The Collected
Notes.
An evolving repository of our deep-dive explorations. From hidden architectural marvels to the profound nuances of global society.
Tunisia's Geographical Diversity: From Alpine Forests to Saharan Dunes
Tunisia is one of North Africa's smallest countries, but it packs an astonishing amount of geographical variety into its 163,610 square kilometers. It offers a compressed journey from Mediterranean forests …
The Harakah Café Culture: Social Life in a North African Coffee Republic
Tunisians place a high value on the traditional Arab coffeehouse, or maqha, where men and women gather for hours to drink Turkish coffee and mint tea, smoke shisha, discuss politics, and engage in harakah—a …
Sidi Bou Said: A Village Painted in Blue and White Dreams
Sidi Bou Said is perhaps the most immediately enchanting village in North Africa, perched on a white cliff 130 meters above the Gulf of Tunis. Accessible by the TGM coastal train, it is a compact hillside …
The Medina of Tunis: A Thousand Years of Islamic Urban Life
The Medina of Tunis, located in the heart of Tunisia's capital, is surrounded by ancient walls and accessible via enormous gates. It is one of the most intact, lively, and historically rich Islamic city centers in North …
Tunisian Women and the Arab World's Most Progressive Gender Laws
When Tunisia obtained independence from France in 1956, its first president, Habib Bourguiba, promptly implemented the Code of Personal Status, a set of family laws that distinguished the country from …
Djerba and Tatooine: The Star Wars Island and Its Ancient Soul
The island of Djerba, connected to mainland Tunisia by a Roman-era causeway across a shallow lagoon in the Gulf of Gabes, is one of the Mediterranean's most relaxed beach destinations. It is also one of the …
El Jem Amphitheatre: Africa's Colosseum Rising from the Steppe
The amphitheatre of El Jem rises from the ground in the heart of a little village surrounded by olive orchards in central Tunisia's flat plain. Built in the 3rd century AD, it is approximately 150 meters long, 124 meters …
Dougga: The Most Complete Roman City in Africa
The ancient city of Dougga, located in the highlands of northwestern Tunisia about 110 kilometers southwest of Tunis, sits on a magnificent ridge with views across olive trees and wooded valleys that have barely …
Chott el Djerid: A Sea of Salt in the Heart of the Sahara
In the desert interior of southern Tunisia, between the oasis towns of Tozeur and Kebili, an extraordinary landscape spreads to the horizon: the Chott el Djerid. It is the largest salt lake in the entire Sahara Desert, …
The Jasmine Revolution: How Tunisia Sparked the Arab Spring
On January 14, 2011, an astonishing event occurred on Habib Bourguiba Boulevard in Tunis: President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, who had ruled Tunisia for 23 years with a tight grip on surveillance, corruption, and brutality, …
Tunisia 2025: A Historic Record and a New Chapter for North African Tourism
Tunisia's tourism sector reached a watershed moment in 2025, welcoming more than 11 million international visitors for the first time in the country's history. This far exceeds the previous record of approximately 9.4 …
Carthage: The Ruins of an Empire That Challenged Rome
On a hill overlooking the Gulf of Tunis, just north of the contemporary capital, are the scattered but spectacular remnants of Carthage, one of the ancient world's most formidable civilizations. Founded by …
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