Sidi Bou Saïd
Built between 1912 and 1922 for French-born Baron Rodolphe d’Erlanger and his Italian-American wife Elizabetta, this palace residence is an exhilarating…
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With its distinctive blue-and-white color scheme, cobbled streets and jaw-dropping glimpses of azure waters, the cliff-top village of Sidi Bou Saïd is one of the prettiest spots in Tunisia. Named after a 13th-century Sufi saint, its distinctive architecture is a mix of the Ottoman and the Andalusian, a result of the influx of Spanish Muslims in the 16th century. For the French, the fishing village was a perfect depiction of the Orientalism romanticized by Europeans in the 19th century, and they committed to ensuring that its character – both real and imagined – was preserved (it was given protected status in 1915). Past residents and visitors include artist Paul Klee, author André Gide, philosopher Michel Foucault, and arty British eccentrics Osbert and Edith Sitwell.
Sidi Bou Saïd
Built between 1912 and 1922 for French-born Baron Rodolphe d’Erlanger and his Italian-American wife Elizabetta, this palace residence is an exhilarating…
Sidi Bou Saïd
This highly regarded gallery showcases the work of contemporary Tunisian artists in individual and group shows; the latter are usually thematic in…
Sidi Bou Saïd
Just off the main drag in Sidi Bou Saïd's upper village, this commercial gallery exhibits the work of up-and-coming Tunisian and international…
Sidi Bou Saïd
This tiny gallery down a small alleyway is worth a quick visit. Though its exhibition program is nowhere near as stimulating as some of the other…
Art
Back to the past: staying overnight in Tunisia's best traditional dar hotelsJul 18, 2018 • 5 min read
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