One of the great stories of the past (Punic Wars), world-class sites, mostly well-preserved and in idyllic settings, and traversing dramatically changing landscapes.
Tue 26th October - Tue 9th November 2010 with Richard Wallace
Tour Manager: Jennie Robson | Availability: Singles Last Few| Doubles Available
Introduction
This is a wonderful journey, crossing the long, narrow country from north to south and traversing some startlingly varied landscapes as we travel in the footsteps of some of the great names of the past, and explore the material remains of some of the mightiest of ancient cultures: Carthage and Rome.
The Guide Lecturer, Richard Wallace, taught Greek and Roman art, architecture, hi
story and civilisation at the University of Keele, where he was head of the Classics Dept for 13 years. He has led this tour very successfully for Andante over several years, and brings a wide background knowledge of the Classical world.
The magnificent sites of northern Tunisia, the wide rural landscapes and the extraordinary artistry achieved by the north African mosaicists are described on the previous pages but yet more awaits those who have time to explore Tunisia further.
Our onward journey south leaves the Mediterranean climate behind. One notices the olive trees spaced further and further apart as they compete for the scarce moisture, until we arrive in the strange white landscapes of the chotts - the area of great salt lakes which divides the country in two - and enter the fringes of the great Sahara desert.
On the way, we continue following the story of the Roman world into the realms of its military past, climbing the foothills of the Aures Mountains to the only legionary fortress in the whole of this vast province at Haidra and exploring the empty landscapes of the south in search of traces of the frontier zone.
In the semi-desert regions of the south, fortified farmsteads (Ksour) were a feature of the landscape from Roman times right through until the recent past, their remarkable Berber architecture demonstrating the ingenuity of the local people in adapting to harsh living conditions.
This year for the first time we drive further into the desert than ever before in order to experience the real Sahara and to stay at a luxurious camp site under the stars – a highspot, we hope, in a truly all-embracing encounter with this diverse country.
Itinerary
Day One
Arrive in Tunis and drive to our hotel.
Day Two
A whole day spent exploring Carthage. Although the remains of the once-great city have been overlain by Tunis, substantial areas of excavation allow fascinating glimpses of the past. We see the Byrsa hill excavations and museum of the city; the tophet where the cremated remains of thousands of children were buried and dedicated to the gods; the harbours; baths; wealthy houses; amphitheatre and water cisterms which received water from the aqueduct. By the end of the day you will be able to piece together a picture of a huge and magnificent city, and its transition from Punic to Roman capital.
Day Three
Morning visit to the world-famous Bardo Museum, full of colourful mosaics with lively detailed scenes of Roman life, and mythology. Study a section of the Carthage aqueduct at Jebel Oust, where the water channel emerges from ground level to be carried on graceful arches across the Oued Meliane. Continue to the nearby ruined city of Oudna, once one of the largest in North Africa, but only now being excavated and displayed for visitors.
Day Four
Drive east to the fertile Cap Bon peninsula and the Punic settlement at Kerkouane. This was destroyed during the 2nd Punic War, and not overbuilt, so provides a rare glimpse of life in North Africa before the Romans. Continue to Nabeul to see the newly redisplayed museum, which has some very fine mosaics from wealthy houses found nearby. We also visit the site of these houses, and the extensive garum production tanks, for making the uniquitous sauce made of fermented fish, which lie beside the sea.
Day Five
Drive to Dougga, perhaps the most famous site of Roman Tunisia. The beautiful golden capitol dominates, but there are many more temples, wellpreserved houses and baths, and the presence of Numidian tombs emphasises the native beginnings of the town. Terraced into a hillside with sweeping views of the Tell, this is a wonderful situation.
Day Six
Bulla Regia to explore houses with underground rooms, some of them with wonderful mosaics still in situ; continue to Chemtou’s rich red marble quarries, with remains of the slave camp where the workers once lived, and an excellent site museum. The forum of the town overlies Numidian tombs of high status - perhaps a deliberate choice of position by the Romans?
Day Seven
Into the foothills of the Aures Mountain, where the first fortress of the 3rd legion Augusta was established in the 1st century BC at Haidra. When the legionary base moved west, it became a wealthy town, and the fine paved street now leading to nowhere through an elaborate triumphal arch is a most evocative site. A huge Byzantine fortress, with several churches within it, dominates the site, and a small French fort over the road emphasises the continued strategic importance of this pass through the mountains. We continue south, via Kasserine, to Sbeitla (modern Sufetula).
Day Eight
Sufetula, with not one but three temples of golden stone dominating the forum (main picture above left), and with a rich Byzantine overlay, including the remains of some very fine churches - some of the earliest in North Africa. There are some exceptional mosaic baptisteries here. We continue south towards the salt lake chotts in search of evidence of the Roman frontier system.
Day Nine
Long drive south into the desert to the oasis of Ksar Ghilane. The nearby fort is likely to have had Roman beginnings, and it may be possible to take a camel ride into the desert in the evening to visit the site.
Day Ten
East to Ksar Ouled Soltane, a fortified granary of typical Berber construction; ruined Roman town by the sea at Gigthis, very little-visited but under continuing excavation and producing some very interesting detail.
Day Eleven
Long drive north to the holy Islamic city of Kairouan, and our lovely hotel converted from the kasbah of this traditional city, the first Arab capital of Tunisia.
Day Twelve
A day in Kairouan, to explore reservoir pools, mosques and medina, including the Great Mosque, with re-used Roman stones and columns. Free afternoon which may be spent in the lively souk with a fine selection of local crafts.
Day Thirteen
El Djem, to visit the huge amphitheatre (above), the museum and wealthy Roman townhouses. Museum and medina in Sousse. There are more superb mosaics to be seen in both these museums.
Day Fourteen
Drive north again, to the Roman town of Thuburbo Maius, on a gentle plain surrounded by low hills. Continue to Tunis, where there will be time to take a last walk though the medina, and see the Zitouna mosque, the oldest in Tunisia (from the courtyard only - entrance is forbidden for non-Muslims).
Day Fifteen
Flight home from Tunis - if flight times allow, we will arrange a second visit to the Bardo Museum.
Included
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Flights Scheduled flights from London to Tunis
- Transfers private coach provided to coincide with group flights
- Local Travel Private a/c coach.
- Meals All meals included (dinners with wine & water).
- Guide Lecturer Not to be confused with "guest lecturers"! The guide lecturer will be with you from breakfast to supper, and probably even a drink in the bar afterwards. There is the occasional site where they may not be allowed to guide because of local regulations (we normally manage to circumnavigate these) but otherwise the guides are just that. They will have been chosen because of specialist knowledge and their ability to communicate and interest you. After 24 years of making tours worldwide, we are highly appreciative of the attributes of a good guide, and intensely critical of people who do not possess them. If you would like to know more about Richard Wallace, please click his name.
- Local Guide
- Tour Manager We never know how best to call the very special people whom we choose to accompany you on your tour. They are usually employed in this capacity only by us, and have been trained to do things in the Andante way - unobtrusive, friendly and quietly efficient.
- Fieldnotes written for the tour
- Entry & tips Entry to all sites in programme (camel ride is optional extra); tips included.
Flights & Visa
Airline: Scheduled Flights with Tunisair or British Airways (to be confirmed)
Visa and Passport Requirements (for British passport holders only)
Passport must be valid for 6 months after your return home. On arrival, security checks are sometimes run on British passport holders who are not UK-born. There is no cause for concern if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport
Hotel
We stay in a wide range of hotels in Tunisia. Some are new hotels which combine traditional Tunisian architecture - barrel-vaulted rooms, exquisite tiling and filigree plaster-work - with all modern comforts. Not unreasonably, Tunisian hotels are sited were the main stream of tourists go, so occasionally we have to make do with quite simple places when we escape the main tourist track. As always with Andante, the archaeological sites are more important than the hotels and occasionally we have to stay somewhere simply because it is the only possibility for miles around. Sometimes these places provide the most fun, and occasionally the best food, but we only ever stay for one night if the accomodation is plain. It will always be clean and ensuite. As always, a great deal of thought has gone into the choice, and we will have tested and tried many options personally to find the best for the tour.
4+1 nights in a smart business-style hotel close to the medina in Tunis; this is a rather swanky modern 5 star on the main boulevard and close to the old town medina
2 nights in a very simple North African-style hotel situated a short drive from the site of Dougga; very idiosyncratic, a rather unsophisticated rural take on a hotel - simple with pretentions... but also very Tunisian. Great situation in the fields near Dougga and usually the best Brik (deep fried crispy filled pancake) and rosemary roast lamb in the country...
1 night in a simple hotel overlooking the ancient site at Sbeitla (Sufetula); well, there is room for improvement here.... it stays open because it is the only hotel for miles around - or at least, better than the alternative, and the site lies adjacent to it. Again, a taste of Tunisian hospitality in a rather strange format.
1 night in a luxury campsite in Ksar Ghilane.
1 nights in a modern troglodyte-style hotel in Matmata; very touristy and a bit odd but perhaps an experience you will want to have had - staying in the troglodyte dwellings.
3 nights in a smart new hotel converted from the old kasbah in Kairouan; this is really lovely - a beautiful original old building tastefully and carefully modernised. A charming and very comfortable base from which to explore the holy city.
Comments
What Did You Enjoy Most About This Tour?
The opportunity to see so many beautiful mosaics. Kerkouane was particularly evocative.
While I primarily booked for the archaeology, I enjoyed the specifically ‘Tunisian' parts. I certainly enjoyed the ‘extra' bonus sites fitted in where possible.
Smooth running, local knowledge, good food, friendly group. Wonderful sites- I loved the Bardo museum.
The archaeology was interesting and combined well into new experiences in a country with a very different culture from my own. I especially liked the tour of the mosque and to the Oases. Super mosaics in the museums.
Being able to get the whole concept of the Punic Wars into focus. We did not just see the sites but had the underlying circumstances explained.
The marvellous sites, particularly Dougga and El Djem. Also the unscheduled visits to less important sites.
I enjoyed travelling to lesser known sites and seeing archaeology I could not reach by travelling alone. I also enjoyed the landscape and small towns and villages.
While the first half of the trip was interesting and I learned a lot about Roman and Punic Africa, the trip really came alight in Kairouan and after. Two memorable journeys were those to the mountain oases and across the Chott. (And, of course, the camel ride).
Tunisia- a fascinating country which was well worth visiting.
The splendid mosaics, the delightful museums, the sites themselves, the pleasantness of the Tunisians and of course the company of the rest of the tour members.
Reading List
This list is no more than a guide to some books that you may find useful to read in advance of the tour. Talks given on the tour will attempt to fill in the background to what we are seeing, so no prior knowledge or pre-tour cramming is expected or needed. In many cases, we expect that you will find some of these books even more interesting and useful to read once the tour is over.
Guide Lecturer's Choice:
Susan Raven (1993) Rome in Africa, (Routledge). ISBN 0415081505. This is an excellent, highly readable narrative of the Roman presence in North Africa.
There are few novels set in ancient Africa. Flaubert's Salammbô is set in the period between the first and second Punic wars, and Robert Graves' Count Belisarius contains a narrative of the Byzantine reconquest of North Africa. Both are good to read, and closely based on ancient sources, but readers need to bear in mind that both are wildly unhistorical in their interpretations of events and personalities.
ARCHAEOLOGY & HISTORY
CARTHAGE
Virgil The Aeneid, (The Roman national epic); books 1 and 4 are those relevant to this tour, though it is a pity to pass over the first half of the poem. The prose translation of David West is strongly recommended - ISBN 0140444572.
Ed. S Moscati (2001) The Phoenicians (I.B. Tauris).ISBN1850435332. This is a wide-ranging survey by many authors, produced in connection with an exhibition at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice.
M E Aubet (2001) The Phoenicians and the West (Cambridge University Press) ISBN 0521795435. This scholarly account covers what we know of Phoenician activity in Africa and Spain.
G. E. Markoe (2000) Phoenicians (British Museum Press) ISBN 0714127671. This general book on the Phoenicians contains much which is relevant to Carthage
THE WARS WITH ROME
A Goldsworthy (2000) The Fall of Carthage (Cassell) ISBN 0304366420. This very readable account covers the period 265 - 146 BC, from the first contacts between Rome and Carthage to the final destruction of Carthage.
D Hoyos (2003) Hannibal's Dynasty (Routledge) ISBN 0415359589. Hoyos takes a more critical (and perhaps realistic) view of Hannibal's overall capacities of a general than is common.
THE ROMAN OCCUPATION
David Mattingly(1995) Tripolitania, (Routledge). ISBN 0713457421. Excellent account of the ancient region which encompassed southern Tunisia and north-west Libya. The emphasis is on the countryside and frontiers rather than the towns.
Joyce Salisbury(1997) Perpetua's Passion (Routledge). ISBN 0415918375. Account of a young Roman woman and her companions, martyred in the Carthage amphitheatre in March 203
AFTER ROME
H Kennedy (2008) The Great Arab Conquests (Phoenix). ISBN9780753823897 Chapter 6 of this excellent book is a concise account of the Arab invasions of North Africa. The rest of the book is worth reading as well!
GUIDE BOOKS
Most of the main series of guide books have volumes on Tunisia and the choice depends on the number of illustrations and amount of detail which you feel you need.
Barnaby Rogerson and Rose Baring, Cadogan Guides - Tunisia 1992
Although now out of date, this is the most enjoyable of the general guides as it is good on the ancient history and very entertaining. It is still available from Amazon.
MAPS
GeoCenter World Map - 1:800 000
Michelin No 972: 1:1 000 000
N.B. Many of the sites we visit now have their own colour guide books (available only in the country) and there are also general works on Roman mosaics, etc.
A good introduction to the latter is Roger Ling (1997) Ancient Mosaics, British Museum. Excellent introduction to and summary of the subject, with a large chapter on the mosaics of North Africa.
Travel books
We recommend to you a publishing company with a mission to keep the classic works of travel literature in print. Eland and Sickle Moon Books produce an excellent catalogue of travellers' literature, old and new.
+44 (0) 20 7833 0762 - www.travelbooks.co.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Archaeology books
Oxbow Books, based in Oxford, are suppliers of probably the biggest range of archaeology and history books. They produce a quarterly catalogue, and can be contacted on
+44 (0)1865 241249 - www.oxbowbooks.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
General
Darf Publishers Ltd - specialises in good quality facsimile reprints of out-of-print and rare books written in the 18th and 19th centuries, predominantly books on the geography, culture, history, literature and theology of the Middle East and North Africa.
+44 (0) 20 7431 7009 - www.darfpublishers.co.uk
Book Now
Price and confirmed details for this tour will appear in our full brochure due out in October 2009. You can reserve a place on this tour before October on payment of a deposit. If you then change your mind, we will refund your deposit in full.
