Tunis, Tunisia
Tunisian mausoleum located in the medina of Tunis
Tourbet el Bey is a royal mausoleum in the south-west of the medina of Tunis, on the street of the same name, the largest funerary monument in the city and the resting place of most of the Husainid beys who ruled Tunisia from 1705 to 1957. It was built under Ali II (1759 to 1782) and holds more than 160 graves of members of the ruling family and their wives, as well as some of their ministers and servants. The last two beys are not here: Moncef Bey lies in the Jellaz cemetery and Lamine Bey in La Marsa. The building is crowned with domes, the main ones covered in green tiles laid like a tortoise shell, and its ochre sandstone façades are decorated at regular intervals with pilasters and Italian-style entablatures in pale stone, matching the burial chambers inside. The interior rooms are covered in tilework, carved stucco and coloured marble. The graves are sunk into the floor under carved marble chests: the men's topped by inscribed columns crowned with a fez or turban, the women's marked by marble plaques at each end. It was restored between 1964 and 1968, and the first tomb of Hussein bin Ali, founder of the dynasty, stands opposite.
It is a tomb, so visit quietly and respectfully in modest dress. Allow thirty minutes to an hour, and look at the green domes from the lane before going in. It is deep in the medina's southern quarter; combine it with nearby Dar Ben Abdallah. Check opening hours and the entry fee at the door.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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