Travelling with Tunisian Post
“Even if I have never met the day break in Africa” - now there are few reasons to sing it about oneself. Those who had to travel around the Sahara in Tunisia will affirm that sunrise in the desert is unforgettable! It is worth visiting this country if only to go for a rich two-day excursion to the Sahara. Stamps issued in 2002 and 2007 are dedicated to desert tourism.
They feature elements of an excursion: a visit to the village of troglodytes (an ethnic group having traditional lifestyle in the northern part of the desert) and a small camel trip through the desert. However, these are just two episodes of a challenging and lengthy trip. The tour ends in the city of Kairouan. This is not an ordinary place; it is sacred for the followers of Islam. By far not every Muslim was destined to undertake a hajj, that is, to visit a halidom for Muslims in Mecca. A trip for those who lived on the outskirts of the Muslim world was difficult and expensive. Therefore, a special religious ensemble was built in the region of Maghrib (countries located west of Egypt) that architecturally replicates the holy place in Mecca. Seven visits to the religious ensemble in Kairouan are credited as a visit to Mecca. It is all the more interesting to see this place for non-Muslims, because they cannot visit Mecca.
The visit to Kairouan ends with a presentation in one of the numerous carpet stores in the city. So here hold on to your pocket tighter to overcome the urge to spend your money. However, if you are ready to buy a genuine artwork, then you are in the right place!
Both carpets and fabrics for Tunisian’s own needs are still handwoven as it was used to be hundreds of years ago.
You will not be able to see a weaver at work during the tour; to that end, you need to go deep into ancient residential area where tourists are not conducted about. Apart from carpets, Tunisian handicraftsmen seem to have nothing to surprise Russians. Except perhaps, authentic ceramic products.
Oriental musical instruments are offered as souvenirs throughout the country. Especially numerous are Darbouka drums. They are made of date wood but I was lucky to buy a mahogany drum.
Seaside holidays are good all over the Tunisian seacoast. The sea is calm and shallow, the beaches are sandy and well equipped.
As for the local cuisine, it is delicious. However, on the coast, they serve chiefly fish, while meat can be tasted only at a hotel, and then only at a more expensive one.
On the other hand, expensive hotels in Tunisia are noticeably cheaper than similar hotels in other countries. Dates are the pride of Tunisians and an important source of income. Date palms grow all over the country.
A prickly pear, a cactus native to Mexico, is common in Tunisia as a weed. However, its fruits are used in perfumes, and are sold in their natural form - a cheap and good refreshment for strong drinks because they are watery and have dull taste.
Perfumery products are another profitable business for Tunisians. Various oils and perfumes in vials of intricate shapes are bought up by lovers of spas, which Tunisia is renowned for.
If you choose a vacation in Hammamet or nearby, I advise you to visit a wonderful zoo of Friguia, located in semi-desert at 15 kilometers from the city.
A good collection of African animals, spacious open-air cages, convenient viewing - all this will leave a favorable impression.
Carthage, Hannibal, Punic Wars… We know these words from our childhood. In 1995, a stamp and a postal block were issued which feature a Hannibal’s portrait sculpture according to the version stored in the Naples Museum.
To visit the place where Carthage was located, to have a look at the picturesque bay, anciently filled with ships from all over the world, to walk about a small but very interesting museum with magnificent old mosaics means to see and touch things that we, probably, only fantasized in our childhood.
Not far from Carthage, in the capital of the country, there is the Bardot Museum. It is considered the largest archaeological museum in the world.
As a rule, these two tourist attractions are visited within one excursion program. If you come to the capital on your own, here is the address: Rue Charles de Gaulle, where the Central Post Office is located with a philatelic bureau in it. If you are lucky, you will find a bureau clerk in his place who, however, speaks only Arabic and French. English is not widely spoken off the coast. You can book a subscription certificate in the bureau and, having left some money on it, wait for letters with Tunisian stamps. The philatelic bureau of Tunisia performs mail transfers at the expense of the buyer, which noticeably increases the cost of the purchase. You can console yourself by the replenishment of the collection with artistic envelopes.
The “Russian trail” in the history of Tunisia, in addition to sympathy and a shade of nostalgia for the times of the USSR, can be found when buying local mineral water. The label will say: "Voda". The fact is that the first organizers of the local soft drink business in the first half of the last century were emigrants from Russia.
The port city of Bizerte in northern Tunisia is rarely visited by Russian tourists. This is a memorial place where on October 29, 1924, the Russian squadron ended up its existence after having left Crimea with the remnants of the White Army in 1920.
Why do I willingly buy Tunisian stamps for my collection? They are country specific. The country's post service devotes stamps only to subjects related to the local culture, life and nature. If a stamp is dedicated to this or that international event, then only to the one which concerns the country. You can buy stamps at local post offices, but their offer is limited only by two or three issues.
Makaryan Zarmen
They feature elements of an excursion: a visit to the village of troglodytes (an ethnic group having traditional lifestyle in the northern part of the desert) and a small camel trip through the desert. However, these are just two episodes of a challenging and lengthy trip. The tour ends in the city of Kairouan. This is not an ordinary place; it is sacred for the followers of Islam. By far not every Muslim was destined to undertake a hajj, that is, to visit a halidom for Muslims in Mecca. A trip for those who lived on the outskirts of the Muslim world was difficult and expensive. Therefore, a special religious ensemble was built in the region of Maghrib (countries located west of Egypt) that architecturally replicates the holy place in Mecca. Seven visits to the religious ensemble in Kairouan are credited as a visit to Mecca. It is all the more interesting to see this place for non-Muslims, because they cannot visit Mecca.
The visit to Kairouan ends with a presentation in one of the numerous carpet stores in the city. So here hold on to your pocket tighter to overcome the urge to spend your money. However, if you are ready to buy a genuine artwork, then you are in the right place!
Both carpets and fabrics for Tunisian’s own needs are still handwoven as it was used to be hundreds of years ago.
You will not be able to see a weaver at work during the tour; to that end, you need to go deep into ancient residential area where tourists are not conducted about. Apart from carpets, Tunisian handicraftsmen seem to have nothing to surprise Russians. Except perhaps, authentic ceramic products.
Oriental musical instruments are offered as souvenirs throughout the country. Especially numerous are Darbouka drums. They are made of date wood but I was lucky to buy a mahogany drum.
Seaside holidays are good all over the Tunisian seacoast. The sea is calm and shallow, the beaches are sandy and well equipped.
As for the local cuisine, it is delicious. However, on the coast, they serve chiefly fish, while meat can be tasted only at a hotel, and then only at a more expensive one.
On the other hand, expensive hotels in Tunisia are noticeably cheaper than similar hotels in other countries. Dates are the pride of Tunisians and an important source of income. Date palms grow all over the country.
A prickly pear, a cactus native to Mexico, is common in Tunisia as a weed. However, its fruits are used in perfumes, and are sold in their natural form - a cheap and good refreshment for strong drinks because they are watery and have dull taste.
Perfumery products are another profitable business for Tunisians. Various oils and perfumes in vials of intricate shapes are bought up by lovers of spas, which Tunisia is renowned for.
If you choose a vacation in Hammamet or nearby, I advise you to visit a wonderful zoo of Friguia, located in semi-desert at 15 kilometers from the city.
A good collection of African animals, spacious open-air cages, convenient viewing - all this will leave a favorable impression. Carthage, Hannibal, Punic Wars… We know these words from our childhood. In 1995, a stamp and a postal block were issued which feature a Hannibal’s portrait sculpture according to the version stored in the Naples Museum.
To visit the place where Carthage was located, to have a look at the picturesque bay, anciently filled with ships from all over the world, to walk about a small but very interesting museum with magnificent old mosaics means to see and touch things that we, probably, only fantasized in our childhood.
Not far from Carthage, in the capital of the country, there is the Bardot Museum. It is considered the largest archaeological museum in the world.
As a rule, these two tourist attractions are visited within one excursion program. If you come to the capital on your own, here is the address: Rue Charles de Gaulle, where the Central Post Office is located with a philatelic bureau in it. If you are lucky, you will find a bureau clerk in his place who, however, speaks only Arabic and French. English is not widely spoken off the coast. You can book a subscription certificate in the bureau and, having left some money on it, wait for letters with Tunisian stamps. The philatelic bureau of Tunisia performs mail transfers at the expense of the buyer, which noticeably increases the cost of the purchase. You can console yourself by the replenishment of the collection with artistic envelopes.
The “Russian trail” in the history of Tunisia, in addition to sympathy and a shade of nostalgia for the times of the USSR, can be found when buying local mineral water. The label will say: "Voda". The fact is that the first organizers of the local soft drink business in the first half of the last century were emigrants from Russia.The port city of Bizerte in northern Tunisia is rarely visited by Russian tourists. This is a memorial place where on October 29, 1924, the Russian squadron ended up its existence after having left Crimea with the remnants of the White Army in 1920.
Why do I willingly buy Tunisian stamps for my collection? They are country specific. The country's post service devotes stamps only to subjects related to the local culture, life and nature. If a stamp is dedicated to this or that international event, then only to the one which concerns the country. You can buy stamps at local post offices, but their offer is limited only by two or three issues.Makaryan Zarmen