Chapter VII: Tunisia (4)

Susa, the Roman _Hadrumetum_, is one of the oldest Phœnician colonies
on the coast of Tunisia. It appears for the first time in history at
the end of the second Punic war, when it was Hannibal’s base of
operations, and, after the battle of Zama (B. C. 202), his place of
refuge. It escaped the fate of Carthage in 146 B. C., and it was again
spared a century later, although it had sided with Pompey in the civil
war. Under the later Roman empire Hadrumetum was remarkably
prosperous, being the great outlet for the produce of the numerous and
thickly peopled inland colonies as far as Tebessa. The fertility of
its environs is indicated by the name given to it when re-colonized
under Trajan (Colonia Concordia Ulpia Trajana Frugifera Hadrumentina).
At that period the whole coast from Hadrumetum to El-Alia and Chebba
(p. 370) was bordered with sumptuous country-houses. After its
conquest by the Arabs (in 665, and again in 689) Susa, whose present
name is said to date from the 8th cent., was outstripped by Kairwan
and Mehdia. It afterwards suffered severely from the irruption of the
Hilalides (p. 323) and its conquest by the Normans (1135), and in more
modern times from its bombardment by the Spaniards (1537 and 1550),
the French (1769), and the Venetians (1783).

The HARBOUR, 35 acres in area, constructed in 1886–9, is tolerably sheltered by two moles and by the _Grande Jetée_ (737 yds.), the end of which is a splendid point of view. The _Digue Sud_ (Pl. D, 4, 5), where new harbour-works are in progress, is occupied by storehouses for the phosphates from Aïn-Moularès (p. 372).

Between the N. mole and the dunes of _Bou-Jaffar_, near the Punic-Roman harbour (Kothon), of which scarcely a trace is left, lies the new town, dating from 1881. The busy parts of it are the Rond-Point de la Douane (Pl. D, 2), near the steamboat-quay, and the PLACE PICHON (Pl. C, D, 2), from which the Boul. René Millet leads to the station.

Between the two small public gardens here is the *=Museum= (Pl. C, 2), a valuable collection of Punic, Roman, and early-Christian antiquities, mostly excavated of late in the Sahel. Adm. daily, except Mon., 8–11 and 2–4 (from 1st July to 15th Oct. 7–11 only). No catalogue. Curator, M. E. Gouvet, the town architect.

The chief treasures of the museum are the numerous mosaics from Roman
villas. In the centre of the hall is a large pavement from El-Alia,
already freely restored in ancient times, representing an inundation
of the Nile, with two-storied houses, a hippopotamus, a crocodile,
etc.; by the entrance-wall, Neptune in a chariot with sea-horses,
ducks, and fish; by the back-wall, procession of Bacchus, fishing
scenes, a gazelle among edible animals and fruits (from a
dining-room), the rape of Ganymede, a Nile scene, a basket with fish
and lobsters; by the end-wall to the left, a peacock. By the right
end-wall, an early-Christian mosaic, with the signature of the artist
(Theodulos).

By the back-wall are relics of wall-paintings and the marble statuette
of a negro boy. By the entrance-wall, fragments of Roman reliefs in
stucco: head of a bearded man, from El-Djem (2nd cent. A. D.); bust of
Athena and female head in profile, from Susa (2nd cent.). By the left
end-wall, a large relief, from Susa, of the triumphal procession of a
Roman emperor, with a fettered warrior behind the chariot.

The central presses contain (on the left) *Terracotta Figures from
Susa (mother and child, Venus, female harpist, rider on a camel, etc.)
and fine vessels in clay; (on the right) ancient coins; a fine bust in
bronze and leaden rolls inscribed with curses (comp. p. 341), from
Susa; bronze utensils, trinkets, implements in bone; Punic, Roman, and
early-Christian lamps; mosaic of Virgil writing the Æneid.

The old town, an irregular quadrilateral almost unspoiled by modern improvements, contains no buildings of outstanding importance, but its Oriental streets are strikingly picturesque. The many-towered *_Town Wall_, with its gallery of defence and its crowning battlements, was erected by the Aglabides (p. 323) in 827.

From the Place Pichon we first visit the Place Bab el-Bahar (Pl. C, 2), named after the old ‘sea-gate’, almost always enlivened by a dense and busy throng. The main streets of this quarter are the Rue de France and Rue Général-Logerot, between which rises the _Chief Mosque_ (Pl. C, 2), built in the Aglabide period on a =⟙=-shaped plan (p. 376), with forecourts like the Gâmia Ibn Tulûn at Cairo (p. 451).

In the secluded streets to the N.W. of the chief mosque, which are best reached from the Hôtel de Ville (Pl. 3, B, C, 2; new building in course of construction in the Ave. Mougeot, in front of the harbour) by the Rue Général-Riu and Rue du Kasr, rises the so-called =Kasr er-Ribât= (Pl. 5, C, 2; ‘castle-convent’), originally a Byzantine fortress, but used since the Aglabide period as a fortified monastery (Kasr al-Morabitîn, castle of the marabouts) for defenders of the faith against the infidels. It is now a humble medersa (p. 228). The building, modernized in the Turkish period, was originally square, with four round corner-towers and four at the sides. The domed vestibule contains fragments of the Byzantine edifice. In the interior (no admittance) there is a small mosque.

The Rue Général-Sabatier on the W. side of the chief mosque, and the Rue de Paris, its continuation to the S., lead to the Rue el-Mar (Pl. B, 3, 4). Here, at the corner of the Rue de la Kasba (p. 369), rises a fine _Minaret_. At the end of the street is an interesting old _Dwelling House_, thoroughly restored in 1906, with horseshoe and multifoil arches.

In the Rue de la Soffra (Pl. B, 3), above the Rue el-Mar, are the _Roman Cisterns_, which have been repeatedly restored since the middle ages (keys at the town architect’s; see p. 367).

To the W. of the Rue de Paris are the picturesque =Souks= (p. 335). Immediately to the right, adjoining the Souk el-Rbâ (Pl. B, 3), the vaulted lane in the middle, and at the entrance to the Rue Bin el-Kaoui, is the _Kahwât el-Kubba_ (Pl. 4, B, 3; ‘domed café’), a small early-Moorish building with an interesting dome, four wall-niches, and windows partly built up.

The Souk el-Caïd, continuing the Souk el-Rbâ, ascends to the _Bâb el-Gharbi_ (Pl. A, 3), the old Moorish W. gate.—In the Rue Dâr el-Bey, between the Souk el-Caïd and Rue de la Kasba, is the _Dâr el-Bey_ (Pl. 1; B, 3), an old palace of the beys of Tunis, now the Contrôle Civil and office of the caïd (driba).

The Rue de la Kasba, or from Bâb el-Gharbi the boulevard outside the town, leads to the =Kasba= (Pl. A, B, 4; 131 ft. above the sea), the Moorish-Turkish citadel, built partly on the foundations of a Roman temple, now the barracks of the tirailleurs (adm. on presenting visiting-card; a sergeant acts as guide). The ‘Salle d’Honneur’ contains neo-Punic and Roman antiquities from the Camp Militaire (see below), including valuable mosaics (victorious racehorses, etc.) and early-Christian objects from the catacombs (see below). From the N. terrace of the Kasba, or from the tower (now lighthouse; not always open), there is a splendid *View of the town and harbour, of the Sahel, the whole bay of Hammamet, and of the inland Tunisian hill-country as far as Jebel Zaghouan.

From the Bâb el-Gharbi a road leads to the W. to Kalaâ-Srira (p. 366)
through the _Camp Militaire_ (Pl. A, 3, 4), whose huts stand partly on
the ancient Punic burial-grounds. About ¾ M. from the gate are remains
of a _Roman Burial Ground_; also, on a road diverging to the left a
little before, extensive early-Christian _Catacombs_ (adm. 1 fr.), 3
min. to the S. of the highroad.

FROM SUSA TO MEHDIA, 39½ M., railway in 3¼ hrs. (7 fr. 5, 5 fr. 35, 3
fr. 80 c.). The line runs, a little apart from the Sfax road (R. 59),
at first to the S.W., through the beautiful hill-country of the
_Sahel_, to (6 M.) _M’Saken_ (p. 378). 11 M. _Ouardenine_, where the
new line to Sfax (see p. 378) diverges to the S. Our line sweeps round
to the E. to (16 M.) _Djemmal_.—22 M. =Moknine= (181 ft.;
Café-Restaurant de la Gare; pop. 9000, incl. 700 Jews and 70
Europeans) is noted for its Jewish goldsmiths’ work in an antique
style like that of Djerba (p. 394). On the road to Monastir (p. 405),
3¾ M. to the N.W. of Moknine, are the ruins of the very ancient
Phœnician-Roman seaport _Leptis Minor_, now _Lamta_ or _Lempta_
(remains of the old quays, cisterns, etc.), near which is the Punic
necropolis _Henchir Meskhal_.

The train skirts the _Sebkha de Moknine_. 27½ M. _Teboulba_ (146 ft.;
pop. 2900), a small town amidst pretty orange and mandarin gardens, on
the S. shore of the _Bay of Monastir_ (p. 405). Farther to the S.E. we
come to (30 M.) _Bekalta_ (pop. 3400), a little town with the ruins of
the seaport of _Thapsus_, famed for Cæsar’s victory (p. 322; large
Roman cisterns, amphitheatre, quay of the Punic-Roman Kothon, Punic
rock-tombs).

39½ M. =Mehdia= or _Mahdia_ (66 ft.; Hôt. de France, Grand-Hôtel, both
very humble; Brit. cons. agent, G. Violante; pop. 10,000, incl. 600
Europeans), the ancient capital of Ifrikia (p. 322), founded in 916 as
_Mahedia_ by the Fatimite Obeïd Allah el-Mahdi, on the site of the
Phœnician-Roman _Zella_ (_Africa?_), is now a poor little seaport-town
with hardly a trace of its former renown. Being centrally situated on
the E. coast of Tunisia, on the narrow and once strongly fortified
headland _Râs Mehdia_, the _Cape Africa_ of earlier writers, Mehdia,
after the destruction of Kairwan (p. 372), developed into the most
prosperous town and important harbour of Tunisia, but suffered
severely from the transference of the seat of government to Tunis (p.
332). In war also it was often sorely tried. It was conquered by a
Pisan fleet in 1087, occupied by the Normans in 1148–60, and captured
by the knights of Malta in 1530, by Kheireddin’s (p. 221) former
general Dragut in 1540, and in 1550 by the Spaniards, who on their
retreat after the naval battle of Djerba (p. 394) blew up its
fortifications.

The chief sights are the picturesque ruins of the _Town Walls_ and the
_Grande Mosquée_ of the 10th cent., formerly connected with a college,
with its many arcades and a fine gateway-tower, resembling the Bâb
Lella Rejana at Kairwan (p. 375). To the S.E. of the headland are
remains of the _Kothon_, the Punic-Roman harbour, which in the middle
ages was defended by two towers. The new harbour, the centre of the
Sicilian allache (kind of sardine) fishery, lies to the S.W. of the
headland. Near the town are large _Salt Marshes_. The _Necropolis_, 2
M. to the W., with several well-preserved Punic and neo-Punic
rock-tombs, deserves a visit. About 1 M. from the town are extensive
early-Christian _Catacombs_ (adm. 1 fr.).—Off Mehdia, in an ancient
sunken ship, beautiful works of art, now at the Bardo Museum (see p.
344), have been recently discovered.

A road (carr. 15 fr.) leads to the S.W. from Mehdia viâ (8 M.)
_Ksour-Essaf_ to (26 M.) _El-Djem_ (p. 379).

In the olive-clad hill-country to the S. of Mehdia, on the road to
Sfax (p. 380), lie the ruins of the ancient seaport of _Sullectum_
(now _Salakta_), of _Acholla_ (p. 398; now _Biar el-Alia_), both with
Punic burial-grounds, and of _Uzalis_ (now _El-Alia_). Farther on,
beyond the _Râs Kapoudia_ (or _Râs Khadidja_), the ancient _Caput
Vada_, where Belisarius (p. 322) landed in 533, lies the small seaport
of =Chebba=, noted like El-Alia for its Roman mosaics. Near it are the
ruins of _Ruspae_ (now _Henchir Sbia_).

From Susa to _Kairwan_, see R. 58; to the ruins of central Tunisia and
to _Metlaoui_, see R. 58; to _El-Djem_ and _Sfax_, see R. 59.

58. From Susa to Kairwan.

36 M. NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY in 2¼–2½ hrs. (6 fr. 50, 4 fr. 95, 3 fr. 50
c.; return 9 fr. 10, 6 fr. 95, 4 fr. 90 c.). Passengers from Tunis
(return-fares 30 fr. 25, 22 fr. 95, 16 fr. 25 c.) change at
Kalaâ-Srira (Rail. Restaurant).

From Susa to (5 M.) _Kalaâ-Srira_, see p. 366. The line runs, nearly in the same direction as the Susa and Tebessa (p. 315) Roman road, to the S.W., on the right bank of the _Oued Laya_ (p. 366), to the (8 M.) _Réservoir_ of the Susa waterworks.

At (10 M.) _Oued-Laya_, a small oasis of fruit-trees and vegetables, the olive-zone of the Sahel ends. 17½ M. _Kroussiah-Sahali_. 23 M. _Sidi el-Hani_, not far from the ruins of _Vicus Augusti_ (_?_).

To the left, farther on, we obtain a glimpse at the _Sebkha Sidi el-Hani_, 25 by 12½ M., the largest salt-lake of central Tunisia. To the right, a little farther on, beyond a chain of flat hills, is revealed a striking view of the vast _Plain of Kairwan_, enclosed by distant mountains, with the town of _Kairwan_ in the background. The low ground, through which the _Oued Hathob_ (p. 320), _Oued Merguellil_, and many smaller streams descend from the Sahara Atlas and its plateaux to the _Lac de Kelbia_ (p. 320; not visible from the train), is often flooded after the winter rains. It is inhabited almost exclusively by the Arab-like nomadic tribes of the _Djlass_ or _Zlass_. The train runs through plantations of Indian figs.

30½ M. _Aïn-Ghrasesia._

FROM AÏN-GHRASESIA TO METLAOUI, 182 M., railway in 13 hrs. (fares 32
fr. 85, 24 fr. 95, 17 fr. 55 c.; from Susa 38 fr. 35, 29 fr. 10, 20
fr. 50 c.). This new railway, diverging here to the S.W., affords the
easiest access to the ruins of Sbeïtla, Kasserine, Thelepte, and
Feriana in central Tunisia. It runs over a low saddle between the
Sebkha Sidi el-Hani (see p. 370) and the marshy plain of the _Oued
Hathob_, and across the bleak plain of Kairwan, to the S.W. borders of
the Sahara Atlas, which it reaches at the foot of _Jebel Touila_, with
its zinc and lead mines.

47½ M. _Hadjeb el-Aïoun_, the ancient _Masclianae_, on the _Oued
Zourzour_, is the chief market (Tues.) for the _Oulad Sendassen_, a
branch of the Djlass tribe (p. 370), and, like the following stations,
possesses an alfa-depot. Branch-line to _Sbiba_, the ancient _Sufes_,
projected.

Farther on we pass the foot of _Jebel Hadjeb el-Aïoun_ to (58½ M.)
_Djilma_ (1152 ft.), the Roman _Cilma_, on a tributary of the Hathob,
here called _Oued Djilma_, We now enter, to the W., the valley of the
_Oued Menasseur_, at the foot of _Jebel Mrilah_ (4508 ft.) and _Jebel
Sbeïtla_, inhabited by the _Madjeur_ tribe (p. 362).

76 M. =Sbeïtla= (1762 ft.; hotel), near the extensive ruins of
_Sufetula_, on a plateau on the right bank of the _Oued Sbeïtla_, as
the Oued Menasseur is named here. It was a poor castellum in the time
of Augustus, but after the 2nd cent, became one of the most important
junctions of different routes, and in the 5–7th cent. attained its
prime under the Vandals and the Byzantines. In 645 it became the
residence of Gregory, the governor, who had rebelled against
Byzantium; it was soon after attacked by the Arabs under Abdallah ibn
Saâd (p. 322), and in 648 it was entirely destroyed. The chief boast
of Sbeïtla is the *_Capitol_ (comp. p. 288), rising in the midst of
the ruins. The temple-court, once used by the Byzantines as a fortress
and now destroyed save a few fragments of the limestone pavement, was
entered by a three-arched propylæum, bearing an inscription in honour
of Antoninus Pius (138–61). The chief temple was pseudo-peripteral,
with composite columns; there are still traces of the steps up to it
and of the portico. The three cellæ are well preserved, especially at
the back, and have a transverse wall, instead of a semicircular apse,
adjoining the Corinthian smaller temples. We may note also a fine
_Triumphal Arch_ of the time of Constantine, the remains of a
_Byzantine Church_ incorporated with a temple, to the N. of the
capitol, a _Chapel_ built into a smaller temple, to the E., and the
_Aqueduct_ across the Oued Sbeïtla. Higher up is the spring of the new
water-conduit, 103 M. long, which supplies the town of Sfax.

Passing many other ruins we come to the _Plaine du Foussana_ (about
2650 ft.), one of the upper districts of the Oued Hathob, here called
_Foussana_, at the S. foot of _Jebel Semmama_ (4307 ft.; with the
zinc-mines of _Aïn-Khamouda_ on its N. side). Then a descent to (95
M.) =Kasserine= (2382 ft.), the ancient _Cillium_, a flourishing town
from the 2nd cent. A.D. under the name of _Colonia Cillitana_, now a
poor village with a caravanserai on the Thala and Feriana road (see p.
362 and below), not far from the chalky limestone masses of _Jebel
Chambi_ (5217 ft.; p. 320). We may here visit the ruins of the Roman
_Arch_ and of the _Tomb of the Petronii_, and above all the
interesting _Mausoleum of T. Flavius Secundus_, of the time of Trajan.
This is a kind of tower in three stories, in the Phœnician fashion,
terminating in a pyramid; the 110 bombastic lines of the inscription
correspond with the number of years attained by the deceased. A little
to the S., on the _Oued Derb_, are remains of a Roman _Barrage_,—The
landscape farther on, where Roman ruins still abound, assumes more and
more the Sahara character.

116 M. =Thelepte= (hotel) is the station for the ruins of the ancient
town of that name, now called _Medinet el-Khedima_ (‘the old town’),
which in the 2nd–4th cent. A.D. was the chief place on the road
between Tebessa (p. 315) and Gafsa (p. 383). Large thermæ, ruins of
early-Christian basilicas, and a Byzantine fortress with many towers
are to be seen here. The extensive Roman _Quarries_ are interesting.

118½ M. =Feriana= (2628 ft.; Hôt. Hostelier; Restaurant Bernard; pop.
1200), an oasis of corn, fruit, and vegetables on the _Oued Feriana_,
in the midst of a sandy plain, has a new and pretty mosque.—Thence we
cross the _Plateau de Msila_ (2930 ft.), overgrown with alfa, and
descend to (134 M.) _Maâjen Bel-Abbès_, with the ruins of a Roman
town, 28 M. to the N.W. of Gafsa. 141 M. _Sidi Bou-Beker_.

153½ M. _Henchir Souatir_ (about 1640 ft.). A short branch-line
diverges hence to _Aïn-Moularès_ (1806 ft.), a caravanserai near the
great beds of phosphate on the Algerian frontier.

166 M. _Tabeditt_ is connected by railway with (9½ M.) _Redeyef_,
which has rich phosphate deposits.—Beyond Tabeditt the train runs
through the valley of the _Oued Seldja_ (p. 386), here inhabited by
the _Oulad Sidi-Abid_ nomads, to (183 M.) _Metlaoui_ (p. 386).

The KAIRWAN LINE runs to the W. over the bleak steppe, often passing the tents and the browsing camels and cattle of the Djlass (p. 370). We cross the Oued Hathob, here called _Zeroud_.

To the right, especially in the afternoon, we have a delightful *View of the white houses of Kairwan, with its countless domes and towering minarets. Nearing the station we see extensive fields of cactus and large alfa-stacks.

36 M. =Kairwan.=—HOTELS (comp. p. 324). _Splendid Hotel_ (Pl. a; C,
5), R. 3, B. 1, déj. or D. 3, omn. ½ fr.; _Hôt. de France_ (Pl. b; C,
5), R. 2½–4, B. ¾, déj. or D. 3, pens. 7½ fr.; both in the Place
Carnot, tolerable.—_Café de France_, Rue Massicault.—POST & TELEGRAPH
OFFICE (Pl. C, D, 4), Rue de la Poste.—PHYSICIAN. _Dr. Santschi_ (a
Swiss), Grande Rue, near the Bâb Djelladin.

In HALF-A-DAY, if pressed for time, we may visit the _Grande Rue_, the
_Souks_, the _Sidi Okba Mosque_, and the _Mosquée du Barbier_. Tickets
for the mosques are obtained at the office of the Contrôle Civil (p.
373) or at the hotels. The overseers of the mosques mostly speak
Arabic only. The guides, who are quite unnecessary, are very
importunate.

Travellers in haste should endeavour to secure a cab (as yet only
one), drive to the Contrôle Civil, the Barber’s Mosque, and back to
the Porte de Tunis (p. 377), and there begin their inspection of the
town.

_Kairwan_ or _Kairouan_ (243 ft.; pop. 22,000, incl. about 800 Europeans), the oldest capital of Ifrikia, is a town of purely Arabian type, the most curious in Tunisia. The old town is an irregular rectangle, enclosed by a wall 33 ft. high and 2 M. in length; the large W. suburb, also purely Oriental, is the _Faubourg des Djlass_, called after the nomadic tribe of that name (p. 370); to the S. is a new suburb near the station. The numerous mosques and zaouïas date mostly from the Turkish period. The town holds market for the extensive plain of Kairwan, and the souks are still important, though manufactures have declined. The climate (p. 321) is extremely hot in summer.

Kairwan was founded by Sidi Okba ben-Nâfi (p. 322) in 671, and was
appointed by the caliphs to be the seat of the governors of Ifrikia.
As the capital of the great Aglabide empire (p. 323) and the seat of
the oldest high school in N. Africa, it was hardly less important than
Cordova (p. 68), and the sumptuous mosque of Sidi Okba rapidly became
the favourite goal of pilgrims from E. Barbary. After the Hilalides
(p. 323) had destroyed the greater part of the town in 1048 it was for
centuries almost deserted, notwithstanding the favour shown to it by
Abd el-Mûmen (p. 95), the Hafsides, and the Merinides (p. 95). In the
early 16th cent. several quarters still lay in ruins. It was not till
the Turkish period that the sacred town, ‘one of the four gates of
Paradise’, which neither Christian nor Jew durst enter, again became
the religious centre of the land. To spend one’s last days within its
walls, and to be buried in hallowed earth outside its gates, seemed to
believers the height of bliss. Its sacred character, which however did
not prevent the beys of Tunis from bombarding and partly destroying
the rebellious town, was finally lost when the mosques were desecrated
by the entry of the French troops in 1881.

In the centre of the S. suburb, almost exclusively inhabited by Europeans, is the PLACE CARNOT (Pl. C, 5), with its small _Jardin Public_. On its W. side the Rue du Contrôle, with the building of the _Contrôle Civil_ (Pl. C, 5; see p. 372), leads to the N. to the Place Mérabet (Pl. C, 4) and the S. gate of the town-walls, which were largely rebuilt after the bombardment of 1740.

On emerging from the Rue du Contrôle we see immediately to the left the _Zaouïa Sidi ben-Aïssa_ (Pl. C, 5), where the hideous castigations of the Aïssaoua sect, originally Moroccan, are held on Friday afternoons. A little to the N.E., in the Rue de la Poste, is the _M’sala Darb et-Tamar_ (Pl. D, 4; no admittance), a large open place of prayer for great Mohammedan festivals, with an underground cistern for rain-water.

The main street of the old town, between the _Bâb Djelladin_ (Pl. C, 4; ‘Porte des Peaussiers’), or S. gate, now partly demolished, and the N. gate, the Porte de Tunis (p. 377), is the GRANDE RUE (Pl. C, B, 4, 3), officially called Rue du Général-Saussier, enlivened by a picturesque crowd and numerous small shops.

In the Rue Sidi el-Guerian, the second side-street on the right, is
the zaouïa of =Sidi Abid el-Guerian= (Pl. C, 4), an elegant building
of the Turkish period (16th cent.?). The handsome portal, with the
black and white striped decoration so often recurring in the other
buildings, leads into a vestibule with tiled walls and stucco
decoration, beyond which are a fine colonnaded court in two stories
(with the sumptuous tomb of the saint on the left) and a small mosque.
Adjacent on the left is the court of the Medersa (p. 228), where the
capitals of the columns are remarkable for their richness and variety.

Farther on in the Grande Rue are several mosques of little architectural interest. The gateway on the right, halfway between the two town-gates, leads to the =Souks= (Pl. C, 3, 4). The vaulted main street here, the _Souk des Selliers_ and _Souk des Cordonniers_, is intersected by two vaulted side-streets, the _Souk des Parfums_ and _Souk des Tapis_. The latter, for the sale of carpets, woollen rugs (margums), etc., has declined since the vegetable dyes have been superseded by the aniline. The farther part of the main street is the _Souk des Gandourahs_, ending at the quiet Place Finot (Pl. C, 3).

To the S.E. from the Place Finot the short Rue Moulei-Taïeb leads to the—

=Djamâa Tleta Biban= (Pl. C, D, 3; Mosquée des Trois-Portes), in the Rue Hassin Lalenni. It dates from the time of Obeïd Allah el-Mahdi (p. 369), being the only early-Moorish building in Kairwan besides the Sidi Okba mosque, but was much altered in 1440 and 1509. The peculiar façade in three sections, with blind arcades (possessing Byzantine capitals) on the lower story, is composed above of older slabs with geometrical ornamentation. The interior is uninteresting.

We follow the Rue de la Mosquée des Trois-Portes to the N.E., then the Rue Zoughar to the right, and at the end of it a street to the left to the town-wall. To the left, in 2 min. more, we reach the Place de Sousse, with the _Bâb el-Khoukha_ (Pl. D, 2, 3), the E. town-gate, an interesting double gateway, with two fine Byzantine capitals on the inner archway. From the N. end of the Place de Sousse the broad Rue de la Grande-Mosquée leads to the—

*=Sidi Okba Mosque= (_Grande Mosquée_; Pl. D, 1, 2), one of the oldest in the world, and, next to the Kairwin mosque at Fez, the most important in Barbary. After the mosques of Mecca and Medina and the Dome of the Rock at Jerusalem (p. 477), this has ever been deemed the greatest sanctuary of Islam. The poverty of the oldest building, founded by Sidi Okba ben-Nâfi in 671, is evidenced by the mud-built walls of the old mihrâb (p. 377). A new building was first erected in 703 by Hassan ibn en-Nôman (p. 322), the conqueror of Carthage. The plan seems to have been suggested by that of the oldest Egyptian mosques (such as the mosque of Amru, p. 460), combined with that of the Damous el-Karita (p. 349), while the ruins of Carthage, Susa, and Sbeïtla (p. 371) supplied the building-materials. Of a second new building by the governor Bichr ibn Safuan, in 724, the fortress-like lower story of the minaret still exists. A further extension was made in 821 by the Aglabide Sijadet Allah I. The central story of the minaret, the arcades of the quadrangle, the Bâb el-Behou (p. 376), and the last enlargement of the sanctuary itself are due to the Aglabide Ibrahim ibn-Ahmed (d. 875), who erected also the fine dome of the mihrâb, caused the mihrâb-wall to be decorated by Bagdad artists, and presented the superb Friday pulpit. The present maksûra (seat of the caliph) dates from the time of the Zirite Abû Teminn el-Muizz (p. 443). The decay of the mosque after the irruption of the Hilalides seems to have been first arrested by Abd el-Mûmen and the Hafside El-Mostanser Billah (p. 332). The latter, in 1284, caused most of the outer gateways to be rebuilt. At a later period we hear of restorations by Mohammed Murad Bey (p. 335) and Hussein Ali ben-Turki (p. 323). In 1828–42 the insecure state of the mosque necessitated the rebuilding of the external walls on the N.W. and N.E. sides and the restoration of the minaret, the Bâb el-Behou, and the arcades of the court. In 1872 the nave and its two adjoining aisles also were restored, but with little taste, and since 1895 the French government has bestowed its attention on the transept and the side-portals.

The immense edifice, an irregular quadrilateral of 136 by about 78–82 yds., covers an area of over 2¼ acres. The fortress-like OUTER WALL, with its huge buttresses, has four doors on both its longer sides. These have lost their bronze mountings and some of them their cupolas. Above the S.E. wall rises the dome of the mihrâb chapel and above the N.W. wall the minaret.

We first walk round the whole enclosure. From the Rue de la Grande-Mosquée a short street leads to the right, past the new _Court of Ablution_ (comp. p. 63), to a large open space adjoining the S.E. end of the mosque, where there are numerous underground silos or granaries. From the walls here project the buildings of the mihrâb chapel and the maksûra, with the Bâb el-Imâm (p. 377).

A few paces farther, at the beginning of the ‘Boulevard Ali Bey’, a poor street on the N.E. side of the precincts, is the massive square gateway tower of *_Bâb Lella Rejana_, adjoined by the insignificant domed tomb of that saint. The front half of the gateway, restored in 1828, is painted like the minaret with ‘giant-spiders’ to ward off snakes and scorpions, and is adorned below the battlements with blind horseshoe arcades. The perforated stucco decoration of the arch-recesses of the side-portals is one of the earliest examples of such work. The long inscription over the door extols caliph El-Mostanser-Billah (p. 374), the builder.

Passing the next three gates we come to the N. angle of the precincts, where their fortress-like character is most apparent. Beside the embrasures of the minaret (p. 376) are seen cannon-ball marks made during the bombardments of the 18th century.

The S.W. wall of the mosque, in the Rue de la Grande-Mosquée, which we now regain, is most in conformity with the original plan. Most noteworthy here are the first gateway-tower, near the N.W. angle, and the _Bâb es-Sultân_, the last gate, through which led the shortest way from the caliph’s palace to the maksûra (comp. p. 377). The domes, now adorned with the Turkish crescent, still possess their girdle of battlements and have their old cornice of bricks placed crosswise.

The present ENTRANCE GATEWAY (visitors knock) is one of the small middle gates beside the Bâb es-Sultân. We descend a few steps to the court (now below the level of the street), where the irregular plan of the building is most distinctly seen.

The *COURT is bordered on the N.W. side by a single colonnade and on the other sides by double arcades, which on the S.E. side form the porch of the sanctuary. In contrast to the orange-court at Cordova (p. 70), it is much larger than the sanctuary itself. The marble pavement is modern. The perforated stone in the centre of the court conducts the rain-water from the gutters on the flat roofs into a filtering-apparatus and into three _Cisterns_ below. The old _Court of Ablution_ (Ancienne Mida; comp. above), near the W. angle, and the rooms adjoining the minaret are now used as lumber-rooms.

The _Minaret_, 128 ft. high, an extremely massive tower in three stories, rises in the centre of the N.W. wall, and not in the central axis of the building as is usual. The substructures have been built of Roman stones and the doorway framed with antique decorative slabs. The square lowest story and narrower middle story are crowned with peculiar battlements with small embrasures. Above the three metal balls (p. 195) of the present dome is perched the Turkish crescent.

The *ASCENT OF THE MINARET (127 easy steps) should not be omitted. On
the lower platform we note the muezzin’s hut (p. 180). The upper
platform commands a superb survey of the many-domed town, of the
Barber’s Mosque (p. 378), of the large cemeteries to the W., and of
the great plain of Kairwan, bounded by Jebel Trozza and other distant
hills.

In the centre of the porch of the sanctuary is the square _Bâb el-Behou_ (‘pavilion-gate’) with a great horseshoe archway and pinnacled summit. The drum and dome, formerly resembling the dome of the mihrâb, were rebuilt in 1828. The timber ceiling of the adjoining arcades is now partly replaced by brick-vaulting.

The *_Main Door_ of the sanctuary, in cedar-wood, also was renewed in 1828 by wood-carvers from Sfax (p. 380). The wings are beautifully enriched with network, rosettes, and arabesques (p. 445). Over the door are a frieze with an inscription and another adorned with mashrebîyeh or lattice-work, and above these is a pediment decorated with charming scroll-work. The side-doors, also in cedar-wood, and partly modern, have a simpler geometric ornamentation, resembling that of the maksûra screen (p. 377).

The *INTERIOR of the sanctuary, in the form of a so-called Egyptian cross (=⟙=), with a broad transept at the back, has a nave and sixteen aisles, with eight rows of arcades. In the axis of the Bâb el-Behou, above the intersection of the nave and transept, rises the dome of the mihrâb-chapel, in front of the mihrâb-recess. The timber ceilings of the aisles, dating from different centuries, still retain interesting traces of their old painting. The effect of the nave is marred by the new braces and the clumsy modern stucco-decoration of the upper walls. The candelabra are ancient, but of little artistic value. The old pavement has disappeared and so too have the tapestries once used for festivals. The somewhat colourless aspect of the interior is compensated by the beauty of the columns, which here, as well as in the court, merit careful study. The shafts, as at Cordova, are of surprisingly various materials: white and coloured marble, onyx, granite, porphyry, and variegated breccia. Besides the few Moorish capitals in the more modern parts of the mosque, we note Roman, early-Christian, Byzantine, and even Punic-Ionic forms. Owing to their unequal lengths some of the columns have been raised while others are partly buried in the earth.

The *_Mihrâb Chapel_, unfortunately thickly whitewashed, is specially noteworthy for its sumptuous decoration and the peculiar construction of its dome. The chief enrichment of the wall consists of *Fayence with gold lustre, the oldest mediæval relic of this art-industry, the origin of which seems to be indicated by the name of ‘tchini’ (China tiles) given to it by native writers. The two beautiful Byzantine columns which bear the archivolts of the mihrâb are said to have come from Carthage. Through the marble screen of the niche, now disfigured by painting, we obtain a glimpse at the ancient mihrâb of the time of Sidi Okba (p. 374).

The **_Mimbar_, or Friday pulpit, unfortunately very tastelessly restored in 1907, adjoining the mihrâb-recess on the right, is one of the earliest and most beautiful creations of early-Moorish art. On the model of the Byzantine ivory carving, its rectangular sections are most charmingly enriched with a great variety of scroll-work and arabesques. The material is sycamore-wood.

The present *_Maksûra_ (see p. 71), to the right of the pulpit, seems to be now enclosed with fragments of an older screen of the caliph’s maksûra and parts of the wooden screen of a former maksûra for the ladies of the court (to the left of the pulpit). The central sections, destroyed in part, with their plain geometric decoration, are framed with graceful arabesques. The long Cufic inscription under the pinnacles of the summit records the name of the founder (p. 374) amidst verses from the Koran.

At the back of the Maksûra is a *Door, framed with late-Roman marble
ornamentation and tastefully embellished with iron nails and two
knockers, leading into a corridor. The side-room on the left, with
another fine old door, contains a few relics of the once famous
Kairwan _Library_. The small door in the external wall is the _Bâb
el-Imâm_ (‘gate of the preacher’).

We now return by the Rue el-Kadraouine (Pl. D, C, 2, 3) to Place Finot (p. 373) and the Souks; or we follow the town-wall, through the Rue Sidi Abd el-Kader (Pl. D, C, 2) and past the zaouïa _Sidi Abd el-Kâder el-Djilâni_ (p. 183) and the _Kasba_ (Pl. B, C, 2; barracks), and so regain the Grande Rue.

At the N. end of the Grande Rue is the new _Porte de Tunis_ (Pl. B, 3; adjoining the fine old gateway, adorned with antique columns), leading into the PLACE DE TUNIS, the outer market-place, a haunt of reciters and jugglers, with a large _Fondouk_ (see p. 281).

From the Place de Tunis we may now walk to the N., past the pretty park of the _Pépinière_ (Pl. B, 1), to the (10 min.) _Bassins des Aglabides_, two round reservoirs, the smaller of which was once used for filtering purposes. Both have been utilized since 1885 for the conduit of Cherichera, 18¾ M. long.

A road, much used by caravans, leads from the Place de Tunis, past the dilapidated _Feskia du Saïd_ (Pl. A, 2; a rain-water basin), of the time of Sijadet Allah I., and between cactus-hedges, to the N.W. to (¼ hr.) the so-called—

*=Mosquée du Barbier= (beyond Pl. A, 2), the finest building of the Turkish period. This mosque, which has long been regarded as the second great sanctuary of Kairwan, lies most picturesquely among low hills and is surrounded with white tombs of saints and Moslem cemeteries. It is dedicated to Abû Zemaâ el-Beloui, the traditional friend (sahâb) and barber of the prophet.

The extensive group of buildings, with several medersas annexed, dates
chiefly from the 17–19th centuries. The outer gate leads into a low
forecourt. In the corner, between the two main entrances, rises the
handsome minaret (*View), in four stories, with blind arcades in the
two lower, and crowned with pinnacles and the muezzin’s turret. The
large W. portal, adorned like the minaret with Byzantine columns,
opens into the first inner court, on whose W. side rises the plain
mosque itself with its nave and two aisles. A remarkably beautiful
domed chamber leads into the second *Inner Court, a perfect gem, with
its slender little marble columns, old wall-tiles, rich
stucco-decoration, and modern soffited ceilings. A superb marble
portal of Italian workmanship (18th cent.) leads to the alleged tomb
of Sidi Sahâb, which is railed in and surrounded with valuable old
Kairwan carpets besides much European frippery. From the domed chamber
a *Colonnade to the left and another ante-room, also embellished with
fine mural tiles, lead us back to the outer court.

The large _Moslem Cemeteries_, which extend round the _Faubourg des Djlass_ (p. 372) from the Barber’s Mosque all the way to the S. suburb, still contain some very old tombstones. They afford a beautiful view of Kairwan, especially by evening light.

The =Djamâa Amor Abeda= (Pl. A, 3, 4; popularly called Mosquée des
Sabres), whose five huge domes of mediæval type dominate the poor
streets of the Faubourg des Djlass, was built by the saint of that
name (d. 1871), formerly a smith, with alms collected for the purpose.

59. From Susa to Sfax.

Till the opening of the new railway (81½ M.) in 1911, which diverges
from the line to Mehdia at Ouardenine (p. 369), this excursion must be
made by ROAD (79½ M.). Motor-omnibus or the Bône-Guélma Co., starting
from the station, in 6½ hrs. (in the reverse direction 7 hrs.), fare 7
fr. 50 c.; at El-Djem, halfway (fare 3 fr. 75 c.), the ½ hr. allowed
for visiting the amphitheatre barely suffices. Seats should be secured
beforehand; outside (impériale) preferable in fine weather. Diligence
at night, in 14 hrs., fare 12 fr. 90 c. (to El-Djem in 6½ hrs., 6
fr.), uncomfortable.—STEAMERS to Sfax, comp. R. 64.

_Susa_, see p. 366. The road leads round the town on the side next the sea. It then ascends through the new industrial and villa quarters, and past the _Jewish_ and the _Christian Cemeteries_ (on the left), to the hill-country of the _Sahel_ (p. 366).

A little to the left lie the thriving villages of _Zaouïet-Sousse_ and _Ksiba_, and to the right _Messadine_. The soil is extremely fertile; the road is bordered with huge olive-trees and tall cactus-hedges.

To the right, also off the road, lies (7½ M.) =M’Saken= (154 ft.; Hôt. de France; pop. 10,000), a station on the Mehdia line (p. 369), whence a road leads to Kairwan (p. 372).

The country beyond M’Saken, one of the most fertile parts of central Tunisia in ancient times, has become a mere desert since the Arab irruptions. In the midst of the dreary steppe, scantily overgrown with alfa, appear a few corn-fields and olive-plantations, the first signs of renewed colonization. Here and there are seen Arabs with their camels, belonging to the _Souassi_ tribe, now partly settled on the land, descendants of the Hilalides (p. 323).

In the distance to the right, beyond _Bourdjine_, the only village before El-Djem, appears the _Sebkha Sidi el-Hani_ (p. 370). 23 M. _Col de Koudiat el-Goulal_ (525 ft.), the highest point on the road.

We are now in sight of the amphitheatre of _El-Djem_, whose enormous pile dominates the landscape for miles around.

40 M. =El-Djem= (361 ft.; Hôt. de l’Amphithéâtre, R. 2–3, B. ¾, déj. 3, D. 3¼ fr., humble, charges should be ascertained), a poor Arab village with a few olive and cactus plantations, is the site of _Thysdrus_, which in the late-Roman age was one of the most thriving towns near the E. coast and the junction of seven roads.

About ¼ M. from the inn and the post-office (halting-place of the motor-omnibus) is the **_Amphitheatre_, the grandest Roman structure in Barbary (first half of the 3rd cent.), noted in history also as a fortress. Here in 689, after the defeat of the united Byzantines and Berbers by Zoheir ibn Kaïs (p. 322), the prophetess (kahina) Damia, the legendary leader of the Berbers, is said to have still defied her enemies. In 1685 the building, still almost intact, where many a rebel had sought refuge, was blown up on the W. side by order of Mohammed Murad Bey (p. 335). Since then it has served the villagers of El-Djem as a quarry. The topmost story, consisting of an attica with Corinthian pilasters, the tiers of seats, and the stone steps have gradually disappeared. The ascent (not without the Arab keeper; ½ fr.) is very toilsome.

The remaining three stories are 108 ft. high; the groundfloor is now buried 10 ft. below the surface. The arches (once 60) of the lower and upper stories are adorned with Corinthian mural columns; the central story has composite capitals. The axes are 164 and 136 yds. respectively; the arena where the gladiators and wild beasts fought, unearthed in 1909, with its huge substructures (comp. p. 348), measures 71 by 57 yds. (This is the fifth in size of Roman amphitheatres: Colosseum 205 by 170, the Capuan 186 by 153, that of Italica near Seville 170 by 147, and that of Verona 167 by 134 yds.).

Recent excavations outside the village, whose dirty streets flank the
amphitheatre on two sides, have revealed vestiges of _Thermae_ (about
10 min. to the N.W.), of _Cisterns_, a _Circus_, and a small older
_Amphitheatre_. In the forecourt of a kubba, 6 min. to the S.W., are
placed several large Roman capitals.

Road from El-Djem to _Mehdia_, see p. 370.

We again traverse a very monotonous region, without a single village. On the left is the _Sebkha m’taa el-Djem_, a salt-lake. Beyond it lies the hill-country of the Arab _Metellit_ tribe, belonging to the _Terres Sialines_ (see below).

Beyond (61½ M.) _Ste. Juliette_ we enter the olive-zone of Sfax. 71½ M. _Kubba Sidi-Salah_, on the _Oued Sidi Salah_, which flows largely underground and now partly supplies Sfax with water. Lastly the road leads between garden-walls built of mud and fringed with Indian figs and through the suburb of _Moulinville_ to—

79½ M. =Sfax.=—The RAILWAY STATION (Pl. C, D, 2), for Metlaoui (R. 60)
and for the new line to Susa (see p. 378), is close to the sea, ¼ M.
from the hotels or from the quay. Here at present the motor-omnibus
from Susa stops.

ARRIVAL BY SEA (comp. R. 64). The steamers of the Comp. Gén.
Transatlantique (office, Boul. de France 13), the Società Nazionale
(office near Douane), and the Navigation Mixte (office, Rue Emile
Loubet) moor at the quay. Harbour-dues 4 or 3 fr.; cabs, see below.

HOTELS (comp. p. 324). _Hôt. de France_ (Pl. a; B, 3), Rue Victor-Hugo
4, R. 3–6, B. 1, déj. or D. 3, pens. 9–10 fr., plain; _Hôt. Moderne_
(Pl. b; B, 3), same street, No. 6, R. 3–5, B. 1, D. 8, pens. 7½–10
fr.—CAFÉS. _Cristal_ and _Glacier_, Boul. de France.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. 6; C, 3), Avenue de Paris.

BANKS (comp. p. 174). _Banque de l’Algérie_, Rue Michaud; _Comp.
Algérienne_ (No. 32) and _Comptoir d’Escompte de Paris_ (No. 15), Ave.
de Paris.—BOOKSELLERS. _Chabert_, Rue de la République 51; _Revol_,
same street, No. 17.

BRITISH VICE-CONSUL, _S. Leonardi_.—LLOYD’S AGENT, _E.
Carleton_.—ENGLISH PHYSICIAN, _Dr. P. Buckwell_.

CABS (stands near the Marché aux Céréales, p. 381, and in the Rue de
Thina, Pl. B, C, 3). Drive within a radius of 2 kilomètres (1¼ M.)
from Bâb Diwân, ½ fr.; with two horses, ¾ or 1 fr.; per hr. (one
horse) 1 fr. 30, (two horses) 1 fr. 50 or 1 fr. 70 c.; half-day (6
hrs.) 5½, 7, or 9 fr.; day (12 hrs.) 9, 12, or 15 fr.

DILIGENCE OFFICE (p. 173) in the theatre (Pl. C, 3).—MOTOR CARS, for
excursions, at _Garage Pasquier_, Rue Lamoricière (100–150 fr. per
day); _Central Garage_, Rue Charles-Quint.

The SIGHTS may be visited in 2–3 hrs.

_Sfax_, Arabic _Sfakês_ (pop. 70,000, incl. 6400 Europeans, of whom 3100 are Italians and 1300 Maltese), the second-largest town in Tunisia, is also its chief seaport next to Tunis. It lies on the shallow N. shore of the _Gulf of Gabes_, adjacent to the _Kerkenna Banks_ and opposite the _Kerkenna Islands_ (p. 405). Many of the natives live in small houses outside the town, amidst the beautiful orchards which girdle Sfax for nearly 10 M. around. Beyond the gardens lies the olive-zone, like them artificially irrigated, covering some 500 acres, and numbering three million trees. It lies chiefly in the _Terres Sialines_, a region named after the Siala family, but now owned by the state. After the Arab incursions it became a mere desert, but modern cultivation has restored its ancient prosperity. Sfax owes its rapid rise to the export of olive-oil, almonds, figs, and vegetables from the interior, dates from the Djerid (p. 386), alfa from the steppes, of which cables are made in the Kerkenna Islands, and above all to its trade in the phosphates of Metlaoui (p. 386) and Redeyef (p. 372). It is important also as a fish-market and as a mart for the sponges of the bay, especially from the Kerkenna banks. In the sponge-fishery Greeks, Maltese, and Sicilians vie with the Kerkenna islanders.

Sfax, the ancient _Taparura_, which was one of the smallest seaports
on the bay of Gabes, is of little historical note. In the first half
of the 12th cent. it fell, along with Mehdia (p. 369), into the hands
of the Normans (p. 323), and in 1539 it was occupied for a time by the
Spaniards, who possessed also the Kerkenna Islands. Its harbour was
much benefited by the French occupation of Algeria, as the caravans
from the Sudan thereafter went to Sfax, Gabes, and Tripoli (p. 406).
It was not till 1832 that Christian merchants were allowed to settle
outside the Bâb Diwân, the sea-gate. When the French arrived in 1881
Sfax, like Kairwan, was a camp of the warlike nomads of central and S.
Tunisia, owing to whose resistance the town had to suffer a
bombardment and to pay a war-indemnity of 15 million francs. For that
disaster and for the decline of its trade with inland Africa the
colonization of the environs and the improvement of the harbour
(1895–7) have since made amends.

From the open roads at the end of the Kerkenna inlet, where larger vessels formerly had to anchor, a _Harbour Canal_, 2952 yds. in length and 44 in breadth, now leads into the =Bassin= (Pl. D, E, 4) of 25 acres, adjoining which is the _Bassin des Torpilleurs_ (Pl. C, D, 4). On the quay bordering the town, 492 yds. long, are the _Douane_ and two large warehouses. On the N.E. quay are the stores of the phosphate railway, whence ships are loaded by means of a long shoot. The _Chenal pour petits Bateaux_ connects the main harbour with the small _Darse_ (Pl. B, 4), the harbour for fishing-boats.

The mud-banks between the new harbour and the old quay (now Boul. de France) have been artificially raised and converted into an area of 50 acres for building. The projected new quarter, with its straight and shadeless streets, has made little progress as yet. Between it and the older suburb, built since 1832, are the Avenue de Paris and the palm-avenue of the BOULEVARD DE FRANCE (Pl. B, C, 3), where most of the public buildings are situated.

In the Ave. de Paris are the Contrôle Civil (Pl. 1; C, 3), the Post Office (Pl. 6; C, 3), and the _Hôtel de Ville_ (Pl. C, 3). The last has a small museum (open daily except Sun.) containing Roman antiquities, mostly from Thænæ (p. 383). Among the mosaics are fishing scenes, Arion on the dolphin, and Pugilists.

Beyond the E. end of the Boul. de France and the Place Carnot (Pl. C, 2) lies the _Jewish Quarter_. The Boul. de France leads to the W., past the Rue de la République, the chief business street of the new quarters, to the _Marché aux Céréales_ (Pl. B, 3), which may be reached also by the Rue Victor-Hugo. Near this, adjoining the harbour of the fishing-boats, is the _Marché_ (Pl. B, 3, 4) for pottery, where the large ‘jarres d’huile’, made chiefly by the Metellits (p. 380), resemble the ancient amphoræ.

The picturesque but not over-clean old town is still enclosed by its battlemented *=Town Walls=, with their numerous towers and bastions. The fortifications next the sea, the _Kasba_ (Pl. A, 3; barracks, no admittance) and the _Bordj en-Nar_ (Pl. C, 2), were the chief objects of attack by the French ships and troops in 1881.

The old town is entered by the _Bâb Djedid_ (Pl. A, 3), the _Bâb Diwân_ (Pl. B, 2), at the end of the Rue de la République, and the new _Porte Delcassé_ (Pl. B, 2; 1903). Its main streets are the Rue de la Grande-Mosquée, the shortest way to the Souks (see below), and the RUE DU BEY (Pl. B, 2, 1).

In the Rue des Aïssaouas (No. 12), a few paces to the right of the Rue du Bey, is the _Zaouïa Sidi ben-Aïssa_ (p. 373), with its fine portal. The castigations practised by the sect may be seen here on Fridays, from 2.30 to 5 p.m.

In the Rue de la Driba, the third street to the right off the Rue du Bey, No. 4, on the left, is the _Driba_ (Pl. 2; B, 2), a fine type of an aristocratic mansion, with a picturesque colonnaded court on the first floor (fee ½ fr.). Opposite, at No. 5 Rue Régulus, one of the _Portals_ has the geometric ornamentation so common in every part of the town.

At the end of the RUE DE LA GRANDE-MOSQUÉE rises the venerable _Chief Mosque_ (Pl. B, 2), with its square whitewashed minaret, whose upper half is of the 13th century. The main façade recalls Syrian types (Kalat Simân), and the ten arcades of the interior are like those of the Sidi Okba mosque (p. 374).

Just beyond the mosque are the =Souks=, or markets. Their centre is the vaulted _Souk des Etoffes_ (Pl. B, 2), with a large assortment of ‘gadrouns’, the chief garment of the people of Sfax, blankets from Gafsa, etc. Its continuation, the Rue des Teinturiers, leads to the _Bâb Djebli_ (Pl. A, 1), the picturesque N.W. gate.

To the right the town-wall is skirted by the Rue des Forgerons (Pl. B, 1), with its balconies. To the left, Rue Abd el-Kader 62, is the law-court of the _Ouzara_ (Pl. A, 1; sits Wednesday and Saturday forenoons), with a pretty court.

Outside Bâb Djebli is the bustling cattle-market, enclosed by fondouks or caravanserais, where we have a pretty view of several saints’ tombs and palm-shaded gardens.

A pleasant glimpse of the country and its inhabitants is afforded by a
drive to the Toual el-Chridi (tariff, see p. 380; but bargain
advisable). Beyond the Bâb Djebli we pass the large _Feskias_, or
rain-water reservoirs, and then numerous _Nasrias_ or small cisterns.
The *Orchard Zone extends about 5 M. inland. Passing through
olive-groves and flanked with straight rows of trees the road ascends
to the (13½ M.) =Toual el-Chridi= (433 ft.), a hill with a geometric
signal, a kind of pyramid in steps, where we have an extensive view
stretching to the sea.

On the road to Gabes (p. 389), beyond the S.W. suburb of _Picville_
and the Rond-Point, is the _Jardin Public_, watered by large basins,
with the Jardin d’Essai, or botanic garden.

In the sea, nearly 1 M. outside the harbour, is a _Biological Station_
for the promotion of the sponge-culture (comp. p. 381).

From Sfax to _Gafsa_ and _Metlaoui_, see R. 60; to _Djerba_, see R.
62; to _Tunis_ by sea, see R. 64; to _Tripoli_ and _Malta_, see R. 64.

60. From Sfax to Metlaoui viâ Gafsa.