Tunisian medina a maze of courtyards, craftsmen and carpets
Posted April 23, 2018 7:00 am
SFAX, Tunisia (AP) - Enter the gates of the medina in Sfax, Tunisia, and step into another world.
Here there are no cars. Birds chatter in peaceful courtyards. Life revolves around a giant mosque.
And in the bustling, entertaining markets called souqs (pronounced sooks), vendor after vendor sells goods: bags, baskets, jackets, perfumes, jewelry, plus elaborate hand-woven carpets and wildly colorful, glittering dresses.
A medina is the old, walled section of an Arab city. The medina in the Tunisian city of Sfax dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO World Heritage status to help protect the site.
This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows fishmonger Abdelmajid Baklouhi, right, in the seafood market of the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP)
The Associated Press
This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows the central mosque inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP)
The Associated Press
This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows a heap of fava beans for sale inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP)
The Associated Press
This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows olives and hot peppers for sale in a covered food market inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP)
The Associated Press
This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows Mohamed Ketata, a fourth-generation wood craftsman, at work at his shop inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP)
The Associated Press
This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows Hedi Khelif at his shop where he sells carpets inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP)
The Associated Press
This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows rooftops inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP)
The Associated Press
This Jan. 31, 2018 photo shows an ornate door of the central mosque inside the medina in Sfax, Tunisia. The medina dates to 849 A.D. It is one the best maintained and most intact examples of a medina (a walled old part of an Arab city) in the Mediterranean basin, according to city officials, who are seeking UNESCO protection status. (Cain Burdeau via AP)
The Associated Press
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