Tunis, Tunisia
City gate in Tunis, Tunisia
Bab el Bhar, the Sea Gate, known as the Porte de France during the protectorate, is a gate of the medina of Tunis on Place de la Victoire at the medina's eastern edge. It separates the old city from the new town that grew up in the 19th century, quite literally the threshold between two worlds. Its origins go back to the Aghlabids, in the eastern wall of the city. It was called the Sea Gate because it faced the sea, not because the water ever reached it; in fact it faced the Lake of Tunis, linking the city with its lakeside port. Before the new town was built, open ground lay in front of it, with the sea on one side and the lake on the other. In 1860, after the walls were taken down, the gate was dismantled and rebuilt at the head of the Avenue de la Marine, today's Avenue Habib Bourguiba. Its present form is a large stone archway topped by a crenellated parapet, and right behind it begin the lanes up to the Zitouna Mosque, Rue Jamaa Zitouna and Rue de la Kasbah, with their covered souqs.
Make the gate the starting point of your medina walk and photograph it from Place de la Victoire. Once through, head up Rue Jamaa Zitouna to the mosque and souqs. The square is busy with people and vendors, so watch your belongings and politely decline unofficial guides.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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MosqueTunis, Tunisia
