The cultural and social life of the inhabitants of Tunisia has included the best achievements of several world civilizations at once. The ancient peoples who inhabited these lands thousands of years ago left a legacy of weaving, skills that help to obtain natural dyes from natural ingredients. The Spanish conquerors taught how to create fascinating carvings on wood and stone surfaces, and the Turks shared the secrets of drawing frescoes and creating marvelous wrought iron gratings.
Each market square in Tunisia is ready to share all its riches with tourists from different parts of the world. On the shelves you can find jewelry, copper and glass products, amazing examples of ceramic dishes, as well as scarves, shawls, and other items of clothing made of silk, leather and tulle.
Clothes and footwear
Perhaps the main item of expenditure for any tourist who first comes to Tunisia is the purchase of clothes and shoes. Thanks to their skills in the processing of wool, fabric and leather, the secrets of technology which have been passed down from generation to generation, Tunisians can offer guests a truly rich selection of finished products, fabrics and other components for their manufacture. There is no need to doubt the quality of clothing and fabrics, because merchants from Istanbul bought them in tons, who are scrupulous about the choice of any product. From now on, you can also appreciate the skills of the local craftsmen.
Especially popular are Mahdian silk and Hammamet linen, from which unique works of art arise in the hands of skilled craftsmen - bright scarves with unique ornaments, stoles, huge cloths and handbags that will become an original accessory to any outfit.
Recently, in pursuit of a fashionable trend, local craftsmen began to produce bright dresses and outfits of a modern style, but using ancient techniques. Such outfits do not need any decoration, because when creating a dress, gold threads are used.
Silk products, which have been produced by skilled craftswomen from Hammamet for several millennia, are no less popular. The outfits are so beautiful that they have long been part of the traditional attire of any bride. Well, for men, market traders offer to purchase Tunisian jubbas, which are made in the form of robes, as well as short pants called serueli.
Tourists have the opportunity to buy locally made shoes. All samples are resistant to wear, well-sewn and have a bright, original design. Almost all samples are made of genuine camel leather. You can choose both the opening of the model - sandals, and purchase unique samples of business footwear that is more traditional for the European buyer.
But the appeal of Tunisia's shoe malls doesn't end there. Customers will be able to purchase custom-made shoes for them. Of course, you will have to take measurements first. Almost all the shoes that are sold in Tunisia are durable and practical, so you will never have to regret such a purchase.
Jewelry
Outlandish jewelry created by the "golden" hands of local craftsmen is even more in demand. In most cases, craftsmen use gold with a minimum content of impurities, but at the same time they practically do not work with precious stones. Most often, gold jewelry is intertwined with semi-precious stones (cubic zirconia). If the Russians are accustomed to 585 standard gold and believe that this is the “peak of perfection”, then Tunisian masters do not consider such gold as a worthy commodity at all. Only 750-carat gold is used for the manufacture of jewelry and no lower at all!
If you want to buy a piece of jewelry that meets all the criteria of luxury (that is, high quality gold combined with precious stones), welcome to special stores. Here you can find not only unique products made of white "noble metal" with rich diamonds inlaid, but also attractive silver products, designed in the traditional style of the Berber people.
Home Decorations
Tourists who want to decorate their home with original Tunisian crafts are welcome in the city of Kairouan, famous for its knotted carpets. Rumor has it that almost every resident of the city has the skills to create original carpet canvases.
Customers are offered a choice of several subspecies of products at once: there are traditional wool carpets, which are decorated with traditional ornaments such as "windows of paradise", "jasmine", "henna" and others. You can choose something from more modern striped carpets or buy a great option for the cold "Russian winter" Berber cloth with a long pile. But the most coveted are the masterpieces of handmade silk, in the threads of which the rays of the sun fiercely play.
For lovers of other forms of exoticism, sellers are in a hurry to offer handmade carpets depicting camels, people, and other objects traditional for Tunisia.
Ceramics and glassware
Wide selection of Tunisian marketplaces and ceramics. Most often, for such products, tourists go to historical places of manufacture - in northern Nabeul, Gellala, as well as the island of Djerba. Already here there is a bulk of ceramic goods for every taste, color and wallet. Craftsmen actively use various color shades - blue, yellow, blue, orange, red and many others.
It is impossible to pass by and not linger for at least a few minutes near the shelves with painted flower pots, decorative dishes that can decorate any festive table, as well as sets of ceramic dishes, services and candlesticks.
Gellala markets are attractive with a variety of clay products. Here you can buy unique jugs for liquids, containers for oil from olives, spices, ready-made sets for couscous, ashtrays and other little things, each of which conveys a piece of the master's soul.
Local craftsmen also specialize in the manufacture of glass products. This direction of art is more traditional for the suburb of Tunisia - Carthage. Many professionals also live on Cape Bon. If you want to buy quality products, we advise you to look for goods with the brand of the famous Sadika atelier, whose works can be found in the collections of tourists from all over the world. There is even a glass-blowing art museum not far from the historical homeland. Here you can see how glassblowers' products evolved, how they changed in different historical periods and witness the most interesting and unusual ideas of the local craftsmen.
Well, if you consider that the manufacture of blown glass is one of the most ancient types of craft in the Mediterranean, then a walk through the halls of the museum and between the market stalls, bursting with an excess of products, will become truly memorable and iconic.
Copper
Local sorcerers also know how to handle copper. Craftsmen skillfully experiment with the composition of the metal, add various additives to traditional copper, creating interesting color schemes of the final product and changing their properties. As a result, products appear, both in the usual reddish shade, and in more modern silver colors.
As a result, you can acquire brand new cutlery, which are perfect for cooking, beautiful presentation, as well as for other "mouth-watering" ceremonies.In our opinion, every tourist simply does not have the right to leave the market without traditional dishes for making aromatic coffee - the Turks. Copper Turks are perfect for creating excellent drinks from coffee beans, and teapots will give every owner the opportunity to appreciate the tart taste of green tea with the addition of mint.
You should not pass by other utensils that are ideal for cooking both traditional Tunisian dishes and familiar dishes for an ordinary resident of Russia. A variety of pots for making couscous, boxes, carved buckets with a ladle for a traditional hammam are striking.
Birdcages and straw products
Craftsmen from Sidi Bou Said are famous all over the world for their amazing size and design cages for various species of birds. This is not just a standard construction of intertwined wire and vine, but a real masterpiece of art! Without exception, all models are richly decorated with beads and tiny handmade souvenirs. You can find both completely tiny in size cages for decorative birds, and gigantic, human-sized structures, in which even rather large representatives of the feathered family will be comfortable. You will not find such cages for pets anywhere else!
They know how to work with straw in Tunisia. Thus, tourists who find themselves in Gabes, the oases of Shebika and Midez will be able to purchase not only traditional baskets made of straw and vines, but also a lot of unusual household and household utensils - chests, chests, furniture. Each city is famous for its products. So, in Gabes, tourists prefer to buy original floor lamps and lamps, which give a stream of light pleasant to the eye. And Nabe is more famous for its boxes and furniture, which can become a real decoration of any home.
Food
Well, now let's devote a few words to food. After all, not a single tourist trip is complete without buying sweets, fruits and dishes that are unique for each country. Let's start with the "gold reserve" of Tunisia - dates. It is this fruit that is the most important export item to European countries. Most of the date groves grow in Jerida, whose territory stretches down to the sands of the Sahara. The first fruits appear in local stores in the middle of autumn.
Extra virgin olive oil is also available for purchase at local stores and shops. In Tunisia, there are several dozen varieties of olive trees, which makes it possible to obtain oil of different taste and characteristics.
But one of the most popular spices in Tunisia - harissa - is a rarity for other parts of the world. With its help, you can give a special taste to the usual dishes of home or restaurant cuisine.
Well, lovers of sweets will be able to delight in local pastry shops, which can be found by the sign "pвtisserie". The main ingredient in almost all treats is honey, nuts, and sugar. The taste of all baked goods, although unusual, is quite recognizable.
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