Showing posts with label mediterranean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mediterranean. Show all posts

Tuesday, 4 February 2025

TRAVEL TUESDAY 482 - SIDI BOU SAID, TUNISIA

“I think Tunisia has a specific place in the Arab world and in Africa because it is a tiny Muslim country, but it's very open minded. It's the first country to start the Arab Spring, for example.” - Kenza Fourati


Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.
There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.
Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.

Sidi Bou Said (Arabic: سيدي بو سعيد) is a town in northern Tunisia located about 20 km northeast from the capital, Tunis. Named after a religious figure who lived there, Abu Said al-Baji, it was previously called Jbel el-Menar. The town itself is a tourist attraction and is known for its extensive use of blue and white. It can be reached by a TGM train, which runs from Tunis to La Marsa.

In the 12th century/13th century AD Abu Said Ibn Khalaf Yahya al-Tamimi al-Beji arrived in the village of Jabal el-Menar and established a sanctuary. After his death in 1231, he was buried there. In the 18th century wealthy citizens of Tunis built residences in Sidi Bou Said. During the 1920s, Rodolphe d'Erlanger introduced the blue-white theme to the town. His home, Ennejma Ezzahra, is now a museum that has a collection of musical instruments, and organises concerts of classical and Arabic music.


Sidi Bou Said has a reputation as a town of artists. Artists who have lived in or visited Sidi Bou Said include famous occultist Aleister Crowley, Paul Klee, Gustave-Henri Jossot, August Macke and Louis Moillet. Tunisian artists in Sidi Bou Said are members of École de Tunis (painting school of Tunis), such as Yahia Turki, Brahim Dhahak and Ammar Farhat. French philosopher Michel Foucault lived there for a number of years while teaching at the University of Tunis. French author Andre Gide also had a house in the town. French singer Patrick Bruel sang about Sidi Bou Said, specifically about Café des Délices, in his song Au Café des Délices in his 1999 album Juste Avant.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Tuesday, 17 December 2024

TRAVEL TUESDAY 475 - PAPHOS, CYPRUS

“Iridescent-throned Aphrodite, deathless Child of Zeus, wile-weaver, I now implore you, I beg you, Lady, don't crush down my spirit with pains and torments …” - Sappho

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.

There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.

Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.
Paphos, also spelled as Pafos, is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and New Paphos. It is the fourth-largest city in the country, after Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca, with an urban population of 63,600 in 2018. The current city of Paphos lies on the Mediterranean coast, about 50 km west of Limassol (the biggest port on the island), both of which are connected by the A6 highway. Paphos International Airport is the country's second-largest airport, and is a gateway to western and southern Cyprus.
The city has a subtropical-Mediterranean climate, with the mildest temperatures on the island. In 1980, Paphos was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its ancient architecture, mosaics, and ancient religious importance. It was selected as a European Capital of Culture for 2017 along with Aarhus.
Archaeological studies show that Old Paphos has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. It was a centre for the cult of Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of Love and Beauty. Aphrodite's mythical birthplace was centred on this location on the island. The founding myth is interwoven with the goddess such that Old Paphos became the most famous and important place for worshipping Aphrodite in the ancient world.
Today, Paphos is a popular tourist resort and is home to a fishing harbour. Ktima is the main residential district while Kato Paphos, by the sea, is built around the medieval port and contains most of the luxury hotels and the entertainment infrastructure of the city. Apostolou Pavlou Avenue (St. Paul's Avenue), the busiest road in Paphos, connects the two quarters of the city. It begins near the city centre at Kennedy Square and ends outside the medieval fort at the harbour.
The economy of Paphos heavily depends on tourism and there are four resorts in the district: Kato Paphos, Coral Bay, Latchi, and Aphrodite Hills. The largest is Kato Paphos which employs over half of Paphos' population. Farming, especially banana, grape and tobacco cultivation, contributes significantly to Paphos' economy.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter