the wandering chick
...Tunisia
northern Africa
A 15th century fortress is situated on the beach in the town of Hammamet.
Above and right and below: the Hotel Phenicia and its beach in Hammamet; there's always a camel or two around waiting for paying tourists.
Above and Below, left and right: The camel market in Nabeul
Sunset shots on the beach at Hammamet
One of the largest Roman structures in the world is this amphitheatre in El Djem. It was built in the 3rd century.
Tunisia is a small country located in north central Africa, tightly squeezed between Algeria and Libya, on the Mediterranean Sea. On the south side, it eases itself into the great Sahara Desert. Within its borders are gorges, oases, salt flats, desert and a landscape so lunar-like that the movie Stars Wars was filmed there in 1977.
Note the carving in the brick left of the door. USA 1943 Steve Sollon
In the southern region of Tunisia, in the town of Matmata, are the Troglodytes - cave dwellers. Their homes are plain and simple, some at ground level, but typically a whole in the ground, about two stories down, painted normally white or in earth tones, and rooms separated by arches or short passageways. When you look down into the home from ground level, you are looking into the courtyard. One or more entrances off the courtyard will lead you into the other rooms.
The terrain in which the Troglodytes live is far removed from the rest of the country. Because of its moon-like appearance, it was chosen as the site of the first Stars Wars movie, in 1977.
The surrounding photos are of the cave dwellings.
It was a real treat to see and stay overnight in the Sahara Desert. Even though we were only about 45 minutes into it, we got a pretty good feel for how vast and unrelenting it can be.
And they say the worst view is the camel's rear end.
The city of Tozeur
The only transport through the Selja Gorge in southern Tunisia is by train. The train, made completely of wood except for the engine, is known as the Red Lizard and was given to Tunisia by France. It snakes through passageways and tunnels through the gorge of high pink-tinted cliffs.
Above: The holy city of Kairouan is said to have the world's first minaret, part of the oldest mosque in North Africa. The minaret (above) is noticeable thicker than ones of later years. It dates from the year 730.
Right: Islamic cemeteries always point their headstones toward Mecca.
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