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Social Profile
Food & Drink: Tunisian food is well prepared and delicious, particularly the authentic lamb or dorado (bream) couscous, the fish dishes, tajine and brik or brik à l’oeuf (egg and a tasty filling fried in an envelope of pastry). Tunisian dishes are cooked with olive oil, spiced with aniseed, coriander, cumin, caraway, cinnamon or saffron and flavoured with mint, orange blossom or rose water. Restaurants catering for tourists tend to serve rather bland dishes and ‘international’ cuisine, and visitors are advised to try the smaller restaurants. Prices vary enormously, and higher prices do not necessarily mean better meals. Tunis and the main cities also have French, Italian and other international restaurants. Self-service may sometimes be found but table service is more common.
Moorish cafes, with their traditional decor, serve excellent Turkish coffee or mint tea with pine nuts. Although Tunisia is an Islamic country, alcohol is not prohibited. Tunisia produces a range of excellent table wines, sparkling wines, beers, aperitifs and local liqueurs, notably Boukha (distilled from figs) and Thibarine.
Nightlife: In Tunisia, the theatre season lasts from October to June when local and foreign (especially French) companies put on productions and concerts. International groups appear at the Tunis Theatre and in the towns of Hammamet and Sousse. There are numerous cinemas in the larger cities. There are nightclubs in most of the beach hotels as well as in the big city hotels. Belly dancing is a common cabaret feature and lively local bands often play traditional music.
Shopping: Special purchases include copperware (engraved trays, ashtrays and other utensils); articles sculpted in olive wood; leather goods (wallets, purses, handbags); clothing (kaftans, jelabas, burnuses); pottery and ceramics; dolls in traditional dress; beautiful embroidery; fine silverware and enamelled jewellery. Among the most valuable of Tunisia’s products are carpets. The two major types are woven (non-pile) and knotted (pile). The quality of all carpets is strictly controlled by the National Handicrafts Office, so be sure to check the ONA seal before buying. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1600-1900 (summer); Mon-Sat 0900-1300 and 1500-1900 (winter). Weekly markets: A source of good purchases are the markets which are set up on certain days in many Tunisian towns and villages. All the products of the region are displayed, including handicrafts, farm produce and secondhand goods. There are ONA workshops and stores throughout the country where visitors can buy items at fixed prices. ONA stores make a reduction of ten per cent on the price of goods purchased in foreign currency. No duty is payable on articles up to £900 in value which are shipped to EU countries, only if accompanied by an EUR1 form. Visitors who make a purchase of more than TD5, anywhere in Tunisia, should ask for a sales slip and keep all sales slips, along with bank receipts for any currency exchanged, for customs inspection.
Special Events: The following information is a selection of Tunisian festivals celebrated in 2003. A complete list is available from the Tunisian National Tourist Office (see Contact Addresses section).
Apr 2003 Lag B’Omer Pilgrimage to La Griba, Djerba. Jun-Jul Tabarka Jazz Festival, Tabarka. Jul Aoussou Festival (International Theater Festival), Sousse. Jul-Aug International Festival of Hammamet (festival of artists), Hammamet. Sep Coralis Festival (underwater photography), Tabarka. Oct 2-27 Carthage October Music Festival (classical music), Carthage. Nov Festival of the Oases, Tozeur (camel racing); International Saharan Festival (desert folklore), Douz.
Social Conventions: Arabic in culture and tradition, Tunisia is nevertheless one of the more liberal and tolerant Muslim countries. The nomadic Bedouin still follow their traditional way of life in the southern desert. The Tunisians’ varied origins are shown in the architecture, crafts, music and regional folk dances. Tunisia has also developed an international reputation as an intellectual and cultural centre. Shaking hands is the usual form of greeting. Hospitality is very important and a small gift in appreciation of hospitality or as a token of friendship is always appropriate. Dress can be informal but should respect the conventions of Islam when visiting religious monuments, ie shoulders and knees must be covered. Outside tourist resorts, scanty beachwear should not be worn. Tipping: Ten per cent for all services.
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