Tunisia: Phoenicians to Romans, Mosaics to Mosques

ITINERARY

(B)= Breakfast, (L)= Lunch, (D)= Dinner

Thursday, April 11, 2024: Depart home

Friday, April 12: Arrive Tunis, Tunisia | Welcome dinner
Arrive today at Tunis-Carthage International Airport (TUN), where you will be met and transferred to our luxurious beachfront hotel. Enjoy a welcome dinner hosted by AIA study leader Nejib ben Lazreg and your tour manager. Overnight at the 5-star Four Seasons Hotel Tunis for four nights. (D)

Saturday, April 13: Tunis: Bardo Museum | Carthage | Tunis
Begin the day with an introductory lecture. Then visit the world-famous Bardo Museum (pending its re-opening), whose earliest exhibits (Punic) date to the 7^th century B.C., and whose most exquisite exhibits (Roman and Byzantine) are mosaics from sites all over Tunisia, many virtually intact. After lunch we explore the vast site of Carthage, founded in 814 B.C. by the Phoenicians and sacked by the Romans in 146 B.C. It was not until the 1^st century A.D. that Rome rebuilt the city, and within a few years it expanded and prospered to the point where it was second only to Rome. Our visit of this UNESCO World Heritage Site will include the tophets (cemeteries of children), Punic ports, Antonine Baths, Byrsa Hill, and cisterns. Return to our hotel and gather for dinner. (B,L,D)

Sunday, April 14: Nabeul Museum | Cape Bon Peninsula: Kelibia, Kerkouane | Tunis
Set out early this morning for the Cape Bon Peninsula, stopping first at Nabeul’s small but interesting archaeological museum. Continue north to the coastal town of Kelibia, where we enjoy lunch. The Cape Bon Peninsula is a fertile agricultural region that was developed by the French as the heart of Tunisia’s wine industry. After lunch we will enjoy scenic stops and visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kerkouane, one of the most important ancient Punic cities. Return to Tunis, where the balance of the day is at leisure. Restaurant suggestions for dinner will be provided, as there are many enjoyable dining options. (B,L)

Monday, April 15: Oudna | Tunis: Medina walking tour
This morning we drive to Oudna (Roman Uthina), one of Tunisia’s more recently excavated sites that is still a work in progress. See the fine amphitheater and nearly a dozen villas with many mosaics, cisterns, and storage areas. After lunch we return to Tunis and take an in-depth walking tour of its medina, the historic heart of the city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, viewing from the outside the architecture of the Zitouna mosque and the nearby Hamouda Pasha and Hussein Day mosques. Return to our hotel, where we gather later for dinner. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, April 16: Dougga | Bulla Regia | Tabarka
Depart Tunis, driving through a fertile land that was part of the granary of Rome, and arrive at Dougga (ancient Thugga), Tunisia’s most extensive archaeological site. Covering some 60 acres on a steep slope some 2,000 feet above the plain, Dougga was known as the “city of temples” and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the theater, which accommodated almost 3,500 people; the Temple of Saturn, under which was found evidence of a pre-Roman sanctuary dedicated to the Carthaginian god Baal; the Temples of Augustan Piety and Mercury; and the grandest structure—the Capitol that was dedicated to the gods Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, and to the glory of co-emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. After lunch we drive to Bulla Regia, an unusual and very well-preserved site that features underground Roman villas; a Temple of Apollo, the oldest extant structure on the site; and a 2^nd-century theater. Continue driving to the seaside town of Tabarka, where we check-in to our luxurious hotel and gather for dinner. Overnight at the 5-star La Cigale Tabarka Hôtel for two nights. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, April 17: Tabarka: AM walking tour, PM at leisure
Enjoy a morning lecture followed by a walking tour in the coastal village of Tabarka. After lunch we return to our hotel, located along a sandy beach, to relax and enjoy its amenities. Dinner is on your own. (B,L)

Thursday, April 18: Chemtou Museum | Althiburos | Sbeitla
This morning we visit the Chemtou Museum, which has exhibits on the quarrying and transportation of marble, a small section of the original Roman road that was used to transport the marble, and more. Once home to ancient North Africa’s largest marble quarry, Chemtou was incorporated into Roman Africa in 46 B.C. After lunch in Le Kef, we drive south to the Numidian-Roman city of Althiburos to see a recently discovered tophet, forum, capitol, arch, theater, and ancient houses. We continue on to our hotel in Sbeitla and then gather for dinner. Overnight at the comfortable, 3-star Hotel Suffeitla. (B,L,D)

Friday, April 19: Sbeitla | Mactar | Kairouan
This morning we visit the Roman city of Sbeitla (Sufetula) to see Diocletian’s arch, forum, capitol, theater, and Christian churches. After lunch we visit the Roman city of Mactar to see the forum, Trajan’s Arch, Caracalla’s Baths, churches, and dolmens. Continue driving to Kairouan, where we check-in to our hotel and then gather for dinner. Overnight at the 5-star Hôtel La Kasbah Kairouan. (B,L,D)

Saturday, April 20: Kairouan walking tour | El Djem | Sousse
Kairouan’s location along the old caravan routes provided a base for a flourishing crafts industry, which lives on today in its rugs and textiles. This morning we walk through the heart of this UNESCO World Heritage Site’s medina, past sellers of carpets, leather goods, brass works, and spices to the Great Mosque, which has been rebuilt several times since its original construction in the 7^th century. Then we set out on a drive to El Djem, another UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most extraordinary sites in Tunisia thanks to the marvelous, 3^rd-century A.D. amphitheater in the heart of the town. Nearby is the museum of El Djem, which houses some lovely mosaics and the remains of some recently-excavated luxury villas. Continue driving to the seaside city of Sousse, Tunisia’s third largest city, where we check-in to our hotel and have dinner. Overnight at the 5-star Mövenpick Resort & Marine Spa for two nights. (B,L,D)

Sunday, April 21: Sousse: AM Sousse Archaeological Museum and walking tour, PM at leisure
Visit the historic heart of Sousse, long a thriving trading center and major port and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside the 11^th-century kasbah we tour the Sousse Archaeological Museum, which houses one of the country’s best collections of 2^nd– and 3^rd-century Roman mosaics. Time permitting, our walking tour through town will include (from the outside) the Great Mosque, originally constructed in A.D. 850; the 9^th-century ribat (fortification and religious building); and the souk, which is dominated by woolworkers. After lunch, the balance of the day is at leisure to enjoy our hotel’s amenities and/or explore independently the nearby city center. Dining suggestions will be provided. (B,L)

Monday, April 22: Thuburbo Majus | Sidi Bou Said | Tunis | Farewell dinner
From Sousse we travel inland to the vast, sprawling site of Thuburbo Majus, one of Tunisia’s best-preserved sites. It was occupied in turn by the Berbers, Phoenicians, and Romans. Its imperial remains are typical of a Roman city and include the towering, 2^nd-century A.D. capitol and forum. Continue on to the charming cliff-top village of Sidi Bou Said, one of the prettiest spots in Tunisia, where we enjoy lunch. We will then stroll through this village’s maze of cobbled lanes and alleys, admiring colorful houses, boutique shops, and stunning views of the Gulf of Tunis’ azure waters. The village has attracted generations of European artists and writers, and is often called a “living museum.” Continue on to Tunis and check-in to our luxurious hotel, conveniently located near the airport. This evening, we gather for a farewell dinner at one of Tunis’ finest restaurants. Overnight at the 5-star Sheraton Tunis Hotel. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, April 23: Fly home
Transfer this morning to Tunis-Carthage International Airport (TUN) for flights homeward. (B)