Also called the Porte de France or French Gate, this huge freestanding arch was the medina's eastern gateway until the surrounding walls were demolished by the French to create Pl de la Victoire. It now marks the main entrance into the medina from Centre Ville. Note Rue des Glaciéres, leading off to the north – its name references the fact that huge blocks of Alpine ice for sale were stored here in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Medina
0.23 MILES
This sprawling maze of ancient streets and alleyways is one of the most impressive medieval medinas in North Africa and one of Tunisia's great treasures…
Bardo Museum
2.34 MILES
The main draw at the Tunisia's top museum is its magnificent collection of Roman mosaics. These provide a vibrant and fascinating portrait of ancient…
Uthina
13.09 MILES
On the cultivated amber slopes of Mt Mekrima, the fascinating but little-visited ruins of ancient Uthina are the remains of one of the Roman Empire's…
Souq des Chechias
0.3 MILES
A medina highlight, this hugely atmospheric souq is filled with exquisitely decorated shops producing and selling chechias, Tunisia's traditional blood…
Port Aux Prince
27.96 MILES
This appealing golden curve of beach is anchored by a rock-hewn castle-like villa, said to have belonged to Wassila Bourguiba, the wife of the former…
Antonine Baths
9.59 MILES
The Romans chose a sublime seaside setting for this monumental terme (bath complex), a short walk downhill from the Roman villas. Begun under Hadrian and…
Zitouna Mosque
0.26 MILES
Located in the heart of Tunis' medina, this important mosque was founded in 734 and built on a site once occupied by a church. It was totally rebuilt in…
Dar Lasram
0.46 MILES
Once home to the Lasram family, who provided the beys with scribes, this magnificent building dates from the early 19th century and was one of the first…
Nearby Tunis attractions
1. Marché Centrale
0.16 MILES
Tunisian food markets offer a great introduction to local culture, and Tunis' Marché Centrale is particularly atmospheric. The original market building…
2. Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul & St Olive
0.2 MILES
There are some fine examples of colonial architecture in Centre Ville, ranging from the elegant to the exuberant to the bizarre. This custard-coloured…
3. Medina
0.23 MILES
This sprawling maze of ancient streets and alleyways is one of the most impressive medieval medinas in North Africa and one of Tunisia's great treasures…
4. Madrasa Palmier
0.25 MILES
Named after the palm tree in the courtyard, this Ottoman Quranic school was constructed in 1714 on the site of a funduq (caravanserai or travellers’ inn)…
5. Madrasa El Bachia
0.25 MILES
This former madrassa (school for study of the Quran) near the Hammam El Kachachine was built in 1752 and has a small, non-functioning public fountain…
6. Madrasa Slimania
0.26 MILES
Ali Pasha, ruler of Tunisia from 1735 to 1756, commissioned this religious building as a memorial to his murdered son Suleiman. Entered from the street…
7. Zitouna Mosque
0.26 MILES
Located in the heart of Tunis' medina, this important mosque was founded in 734 and built on a site once occupied by a church. It was totally rebuilt in…
8. Dar Othman
0.26 MILES
This building was constructed for Othman Dey in the late 16th century. His business – piracy – was obviously lucrative, and he also happened to be…