Nabeul

Located  about 18 km from the resort town of Hammamet, the city of Nabeulis the main town and administrative center of the Cap Bon penninsula. I had the opportunity to visit Nabeul several times, coming mainly for the same reason other tourists do - pottery. The city of Nabul is famous for its ceramics, which take the form of tiles, plates, bowls, and similar items. Although the city is most famous for its green and yellow design (half green and half yellow - reminding me of the Green Bay Packers), I was partial to the blue and white Andalusian radial design ceramics. According to an article in Saudi Aramco World, Nabeul had around 350 ceramic factories and workshops. Exports to European (especially France, Spain and Germany) and other countries account for nearly 60% of sales.

As you walk through the pedestrian avenue, there are shops, both big and small, selling similar items. Quality varied, so I was careful to inspect things before barganing. As in other markets around the country, bargaining is expected. Even though this the region where the pottery is produced, it takes a bit of work in some shops to lower the price below that of which European tourists willingly pay. Indeed, I could have purchased the "Nabeul-ware" in Tunis or other cities, but I preferred to go to the source.

In one small building we saw several older men weaving using a plant reed that looked similar to straw. The woven reeds were transformed into mats or shopping baskets. In addition to traditional Berber designs woven with black or other dark colored reeds, baskets displaying names of several different towns in Tunisia could be seen, indicating that the baskets were to be sold in these places.

Dar Chabaane

 A short 4 km from Nabeul is the village of Dar Chabanne. The city is known around the country for its stone carving. Here, stone is transformed into items such as columns, lions and other sculptural/household items. Here, we were attracted to two mosques all covered with tiles made in Nabeul. In addition to the small square tiles, the large Andalusian tile paintings of mainly floral or plant designs were prominent. In several places you could see Arabic writing on tiles.

Hammamet

An hour from Tunis is the resort city of Hammamet. Especially along beaches more and more hotels were being built. Tourists, especially from Europe come to enjoy the great beaches and fancy hotels, virtually all with pools of their own, in addition to other services such as full board and various entertainment options. For some, staying at a hotel in Hammamet or other resort towns for several weeks is an inexpensive annual event. Bus tours go from Hammamet to visit other sites in Tunisia such as Sidi Bou Said, Dougga, and the Sahara.