Tunisia

Alex Cabana, Maddy DeCarlo, Emerald Sanders



**Map of Tunisia:** Tunisia is situated between Algeria and Libya on the coast of Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The Altas Mountains cover the top terrain of Tunisia.

Geographic Features:

**Tunisia's Mountainous Region: (Northern Tunisia)** Despite Tunisia’s small size of only about the state of Georgia, it is home to 3 distinct climates. The northern portion of Tunisia is covered in mountains and experiences a temperate climate during the summer and rainy winters. This northern portion of Tunisia, that accounts for 17% of Tunisia’s land is arable. Here, many of Tunisia's agricultural exports are grown.

**Tunisia's Desert (Southern Tunisia):** Unlike the arable North, hot dry terrain is found in the southernmost portion of Tunisia.

**Tunisia's Grassy Plain (Central Tunisia):** Inbetween the arable North and desertous South, lies a dry, grassy plain.

**Tunisia's Coast:** Tunisia borders the Mediterranean Sea. Many Tunisians utilize this beautiful coastline for leisure, engaging in water sports, snorkeling and scuba diving. Tunisia's desirable geographic location has become an integral part of daily life, and source of pride and culture for Tunisians.

Cultural Features:



**The Great Mosque of Kairouan:** Muslims from all corners of the Islamic world embark on religious hajjes to The Great Mosque of Kairouan, located just south of Tunisia's capital, Tunis. This religious site represents Islam's large influence on Tunisian culture.



**Tunisian Riots:** A year ago, Tunisian citizens, frustrated after living under decades of dictatorship, revolted against their dictatorship, former President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. The current president, Moncef Marzouki is burdened with fixing a broken market economy, reducing unemployment rates (16%) and bridging the gap between social classes. Now, the citizens of Tunisia must re-define their county. There are many different views and opinions as to Tunisia’s new identity, regarding whether Tunisia will become a secular or Islamic country. There are two polar views of this issue that split society. The first view is conservative; many Muslims took offense to the movie, saying that it could “harm public order or good morals.” The second view is secular; some Tunisians did not take offense to the movie. Even when this debate has sparked demonstrations and protests, both secular and religious leaders can agree upon one point: neither side wants to partake in this debate and would rather it be avoided.



**Calligraphic Designs:** Tunisia has a long-standing respect and love of the arts as exhibited in tile-works that date back to the forth and fifth centuries and the Byzantine Empire. Islamic calligraphy is found throughout Tunisia in designs of women’s jewelry and in mosaics. One of the most profound exhibits of Tunisian art is found in the architecture of mosques, Islamic houses of worship. These buildings contain mosaics and ornate calligraphic designs typical to Islamic art.


 * Emerald's Narrative:**
 * Emerald's Podcast: media type="file" key="Emerald Culture Story.m4a"**

Listen here: media type="file" key="Tunisia Recording.m4a" width="300" height="50"
 * Alex Cabana's Narrative **

Read here:

**Maddy DeCarlo's Narrative Essay: ** **Roaming__** As I roamed through the streets of Tatouine, Tunisia, I looked around the Cluttered market that was in full function, people yelling at one another, bargaining the already high price. I stopped at a booth, the pottery booth. A man came up to me and yelled in my ear in broken English, “POTTERY! Buy pottery, comes from best place in Tunisia.” I respond to him, “Where is this from? Its beautiful!” The man looks at me like I am from a different planet, “Well obviously from Guella, Tunisisa, best place where it is made.” I thought to myself, thinking about whether or not I should buy this pottery. I <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">started to space out and right then the man yelled once again, “HELLO! You want some <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">pottery.” I clicked back into the present time and looked at him, “Uh, no, sorry.” He <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">walked away and acted like I hadn’t even conversed with him about the pots. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">I continued down the long cobble stone path that led to the end, looking around in <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">almost a daze, I bumped into people left and right. Iron pieces shown in the sun, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">gleaming against the soft ironwork, it blinding people. I stopped and picked one up, it <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">felt cold, soft, and nice. I could feel the man behind the booth starring me down as I admire the ironwork. I set it back down and continued my trek down the path. Then I stopped, looking to my left, the clothing, that’s what stood out to me, the silk, velvet, lace, I wanted to buy all of it. I looked at the men’s, the Jebba, a ceremonial garment that men wear. They were cute, I felt the need to buy one just to keep the memory but I resisted. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The heat slipped through every part of my body, I moved around booth after booth which ever one had the most shade. Then I looked down at one particular booth and I saw, I saw the Sefseri, a white veil of silk and fine wool that covered a woman’s head, which lied above a nice blouse and a pair of baggy pants. I asked the woman, “How much?” She responded, her voice low and comforting, “50 Tunisian diner.” I looked at the clothing than back up at her, “Only $33?” “Yes, yes.” I passed over the money and grabbed the Clothing and walked off. As I walked away, I thought, how did I just get this silk for only $33? If I was back home in California, this set of clothes would be around $150. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The road and the day was coming to an end. I looked up at the sky, the blues, the reds, the pinks, the oranges made me think back to the Napa, California suns sets. People shoved past, more than usual, and that got my attention. I looked around, everybody was racing to the end of the path, walking, running, children skipping, everybody was rushing somewhere. I followed the thousand of people and we slowly approached a large amphitheater, it was showing about to show a puppet show. All I could see was a stage and rows and rows of people. I took a seat at the top and looked all around me. Right when I sat down the show began, figures jumping around the stage, it was one of Tunisian’s famous puppet shows. I looked around me, taking in the area, taking in the aroma, the incense smell fluttered through my nose, and I thought to myself, “How did I get to this place.” Then I remembered, I am here to help with the peace corps, representing the U.S. as a whole and by that I was happy to be an American. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">media type="file" key="Maddy DeCarlo.mp3" width="240" height="20"