The Arts

The arts in Tunisia are as varied as its regions. Strengthened by President Ben Ali's initiative, cultural and artistic activities have received emphasis in schools and universities, where 500 youth and culture clubs have been set up. In 1997 UNESCO named Tunis a "Regional Cultural Capital," recognizing the country's role in promoting dialogue between cultures. Almost 500,000 people make their living from handicrafts, either on a family basis or small enterprises. From the large cities to rural villages, one can find cultural facilities which range from cultural centers, film societies, art galleries, video clubs, and mobile or municipal libraries. Tunisia also brings in many foreign artists for further diversity. No fewer than 360 festivals take place each year. The country's new cultural policy aims at developing all sectors of its heritage, including folk song and dance, storytelling, and folk arts and traditions, from which thousands of families still gain their livelihood.

Museums have been set up throughout the country and are visited by tourists and locals alike. Many are located on archaeological sites or in regional centers. One of the most famous museums is the Bardo, which houses a large collection of the country's exquisite Roman mosaics and other artifacts from its rich history.

Shops in the Kairouan medina display various Tunisian crafts for sale

Weaving

A woman demonstrates traditional knotted weaving typical of Kairouan

Tunisia has a long tradition of weaving and is famous for its rugs, mergoums, kilims, as well as other tapestries and woven products. Already in the 5th century AD, the Greek poets complimented "the rugs and cushions of Carthage" and tribute payments to the Caliph of Baghdad were made partly in the form of Tunisian rugs. See Saudi Aramco World's online article "Craftsman of Tunisia" for more information on Tunisian weaving.

In Kairouan, women do the weaving. They produce two types of wool carpet - pile and short-nap. The short- nap carpets are either of the mergoum style (a diamond pattern worked into a neutral ground), and kilims (formed by alternate strips of natural-colored wools. The pile rugs, known as zerhivas consist of a central motif bordered by an arabesque pattern. While there is some room for variation, most of these rugs follow traditional designs and motifs. The zerhivas are more expensive than the short-nap carpets and take much longer to make. Those made out of silk were considerably more expensive but were beautiful.

Ceramics

Tunisian ceramic art has a long rich tradition, dating back to the early Neolithic period. Ancient Egypt, Phoenicia, and Greece used the ceramic jugs (with pointed ends) of Jerba to transport products by sea. During the Roman occupation of Tunisia, fine works from red clay revealed ornate decorations of mythological designs, floral motifs, relief appliqué, and much more. In addition to being functional, oil lamps of the Roman and Punic times were decorative and varied. During the Aghlabide dynasty (649-909 AD), lead glazes and metal oxides were introduced. During the Hafsid dynasty (1159-1534 AD) designs returned to being more abstract, geometric, and stylized. Turkish influence, which lasted from 1534-1704, introduced polychrome designs to Tunisia and popularized the decorative architectural panels of Oriental inspiration still seen today.

Tunisia has several main regional areas for pottery, including Jerba, Nabeul, and Sejnane. The Jerba village of Guellala is famous for its ceramic lamps and couscous plates, entirely coated with green varnish. While in this village, I also saw the large pots with the pointed bottoms, decorative tiles, and functional ceramic pieces with lace-like openings.

The town of Nabeul produces much of the tiles and dishes used throughout the country and enjoyed by tourists. Although the ceramic pieces come in a rainbow of colors and designs, they are famous for the dishes which are half green and half glazed yellow - which reminded me of the Green Bay Packers. I preferred the radial designs and purchased several pieces in the popular blue and white colors. Tiles produced in Nabeul adorn the walls of cafés, mosques, shops, and residences.

In the Northern village of Sejnane, a rather primitive form of pottery is produced. Clay is gathered from the nearby hills, hand-fashioned into pots, dolls, and whimsical animals, and fired in low-fire outdoor pits. The decorative motifs, also found on Berber weavings, have some similarities to Aztec designs. Colors used are natural (beige, ochre-red, and black) and the motifs are either geometric or naïve figurative. Traditionally the motifs are first drawn on the raw clay, then, between two separate firings, the lines are reinforced with the black juice of the mastic tree.

In the Jerba village of Guellala, a young man makes finishing touches on a vessel created on a kick wheel. Behind him are tile pieces also typical of the island.

A small room houses some of Sabiha's neutral-colored low-fire ceramic pieces, known as Sejnane-ware

In Nabeul, an old man weaves straw to create baskets and mats

Just a few kilometers away from Nabeul is Dar Chabaane, where nearly every man is a stone sculptor. The delicate Moorish designs are carved out of a soft sandstone.

A man forms a copper bowl in the Copper Souk. Traditionally a wedding gift, copper ware is being replaced by commercially produced items.

Chechias

In the medinas of Tunis and Kairouan, one can still find artisans making the traditional close-fitting red skull cap known as a chechia. While in the chechia souk of Tunis, I had the opportunity to learn a bit more about how these caps are made. I was surprised to learn that these felt caps begin as a huge hand-knitted white woolen tube, often created by women. Then it is subjected to a series of dippings in hot spring waters and ancient dyes, which gradually shrinks the tube. The chechia is then dried, pressed (often by sitting on them), and given a nap by teaseling it with a bulrush.

As the age of the average chechia hat maker increases and few of their sons taking over the business, the craft is beginning to die. In the last few years, a sizeable number of the shops in the Tunis souk have closed.

Performing Arts

In Jerba, traditional weddings often included horn players and an incense burner

Belly dancing is a popular form of expressive entertainment

Music

Malouf (which means "familiar" or "customary") is a popular music style imported to North Africa from the Andalousian Muslims who were chased out of Spain at the end of the 15th century. The classical malouf singing is based on classical Arabic poetry known as the qasidah, or ode. Small orchestras consist of violins (rbabs), lutes (known as an ud), quanuns (trapezoidal zither) and drums. The Saudi Aramco World has an excellent history of Malouf and Tunisian music on its website. "Focus on Tunisia" has some music samples on its website: http://www.focusmm.com/tunisia/tn_musmn.htm

Principal styles of classical Tunisian music are nouba (the oldest, and of Andalusian origin), the chghoul and bachraf (of Turkish origin). Unlike in Mali, Tunisian music exists in written form using Western notation. Improvisation was a common component of Tunisian music, but was greatly diminished with the adoption of written music and music recording.

Cinema

Although relatively young, cinema in Tunisia is gaining in popularity and diversity. Most genres have been filmed, including action films, social exposés, dramas, and political essays. Films like "The Silences of the palace" have gone international acclaim. In addition, Tunisia has become a popular location for filming blockbuster movies, such as The English Patient, several Star Wars episodes, Monty Python's Life of Brian, and Life of Christ.

Created in 1962, the Carthage international film festival is held every two years. It is a major event for the region.