Religious, Spiritual sights in Tunis
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A
Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul
There are some fine examples of colonial architecture in the Ville Nouvelle, ranging from the exuberant to the bizarre. Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul sits comfortably in the bizarre camp. This custard-coloured 1883 cathedral melds Gothic, Byzantine and Moorish elements. There are regular masses in French and Italian and it's open variable hours.
The statue opposite the cathedral is of Ibn Khaldun, the great Tunis-born Islamic teacher and philosopher - many of his ideas, such as the cyclical nature of history, were way ahead of his time.
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B
Medersa Slimania
Medersas are schools for study of the Quran. They declined in the late 19th century when broader education came into vogue. Fine examples - mostly still used as schools - are clustered around the Zaytouna Mosque. Ali Pasha built Medersa Slimania in 1754, a marvel of stucco and tiling, to commemorate his son Suleiman, poisoned by his brother. Once a Quranic school for girls, it now houses an association of former students.
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C
Medersa Palmier
Medersas are schools for study of the Quran. They declined in the late 19th century when broader education came into vogue. Fine examples - mostly still used as schools - are clustered around the Zaytouna Mosque. Medersa Palmier, still a Quranic school, was constructed in 1714 on the site of a funduq (travellers' inn) and named after a long-gone tree. Identify it by its yellow studded door.
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