A TRIP ROUTE
IT IS WORTH SEEING
In Tunisia, as in many other Arab countries, tourists who follow a religion other than Islam are not allowed into mosques. It is a pity, because visiting the interior of the Great Mosque in Cairo or the Mosque of Olives in Tunis would be an interesting experience for sure. I personally experienced the practical effects of this ban when visiting Kairouan. Although I bought a ticket, I could see the interior of the mosque only through the openwork windows. Fortunately, such restrictive rules are not common. When we were visiting the old town in Hammamet, there was no problem with entering the mosque, it was not possible to take photos. Of course, it's hard to compare these two buildings with each other, but it's always something. For those who would like to see the beautiful interiors up close, only photos and videos on the Internet remain. Using the footage below, you can take a virtual tour of the recesses of the famous mosque in Cairo.
INTERESTING FACTS
There have been many films made in Tunisia that have either won Oscars or became international hits. Tunisian locations are very attractive, and the prices for foreign film producers are extremely affordable. One of the most visited places is the "star town" built on the outskirts of the Sahara, where the shots for "The Phantom Menace" were filmed. The lunar landscape of the picturesque Matmata Upland has been shown many times in various parts of "Star Wars". The next film locations are the Camel Mountain and the mountain oasis of Chebika, appearing in the melodrama "The English Patient". In turn, in the Roman colosseum El Jam were shot for the movie "Gladiator" directed by Ridley Scott. The coastal city of Monastyr is famous for pretending to be Jerusalem during the filming "Life of Brian" and Kairuan played the role of Cairo in the popular movie about the adventures of the archaeologist Indiana Jones "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Among the producers there were also Poles who created film adaptations of Henryk Sienkiewicz's novels "In Desert and in the Wilderness" and "Quo Vadis". Most of the photos for Roman Polański's "Pirates" were taken off the coast of Susa. "June 2013
We decided to vacation in Tunisia because of Julka. Easily accessible, wide, sandy beaches and clean water guaranteed a great holiday for our son. After quite a long search and the usual whining, we booked a hotel located in al-Jasmina, near Hammamet.
We chose Hammamet for a reason. We were planning a trip to the capital, because during our last stay in Tunisia in 2006,
we visited this city on Friday, which is a holiday for Muslims. Most of the monuments of interest to us were closed and we could only see
them from the outside. Unfortunately, life verified our plans and in the end we did not go to Tunis because street riots
started during our stay. Many tourists, especially those from Germany, felt a pang of fear. Fortunately, we managed to do some sightseeing
and come back safely to Poland.
Hammamet - old town
We took a taxi to the old Hammamet. It was the best solution because Julek was getting bored very quickly. The only thing that aroused his interest were the tiny turtles which he passionately watched. A walk through the medina of Hammamet turned out to be a very pleasant experience, which even local sellers who were constantly offering their goods could not be spoiled.
Hammamet al-Jasmina
In Hammamet, we lived in the al-Jasmine tourist zone. Sandy beaches, clear water, security guards and horse police patrols ensured a pleasant and peaceful rest. There aren't many attractions in al-Jasmine itself. The greatest impression was made by Hannibal's army in front of the entrance to the new medina , advancing on the backs of fighting elephants.
Julek is resting
To our pleasant surprise, this year Julek is no longer afraid of water. You could even say that she became his element. He was very eager to go to the beach and play by the seashore. He also met new friends from different countries, but they did not really enjoy having fun together. So far, he feels best with his mom and dad. This will certainly change soon.
Beach vendors
Beach vendors in Hammamet are a real menagerie of types and characters. They tirelessly wander the beaches between the old town and Yasmine, offering their goods and services to tourists. I completely underestimated the hardships of their work until I went for a walk along the seashore. Walking 12 km along the beach took its toll on me, but they cover a similar distance every day. This is a really tough piece of cake.
Nabeul
We went to Nabeul especially to see the camel market. It turns out, however, that you should not always believe everything you read in the guide. There was no trace of the camel market left, and the only camels that fell in was us. However, there is nothing bad that would not turn out to be good. While strolling around Nabeul, we came across a local market and took some nice photos.
Kairuan
We saw the famous mosque in Cairouana only in the morning fog during a trip to Douz in 2006. We decided then that we had to see him again sometime. The opportunity arose during my next vacation in Tunisia, but due to the long distance, I went on the trip alone. The highlight of the program was, of course, theGreat Mosque, the fourth holy place for Muslims after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
Dougga
Dougga is another place I visited on my own. However, this time the journey was a real passionate journey. I traveled by taxi, boat, motorcycle, bus, private car and on foot. The hardships of a nine-hour journey in the African heat were successfully compensated by the majestic ruins of an ancient Roman city, inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List.