times)

Children's cries echo through the alleyways as they hunt for hidden treasure - part of growing efforts to bring life back to the Old City of Tunis.

"The medina is the lung of Tunisia, and it's where Tunis began," said Salma Garbi, a 38-year-old architect who was taking part in a guided walk. "It's the haven of the first madrassas [Koranic schools], and the Zitouna is one of the most famous and oldest mosque-universities in the world," he said. Writer Hatem Bourial said the medina, one of the first cities built after the Muslim conquests of North Africa and home to the renowned Zitouna mosque, has a deep "emotional charge."

The "lung of Tunisia": Festivals, guesthouses breathe life back into ... (RTL Today)

Writer Hatem Bourial said the medina, one of the first cities built after the Muslim conquests of North Africa and home to the renowned Zitouna mosque, has a ...

The same applies to the famous Tourbet el Bey mausoleum. The legacy of the Hafsid dynasty remains in the form of narrow, crowded souks that contributed to the medina being awarded UNESCO heritage status / © AFP Under the Hafsids, Tunis was one of the biggest cities in the Islamic world, and their legacy has remained in the form of narrow, crowded souks that contributed to the medina being awarded UNESCO heritage status in 1979. "The medina is the lung of Tunisia, and it's where Tunis began," said Salma Garbi, a 38-year-old architect who was taking part in a guided walk. "It's the haven of the first madrassas (Koranic schools), and the Zitouna is one of the most famous and oldest mosque-universities in the world," he said. Writer Hatem Bourial said the medina, one of the first cities built after the Muslim conquests of North Africa and home to the renowned Zitouna mosque, has a deep "emotional charge".

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