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Goal.com Africa Special - A Day In The Life Of Rami Ayari - Tunis, Tunisia
Rami Ayari takes you into his world as he presents some of his favorite photos from his home city of Tunis, Tunisia.
26-Feb-2010 5:36:00 PM
By Rami Ayari
Tunis is the capital of Tunisia and is where I was born and raised. I hope you enjoy these photos that I’ve selected to give you a peek into what life in and around my hometown is all about!
Downtown Tunis is always bustling during the day, with people of all walks of life being drawn into the city to either run errands, tend to their businesses, attend classes, or visit friends and relatives. This scene is rather prototypical in that sense. The Arc de France and the distinctive architecture of the buildings erected along these streets when our country was a French protectorate serve as a reminder of our colonial past and are part of our national heritage now.
It’s no Big Ben but our clocktower on Avenue Habib Bourguiba (a major avenue named after our first President and liberator) has its own charm. People walk along the streets around it window shopping and enjoying each other's company. I’ve often sat around the fountain with friends reminiscing about days gone by before running off to grab a bite to eat from nearby food stands. In the summer Tunis and its surrounding suburbs empty out considerably as most families with the means to travel closer to the beach do so, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had in the city for those left behind. The closest beaches are no more than half an hour away in any case but there are many to pick from along our coastline and everyone has their favourite...
The view from Byrsa Hill in Carthage. One of my favorite locations due to its historical significance and the mountain in the distance (affectionately called “Jbal Bougarnin” i.e. “the mountain with two horns” due to what looks to be two summits on it). According to Roman sources, the Phoenician Queen Elissa (aka Dido) fled her native city of Tyre and settled here. Legend has it that she asked the local leader for land so that her and her followers could settle temporarily. The agreement was that she could have whatever land she manged to encircle with an ox hide but the Queen cut the hide into fine strips and encircled the entire top of what came to be known as Byrsa Hill and claimed it as hers. That is apparently how Carthage was founded and I always struggled to believe someone could fall for such a trick!
Thanks to its strategic position on the Mediterranean, our country has always been a source of interest for outsiders. Perhaps the most prominent being the Romans with whom the Carthaginians fought three Punic wars (does General Hannibal ring a bell with you?) Rome eventually took control of all of North Africa including Carthage and the evidence of their stay is still visible today in these ruins and countless others throughout the country.
Yet more evidence of some of our Roman heritage. This is part of one of the most recognisable mosaics at the Bardo Museum. Originally excavated in Dougga, it depicts Odesseus having his men tie him to his ship so he won’t give in to the songs of the sirens wishing to tempt him and his men away from their journey.
We’re back downtown with this picture but this time deeper into the “old city” or the “Medina” as we call it. This is a famous rooftop with stunning tile work. In the background you can see the minaret of the “Zitouna” Mosque. The word zitouna means olive, which commemorates the fact that an olive tree used to stand where the Mosque was originally built. It is not only a place of prayer but was also an old Islamic university where science and literature was taught in addition to the holy Qur’an.
Still downtown with this one and still in the Medina. This is the inside of a shop specialising in ornamented plates and Shisha’s (water pipes). The Medina has shops to suit everyone's fancy but you have to be sure to bargain (especially if you look like you’re from out of town). Vendors will try to convince you that their shop is the best by any means. My favourite as a child was “Everything for free!” I used to think that was quite a deal but once you get inside and pick something, free quickly becomes a defined numeric value and that’s when the haggling begins. If you’re not trying to get a better price than they’re offering you at first, you’re not doing it right.
Stade El Menzah is the main football stadium in the capital and the facility where I watched my first football match as a youngster. It wasn’t just any regular game either. It was the always eagerly anticipated “Derby de la Capitale” between rivals Club Africain and Esperance Sportive de Tunis. This isn’t the picture of that day but it’s a good example of what to expect when attending such festive occassions. The words spelt out by the Biancorosso faithful are “Tous Unis” i.e. “All United.” I have great memories of my first derby as we won a tense game. In case you didn’t know already, Tunisia is a football mad country.
Here’s another one of our stadiums, Le Stade du 7 Novembre in Rades. It houses many more fans than El Menzah but is harder to get to for those relying on public transportation. Actually getting there is usually not so hard but leaving at night is what concerns most without their own vehicles. This photo was taken on the night when Tunisia were facing off against Morocco in the decisive qualifier for the 2006 World Cup. We were slightly outplayed but secured the 2-2 draw we needed to qualify ahead of the Atlas Lions. I hope to be back at this stadium in late May to see my Carthage Eagles go toe to toe with France. Les Bleus will be holding a training camp in Tunisia before they depart for South Africa but unfortunately we won’t be joining them there.
This is a five star hotel called the Golden Tulip in Gammarth, a suburb of Tunis. The picture reminds me of visiting with friends to either go swimming, or bowling in their private alley, or grabbing some food and a drink. Tunisia’s main source of income is tourism and we take pride in being excellent hosts so please do visit!
The view from a well known cafe in Sidi Bou Said. People from all parts of the country visit Sidi Bou to appreciate this view of the harbour as they sip some mint tea with pine nuts and perhaps share a Shisha. It’s a very relaxing place and one that hardly anyone gets tired of visiting. On summer nights you can smell jasmine in the air. It’s lovely…
Downtown Tunis is always bustling during the day, with people of all walks of life being drawn into the city to either run errands, tend to their businesses, attend classes, or visit friends and relatives. This scene is rather prototypical in that sense. The Arc de France and the distinctive architecture of the buildings erected along these streets when our country was a French protectorate serve as a reminder of our colonial past and are part of our national heritage now.
It’s no Big Ben but our clocktower on Avenue Habib Bourguiba (a major avenue named after our first President and liberator) has its own charm. People walk along the streets around it window shopping and enjoying each other's company. I’ve often sat around the fountain with friends reminiscing about days gone by before running off to grab a bite to eat from nearby food stands. In the summer Tunis and its surrounding suburbs empty out considerably as most families with the means to travel closer to the beach do so, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had in the city for those left behind. The closest beaches are no more than half an hour away in any case but there are many to pick from along our coastline and everyone has their favourite...
The view from Byrsa Hill in Carthage. One of my favorite locations due to its historical significance and the mountain in the distance (affectionately called “Jbal Bougarnin” i.e. “the mountain with two horns” due to what looks to be two summits on it). According to Roman sources, the Phoenician Queen Elissa (aka Dido) fled her native city of Tyre and settled here. Legend has it that she asked the local leader for land so that her and her followers could settle temporarily. The agreement was that she could have whatever land she manged to encircle with an ox hide but the Queen cut the hide into fine strips and encircled the entire top of what came to be known as Byrsa Hill and claimed it as hers. That is apparently how Carthage was founded and I always struggled to believe someone could fall for such a trick!
Thanks to its strategic position on the Mediterranean, our country has always been a source of interest for outsiders. Perhaps the most prominent being the Romans with whom the Carthaginians fought three Punic wars (does General Hannibal ring a bell with you?) Rome eventually took control of all of North Africa including Carthage and the evidence of their stay is still visible today in these ruins and countless others throughout the country.
Yet more evidence of some of our Roman heritage. This is part of one of the most recognisable mosaics at the Bardo Museum. Originally excavated in Dougga, it depicts Odesseus having his men tie him to his ship so he won’t give in to the songs of the sirens wishing to tempt him and his men away from their journey.
We’re back downtown with this picture but this time deeper into the “old city” or the “Medina” as we call it. This is a famous rooftop with stunning tile work. In the background you can see the minaret of the “Zitouna” Mosque. The word zitouna means olive, which commemorates the fact that an olive tree used to stand where the Mosque was originally built. It is not only a place of prayer but was also an old Islamic university where science and literature was taught in addition to the holy Qur’an.
Still downtown with this one and still in the Medina. This is the inside of a shop specialising in ornamented plates and Shisha’s (water pipes). The Medina has shops to suit everyone's fancy but you have to be sure to bargain (especially if you look like you’re from out of town). Vendors will try to convince you that their shop is the best by any means. My favourite as a child was “Everything for free!” I used to think that was quite a deal but once you get inside and pick something, free quickly becomes a defined numeric value and that’s when the haggling begins. If you’re not trying to get a better price than they’re offering you at first, you’re not doing it right.
Stade El Menzah is the main football stadium in the capital and the facility where I watched my first football match as a youngster. It wasn’t just any regular game either. It was the always eagerly anticipated “Derby de la Capitale” between rivals Club Africain and Esperance Sportive de Tunis. This isn’t the picture of that day but it’s a good example of what to expect when attending such festive occassions. The words spelt out by the Biancorosso faithful are “Tous Unis” i.e. “All United.” I have great memories of my first derby as we won a tense game. In case you didn’t know already, Tunisia is a football mad country.
Here’s another one of our stadiums, Le Stade du 7 Novembre in Rades. It houses many more fans than El Menzah but is harder to get to for those relying on public transportation. Actually getting there is usually not so hard but leaving at night is what concerns most without their own vehicles. This photo was taken on the night when Tunisia were facing off against Morocco in the decisive qualifier for the 2006 World Cup. We were slightly outplayed but secured the 2-2 draw we needed to qualify ahead of the Atlas Lions. I hope to be back at this stadium in late May to see my Carthage Eagles go toe to toe with France. Les Bleus will be holding a training camp in Tunisia before they depart for South Africa but unfortunately we won’t be joining them there.
This is a five star hotel called the Golden Tulip in Gammarth, a suburb of Tunis. The picture reminds me of visiting with friends to either go swimming, or bowling in their private alley, or grabbing some food and a drink. Tunisia’s main source of income is tourism and we take pride in being excellent hosts so please do visit!
The view from a well known cafe in Sidi Bou Said. People from all parts of the country visit Sidi Bou to appreciate this view of the harbour as they sip some mint tea with pine nuts and perhaps share a Shisha. It’s a very relaxing place and one that hardly anyone gets tired of visiting. On summer nights you can smell jasmine in the air. It’s lovely…
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