Tunis

Tunis developed on the plain near the Mediterranean, with a historic core whose growth accelerated after the destruction of nearby Carthage in the eighth century. The medina became an important political and commercial centre under successive dynasties, connecting influences from the Maghreb, southern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean.

Its architectural character lies in the continuity of the urban fabric: closely grouped courtyard houses, narrow winding streets, covered passages and markets, punctuated by minarets. Courtyards and shaded lanes temper summer heat while linking domestic space to the surrounding neighbourhood. Within the wider metropolis, conservation concerns the continued use of this inhabited fabric as well as the protection of individual monuments.