Tunis, Tunisia
City gate in Tunis, Tunisia
Bab Saadoun is one of the gates of the medina of Tunis, in the north-west beside the Bab Souika suburb, opening onto the roads to Béja, Bizerte and El Kef. It was first built around 1350 and is named after a pious man, Sidi Bou Saadoun, who lived nearby in the 15th century; its public fountain dates from 1434, under the Hafsid sultan Muhammad al-Muntasir. It originally had a single narrow arch. As caravan and cart traffic from the north and west grew, it was replaced in 1881, at the same time as Bab el Khadra was rebuilt, by a three-arched gate better suited to trade. With the surrounding walls long gone, it now stands alone in the middle of a large roundabout. The gate holds a place in local memory, mentioned by the poet Mohamed el-Ourghi, and is a familiar landmark on the road between central Tunis and Le Bardo.
You see and photograph it from around the square; a few minutes is enough. It is on the way to the Bardo Museum, so make it a quick stop en route. The square is a busy roundabout, so take care crossing; morning is best for photos.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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MosqueTunis, Tunisia
