2015 represents a cherished first trip to Tunisia and what was a most enjoyable, brief yet direct experience with the country’s cultural scene in Tunis, the country’s capital.
Given the past year’s horrible terrorist attacks in the MENA region, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and North America, support for local cultural initiatives as a bulwark against Daesh and other Wahhabi/Salafist -related ideologies has become vitally urgent worldwide.
Tunisia was attacked brutally over the past year, for it represents a rare jewel as a moderate, secular democracy in North Africa and the Near East. I publish this dispatch from my personal notes in support of the newer cultural horizons in Tunisia I witnessed this past year, such a vital part of the country’s democratic path of development — or re-development. Tunisia shall continue to strengthen and thrive, I am convinced, for the past year was but a moment in time in its long epic history of emerging from ten civilizations of would-be conquerors.
Ever since the memorable 2013 World Nomads Tunisia Festival presented by the French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF) in New York that I covered for Ibraaz.org, and FIAF’s subsequent World Nomads Tunisia Weekend this past year, where we in New York and America were introduced to several aspects of Tunisia’s culture (music, dance, cinema, visual arts, handicrafts, and literature) my interest to know more about the country has been at a high level.
Those FIAF introductions to Tunisia made me welcome the recent opportunity to make an actual visit to Tunis. My trip was a joy in this cosmopolitan, progressive city. The occasion was the third edition of the Kamel Lazaar Foundation’s Jaou Tunis Conference, May 28-31, 2015.
I sensed occasionally during my visit that while Jaou Tunis seemed to some odd few, a provocative upstart cultural event in a society whose complicated status quo values are in need of urgent and immediate reform in order to jumpstart the economy, Jaou Tunis fulfills a clear, major and key catalytic role on many fronts for the country’s current and future development path.
The Kamel Lazaar Foundation
It’s a real phenomenon in the Maghreb to discover visionary leadership and patronage coming from the private sector in contemporary arts, and even less so throughout the continent of Africa. It’s all the more striking that in Tunisia today, the Kamel Lazaar Foundation is spearheading a new era of contemporary arts appreciation in the MENA region, www.kamellazaarfoundation.org.
The Foundation is building the first contemporary arts center and museum in the country with beautiful galleries, a state of the art library, and — exciting to envision — two performing arts spaces, all of which are sure to become a main international attraction in Carthage-Tunis.
Active plans are underway by the Foundation to assist the government in the cataloguing, documentation, and conservation of its accumulated collections of art since the turn of the century. It’s noteworthy that Tunisia has had a long history of visual arts: the famed School of Tunis and the earlier European Orientalist movement, for example.
Those are just two among many other vital projects that are breathtaking in scope. Take a long look at their intellectually stimulating online publication, http://www.ibraaz.org — a window to the world of the MENA region’s contemporary visual arts, under the editorial direction of Dr. Anthony Downey with the Sotheby’s Institute in London.
Founded in 2005 by the Chairman, Kamel Lazaar, an investment banker and philanthropist, to promote art and Arab artists around the world, the Foundation fulfills a much-needed activist role in the cultural and artistic scenes of North Africa and the Middle East.
The goals of the Kamel Lazaar Foundation include:
— The promotion of visual arts and support for platforms for dialogue about cultural production across the Maghreb and Middle East.
— Support for cultural and artistic projects and activities (including patronage, fellowships, events, and conferences)
— The production of cultural knowledge through responding to the imminent need for the creation and dissemination of visuals arts in the Maghreb and the Arab world
— Support for research and publishing initiatives, exhibitions, and educational seminars
— Support for the visual arts by developing a rich collection of modern and contemporary works covering the MENA region, by creating cultural and artistic spaces and by raising awareness and democratizing art and culture.
Having worked in the development field for decades throughout Africa, with increasingly greater emphasis on the culture sector in the MENA region and sub-Saharan Africa, I have observed and continue to support and applaud the huge impact of creative economies on cultural tourism, job creation, and local innovative entrepreneurship in business. The supply and demand for local and regional traditional artisanal handicrafts industries are part of economic growth and foster pride in national identities. While attending Jaou Tunis, I often recalled a line from the poem “The Will To Live” by Tunisia’s cherished poet from the 30s, Abou Kacem Chebbi: “I bless among men, the ambitious.”
Significance of the Jaou Event
Following the indiscriminate and chilling attacks on March 18 past at the Bardo National Museum, one of the most important museums in the Mediterranean Basin region tracing the ancient history of the country, the Kamel Lazaar Foundation re-doubled and intensified its determination to present its annual Jaou conference at the museum itself. (Jaou, loosely translated from Arabic, means ‘ambiance’.) The aptly titled 2015 theme was “Visual Culture in an Age of Global Conflict”.
Some of the conference speakers’ videos can be viewed here: www.ibraaz.org/channel#10
The beautifully designed Jaou catalogue preface stated its 2015 objectives:
How to showcase contemporary Arab culture and encourage interest around the art industry? How to successfully create links between the artists of the region and to communicate them in a major event? How to create balance between the Arab capitals, rich in history and cultural productions, and the financial centers of buyers of culture? Finally, how to pull the cultural sector out of inertia, indifference and even defeatism by establishing a meeting ground of quality that may become the catalyst for a new cultural dynamic, but also the basis for a valid project of inter-Arab dialogue? And especially how to highlight local creativity?
In response to all these questions Jaou was born. Launched in Jeddah in 2012, the event aims to be a moving platform, much like a cultural caravan that meets annually to bring together artists, intellectuals, sponsors and patrons, gallery owners, curators, art specialists.
To create the opportunity to discuss conflicts that trouble the world. To pose hard questions. To ensure that the cultural scene resists obscurantist attempts. These are the axes that drive the third edition of Jaou-Tunis, particularly through an international symposium on culture in response to terrorism, and an exhibition entitled “The Whole World’s A Mosque”, which takes up the challenge to make the arts and culture scene a lever for peace and to deliver a message of tolerance unique to Islam, as with the other religions of the Book. (Translated from the original French)
Far from a dry academic gathering, though earnest and serious, the entire Jaou event was vibrantly optimist. Visits to local galleries and special exhibitions, luncheons and dinner parties filled the agenda. Cultural expressions are richly layered and myriad in Tunisia after 10 civilizations of history. Archeological sites are famed and wondrous. Threading through the conference visual culture theme, we were afforded glimpses and tastes of the diversities in the country’s music, dance, literature and poetry, artisanal handicrafts, superb cuisine, and even Sufi spiritual philosophy.
It seems foreseeable that Jaou Tunis could evolve over time into a major regional cultural festival, embracing all or many of the forms of expressions mentioned above.
Jaou Highlights
Hundreds of attendees included international media representatives, local artists, filmmakers, gallery owners, lawyers, economists, diplomats, scholars,authors, business entrepreneurs, MENA region cultural practitioners, and even two esteemed Sufi sheikhs. The event was above all a fantastic opportunity to meet with and engage in dialogue with some of the leading advocates in the Tunisian culture sector.
The conference had as its moderator the admirable and congenial Dr. Anthony Downey. Round table discussions were lively and informative about the MENA region’s art world and its concerns. Subjects ranged from “Culture in the Era of Conflicts”, “The Body in Question in Tunisian Choreography”, “What is the Place of Archives in the Contemporary Arab Art World”, “The Maghreb of Culture: The State of Places”, and “The Uncertain Future of Cultural Institutions in the Arab World”.
Distinguished panelists included one of the country’s best constitutional jurists, Ghazi Gherairi, former Minister of Culture Mourad Sakli, the Lebanese president of the Arab Center for Architecture, George Arbid, the poet and author Mohamed Aziza, a Persian French political scientist concerned with cultural developments in the Middle East, Alexandre Kazerouni, and founder of Sharjah’s Art Barjeel Foundation, Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi,
Among the many local and international artists and cultural activists who participated as panelists, there were notable presentations by choreographer Hela Fattoumi, artist Hela Ammar, architect and co-founder of La Maison de l’Image Olfa Feki, artist Hiwa K, artist Nadia Kaabi-Linke, artist Tania El Khoury, and activist collective from Berlin, Slavs and Tatars. Their combined presentations clearly signaled that revolutionary consciousness and the drive for socio-cultural change is of utmost concern.
Music and Dance
I hope that future Jaou editions will include more music and dance performances or list places where conference attendees might be able to sample more performing arts concerts. This would help give a fuller picture of Tunisia’s cultural environment.
During the opening night dinner party at the Fonduk el Attarine in the Tunis Medina, the beautiful Tunisian singer, Ghalia Benali, delivered a surprise concert. Accompanied by her Egyptian musicians on violin and daf percussion, she delivered a soulful set with a Sufi theme. One of her songs was homage to Ibn Arabi’s lyrics, “I believe in the religion of love…”
Kamel Lazaar praised her artistry to the hundreds of guests. He mentioned that her FIAF World Nomads Tunisia 2013 performance was selected as one of the 10 best concerts of the year in New York by New York Times Chief Music Critic Jon Pareles. I am often amazed that the immensely rich world of Tunisia’s traditional, folk, and contemporary music is so relatively unknown outside of the country, but I suspect this is about to change.
One of the most popular Tunisian radio stations played in every Tunis taxi is Radio Mosaique FM where I heard great popular and traditional music from the country, the MENA region, and even American favorites. The station is also the ‘soundtrack’ in the famed Cafe des Nattes in Sidi Bou Said and perfect accompaniment to the cafe’s steaming glasses of mint tea with pignoli nuts. It streams live on the internet.
During the opening exhibit of paintings by Egyptian artist Ahmed Farid at Dar el Marsa, just outside the entrance, the dancer choreographer Rochdi Belgasmi pulled off a stunning street dance piece entitled ZOUFRI Moi. In line with the country’s explosion of post-revolutionary creativity and freedom of expression, Belgasmi showcased the ‘rboukh’ style of dance popular among workers in the phosphate mining region in the south. Disdained by the conservative bourgeois in Tunisian society, the movements are considered vulgar with sexual innuendo. But this perception is changing for the better. The music was a blend of popular music for celebrations and parties with Stambali music, a trance music of exorcism played by the Gnawa musicians in the southern region. Several in the crowds happily joined the performance with its catchy dance beats.
Tunisia is a land known for its long history of strong women achievers, foremost in all disciplines throughout all MENA countries. I met with Sonia Mbarek briefly to introduce her to a couple of journalists. Whenever I interview Ms. Mbarek, I come away more and more inspired not only by her artistry as a Malouf and Sufi singer (unusual in the Maghreb as these are the traditional domains of male singers) but also as a brilliant professor of ethnomusicology, a jurist, and the director of the International Carthage Festival, http://www.festivaldecarthage.tn/fr/home.
The Carthage Festival celebrated its 50th Anniversary last year, and what incredible artists they’ve presented over the years, from Miriam Makeba and Fairouz to Youssou N’Dour and the latest heartthrob Stromae, who Ms. Mbarek believes is the “next Jacques Brel”. Taking place July-August the festival also presents cinema, theater, and dance in the gigantic Carthage Roman amphitheater holding 6,000 attendees. Their policy aims to be inclusive of all Tunisian society by presenting free to the public events outside of the main ticketed arena. And planning this year included live streaming of all the shows over the internet to reach fans all over the country.
Tunis Art Spaces
The Tunis visual arts scene is a sophisticated one, praiseworthy of high local and international quality, to be seen in the exhibitions of painting, sculpture, photography, digital and conceptual art. The avant-garde is part of the characterism, quite clearly. Excellent local art catalogue production rivals that of any international art capital. I enjoyed catching some openings that gave me a good picture of Tunisia as a burgeoning contemporary arts center in the Maghreb. Jaou organized visits to some of the most popular galleries in Tunis.
Climbing the forever lovely Sidi Bou Said promontory hillsides overlooking the breathtaking vistas of the Mediterranean Sea, it’s easy to sense why Klee, Macke, and Moilliet became entranced by Tunisia and whose painterly paths were transformed by their 1914 visit. To be found there today are the Galerie Ghaya, Galerie Atika, Galerie Aicha Gorgi, Galerie Selma Feriani, and Le Violon Bleu.
Reminiscences was the title of a show curated by Aicha Gorgi, held in the Talan exhibition space. Twenty-six Tunisian artists formed an eclectic collective. Among those I liked were works by: Douraid Souissi, Haythem Zakaria, Hela Ammar, Insaf Saada, Omar Bey, Oussema Troudi, Slimen El Kamel, and Ymen Berhouma. The vernissage was topped off by a dynamic performance piece in the darkened gallery space by Rochdi Belgasmi and electronic music by DJ Ahmed Benjemy, both members of the Design Lab collective. Belgasmi’s dance movement was circumscribed and seemingly caged by a transparent black circular enclosure; its surface dramatically lit by flashing written phrases, alluding to the title theme, “Memorium, quand le corps se fait amnesique”.
The French Institute held one of the best exhibitions during Jaou: a retrospective of the major School of Tunis painter Jellal Ben Abdallah. Born in Tunis in 1921, Ben Abdallah definitively turned to the painting metier in 1938 and moved to Sidi Bou Said in 1939. Having produced over 7000 works, he has had a spectacular career passing through experimental periods early in his career.
The scope of the show was grand. It included some exquisite miniatures from the 50s to 90s, depictions of Tunis life and women in the hammam; the 1939 painting of “The Martyr”, tribute to the 22 murdered victims, gunned down by the repressive colonial authority during a protest demonstration; and his later period starting around 1990, where the canvases sing with fresh clarity of style and neo-classical harmony. Ben Abdallah is a master of color and light in this period. The works glow with the limpid beauty of reflected sea light on a calm day. The art historian Ridha Moumni led the gallery tour with scholarly commentary and aplomb, enriching the viewing experience.
I had a good visit to El Marsa Gallery and informative chats with the owner Moncef Msakni and his partner Lilia Ben Salah. Mr. Msakni, as his father before him, is a known connoisseur of the School of Tunis and the gallery features a broad range of art from the early Orientalist movement, the School of Tunis, and contemporary expressions.
Peering into El Marsa Gallery office whose walls are covered with art, a few pieces caught and held my eye, among which a small cobalt blue and gold-flecked wooden sculpture by Khaled Ben Slimane. Lilia Ben Salah gave me a copy of his catalogue from the gallery’s 2010 exhibition and I find his work utterly sublime, especially his Sufi-inspired paintings. galerielmarsa.com/index.php/about-us
In general, Mr. Msakni is convinced that many new reforms need to take place in the Tunisian art world as the country emerges from decades of oppressive dictatorship: the creation and implementation of university level courses in the history of Tunisian art; conservation of the state collections; less state control over ‘official taste’ in contemporary Tunisian art; and the creation of a contemporary art museum.
In a separate discussion with the former minister of culture and ethnomusicologist, Dr. Mourad Sakli, he mentioned that the laws that instituted the Ministry of Culture in the 20s reflected the French model, and that over time, the ministry’s entire raison d’etre and modus operandi will have to be reevaluated.
Medina Souks, Revolution Books,
One wonderful afternoon I went on a 3 hour walk through the Tunis Medina in search of artisanal handicrafts. I was accompanied by two friends: Fathia Meddeb, a traditional and modern fashion consultant and owner of the elegant boutique ‘Comme Toi’ in the Marsa district; and Rim Temimi, the critically-acclaimed photographer Rim Temimi, editor of www.tunisiartgalleries.com, and author of a major forthcoming book of photos, documenting all the Sufi brotherhoods of Tunisia.
I came away wishing I had another few days to fully explore the labyrinthine pathways filled with souks and historical architectural wonders including the Zitouna Mosque. Built in the 7th century by Arabs, the Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Under renovation in areas, there is so much to discover here, and chats with local merchants and knowledgeable craftsmen are part of the experience.
Later, we walked along the Avenue Bourguiba, by now known as the main revolutionary site where thousands upon thousands of protesters gathered en masse to oust the Ben Ali regime on January 14, 2011. Rim Temimi is a local heroine and young men sitting in cafes came up to greet her. These are the intellectuals and friends who know her critically-acclaimed documentary work and of her relentless activism against ‘obscurantism’.
Her photography documenting the 2011 revolution has been exhibited internationally and many of her unforgettable images are in the historic and stirring collection of photographs: DEGAGE! Une Revolution — published by Phebus Press, France. There are also moving essays, impassioned tributes to the revolution, its activists, and its photographers, by author Colette Fellous, the late author and scholar, Abdelwahab Meddeb, and the political cartoonist Georges Wolinski who was murdered in the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in Paris earlier this year.
Just as we were passing in front of the Librairie al Kitab on the avenue, who should suddenly appear? None other than the amazing activist, philosopher, and writer, Azyz Amami, Rim’s friend. He gave me a copy of the just released book, TUNISIE, DESSINE-MOI UNE RÉVOLUTION —Témoignages sur la transition démocratique (2011-2014) (Tunisia, Sketch for Me A Revolution, Testimonials on the democratic transition 2011-2014), edited by Hatem Nafti and published by L’Harmattan Press. This book is an excellent and gripping read and needs to be published in English for wider distribution and greater in-depth analysis of the causes of the revolution.
The editor Hatem Nafti conducted a series of interviews with key figures associated with the 2011 revolution. The interviewees come from different universes: historic militants, young activists — among whom Azyz Amami is a prominent member and his personal testimony is a powerful one — media, families of the martyred, and the young unemployed. It’s an important historical read and provides a nuanced portrait of Tunisian society and her people. One of its intentions is to dismiss the meaningless, empty slogans coined by French editorialists: ‘Arab Spring’, ‘Islamist Winter’ or ‘Jasmine Revolution’. The revolution was an explosive, pent-up national demand for democracy, human rights, and dignity.
Tunis Expeditions with Photographer Rim Temimi
Time was fleeting at the end of my brief visit to Tunis and although I wished very much to visit the world-renowned Carthage archeology sites it would have taken up at least a few days of research focus. Following a quick visit to the Carthage Cathedral, Rim and I opted to explore the French musicologist and painter Baron Rodolfe d’Erlanger’s magnificent Andalusian-styled palace, known as Ennejma Ezzahra, in Sidi Bou Said built between 1909 and 1921. It’s now a landmark museum and houses the Centre des Musiques Arabes et Mediterraneennes. http://www.ennejmaezzahra-tunisie.org/ And finally, we topped off my last day in Tunis by a visit to Lina Lazaar’s brilliant Jaou art show in Carthage — All The World’s A Mosque.
Jaou Piece de Resistance: All The World’s A Mosque Exhibition by Lina Lazaar
Lina Lazaar, the Founder of JAOU and Associate Editor of Ibraaz, is recognized as one of the “10 Most Influential Women in Middle Eastern Art” — http://bit.ly/1LAlc4a. As a specialist at Sotheby’s London in Post War and Contemporary Art, her passion for Arab and Iranian Contemporary Art led Sotheby’s to hold their first European auctions in this category in 2007. Since then she has curated these sales annually and significantly increased the international exposure and discussion of Middle Eastern contemporary art. Lina is a member of the Middle East North Africa Acquisitions Committee of Tate Modern, London. In 2011, she curated a collateral event of the 54th Venice biennial The Future of a Promise, the largest Pan-Arab contemporary art show in Venice.
As tempted as I am to record in detail my admiration for Lina Lazaar’s curatorial triumph during Jaou Tunis, her absolutely spectacular All The World’s A Mosque exhibition, far better to publish here her own statement about the mammoth show. I was astounded by the conceptual brilliance and deeply contemplative values, as well as the sheer aesthetic power. A great historical visual arts exhibition event like this one, just as a great musical concert, leaves one in silent awe.
If “all the world’s a stage” and “all the men and women merely players” then the modern day certainly represents a challenging act for those in search of the miraculous. No longer ‘en-vogue’ to profess a passion for pure theism, this particular human longing – temporarily and rather acceptably redefined as a spiritual pursuit – is now confronted with a far greater challenge than that put forward by the stewards of science. How, where, what, with whom…the world over, people in search of the miraculous are increasingly forced towards a bureaucracy of beliefs, and ultimately presented with a seemingly exclusive set of choices; to ‘pray,’ or not to ‘pray,’ that is the question!
‘All the World’s a Mosque’ explores the interplay between sacred space, religious ritual, cultural convention, and everyday life. Framed within the heart of Carthage, amidst the magnificent archeological remnants of the Roman Empire, and fittingly, on the heels of an antique 2nd century theatre, ‘All the World’s a Mosque’ is housed in a bespoke construction of 22 sea containers, assembled piece by piece, to form a travelling exhibition space which doubles as a place for worship. The deliberate contrast between the angular, metallic, industrial construction, and the antiquity of surrounding Carthage, is outdone only by the conflict between the physical container, and THAT which is omnipresent, and cannot be contained.
With bright textures, kitsch compilations, vibrant colors, and interactive installations, ‘All the World’s a Mosque’ showcases thought provoking contributions by leading artists from across the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. Collectively, the rich artistic collateral, presents itself more in the form of a dynamic pop theatre-set, than the traditional solemnity associated with sacred space. Attendees are forced to reconcile themselves to the deliberate challenge presented to all five senses; the only pillars which one follows without any personal consent. Through their works, the artists lend their voices to a journey which inspires a renewed enquiry into not ‘where’ we pray, but perhaps, more importantly, ‘why’ we do so!
‘All the World’s a Mosque’ endeavours to highlight that every life step is part of a pilgrimage, every breath a means to connect, and that the only rule worth observing is that we search, amongst our many daily pursuits, for the miraculous. The exhibition space will follow a pilgrimage of its own, and will be disassembled, container by container, only to be resurrected in different international cities. The exhibition will showcase the natural interaction between life and ‘sacred’ space, all the while presenting a magnificent collection of regional art and culture. Taking inspiration from its Carthaginian origin, the exhibit will endeavor to catalyse a new Spring, awakening the consciousness of all those seeking a balance between this world, and the next.
— Lina Lazaar, Tunis, 1st of May 2015
Culture and Development: Views by Souhaib Meddeb, Tunisian Economist
Discussions with Tunisian conference speakers and attendees revealed their fervent hopes for the birthing process of their new democracy, following the Tunisian Revolution of 2011 and the January 2014 passage of the very first democratic constitution in the entire MENA region. The aftermath of decades of despotic dictatorship and economic mismanagement needs to be closely analyzed and redressed. The need for democratic reform in all sectors to bring about a strong development economy is of utmost, critical importance. And the culture sector is key.
In my Ibraaz review two years ago I wrote about Sami Tlili’s documentary film that gives focus to one of the key triggers of the 2011 revolution: “Cursed Be The Phosphate (2012) is an elegy to the protesters in the Gafsa mining basin in the south of Tunisia. Many were murdered or imprisoned as part of brutal state oppression in 2008 following labour disputes concerning unsafe working conditions and worker exploitation by the Ben Ali regime. Four years later, following this ‘revolt for dignity’ – a historical juncture and actual inspiration for the 2011 Tunisian Revolution – the director returned to the basin to uncover and honour the truth, while paying respect to those victims (or heroes and martyrs) of the revolution.”
Therefore, it was pure serendipity that during Jaou I learned some bright, positive news about the mining region from the Tunisian economist and Bitcoin Börsen blogger, Dr. Souhaib Meddeb. He is planning advisor to the construction of a new cement plant there. I marvelled over his thoughts about culture and his sensitivities to the well-being of the local people whose lives will be impacted by this project. Here is his brief, impressive outline of the project program:
Culture and development go hand in hand. Culture is the guarantor of the values of integrity, fairness, equity, responsibility, transparency. It’s the common denominator for building trust between citizens and investors. It’s the factor closely linked to good governance and democracy. Culture is the matrix of creativity, imagination and innovation.
The 2011 revolution was the result of unemployment among youths in the most economically and culturally deprived areas. There is nothing worse than the feeling of exclusion.
To successfully achieve an industrial project, in the case of building a cement plant at a cost of US $220 million in the region of El Guettar, Governorate of Gafsa, poses major challenges. The concept of a ‘greenfield project’ is more than just a title. To succeed in this project, we must absolutely take into consideration the socio-cultural dimension. In this regard, we are setting up a program in partnership with local civil society, in the amount of US $1 million:
- Realization of the project includes immediate accessibility to the first emergency health care center open to local citizens
- Realization of a multipurpose sports field, lit at night by a system of renewable energy
- Partnership with technology institutes in the region for appropriate training in relation to the cement plant
- Commitment to recruiting the physically disabled
- Establishment of a support structure for the mentally disabled
- We have taken into consideration the growing place occupied by “digital culture” and all that it brings in terms of new cultural content, the ‘public’, virtual identities, and new social networks. For this we are implementing the following :
** Installation of a digital library for the primary classes,
** Installation of equipment at key access points to enable documentary screenings and videoconferencing
** Organisation of prize competitions open to classes of secondaries for the best historical research on the Roman history of El Guettar and assist in the establishment of local cultural tourism
It is through culture that we give meaning to our lives and develop our identity and, as the driving force of values, culture guarantees a more satisfying intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual life. It’s the opening to more and newer horizons, creating conditions for self-reflection, conviviality, and creative integration.
— Dr. Souhaib Meddeb
Until the next time in Tunisia,
What struck me the most during my days in Tunis is the extraordinary, intensely epiphanic quality of light — there is a Sufi term that approximates the beauty I felt in this light. You will feel it too when you visit and visit soon, you must… It’s known as Tajalli in Arabic.
(Photos by author unless otherwise credited)
Author: Evangeline Kim
