Logo

Tunis

Centuries of Contempt Have Shaped the Slums of Tunis

‘Us and Them’ in Tunis

A long history of contempt for the poor and displaced has shaped the underclass neighborhoods of Tunis. Yet such places, where young people’s options are often limited to crime, extremism and migration, have played an important role in the country’s recent past.

The Politics of a Fire Engine in Tunisia

The Politics of a Fire Engine in Tunisia

A decade after the folks in Thala celebrated their first free and democratic election, all power in Tunisia has become centralized in the hands of President Kais Saied. Yet, paradoxically, Thala’s election organizers were not sad to see the Parliament go. It seems to be a testament to the widely perceived notion that what had manifested after the small successes of the Arab Spring was, in effect, a corrupt and ineffective Parliament, which hadn’t made a difference in people’s everyday lives.

The Tunisia Heist

The Tunisia Heist

Ten years on, many members of the Ben Ali-Trabelsi clan remain in exile, scattered across the world. But the question that has dogged Tunisians for a decade remains — what happened to the money? Where is it hidden, and will Tunisians ever be able to recover what was stolen from them?

Our Summer in Tunisia

Our Summer in Tunisia

For me, it’s the olfactory sense that first awakens the resurgence of childhood recollections, and the first trip to Tunisia that we took together. I remember the aroma released by a jasmine plant that we had outside the window of our family home.