The Tunis guidebooks skip
Three places in the medina no hotel map marks: a palace that's still free to enter, seven centuries of trading in herbs, and a bathhouse that still heats the water.
- Dar Othman
- The palace of Othman Dey
- Souk el Blat
- A herb souk right inside the medina
- When to go
- In the morning
The same loop that leads to the Zitouna and the Bardo passes within a few steps of three places a two-day plan skips: a palace that now looks after the medina itself, a souk selling herbs rather than cloth, and a bathhouse behind a door nobody notices until it's pointed out.
The palace that now looks after the medina
It was built by Othman Dey at the end of the sixteenth century, around 1594/95, in the south of the medina, on Mébazaâ street. The façade is Hafsid in style, with a large door of black and white marble, and the courtyard sits under trees planted during the twentieth century. Today it houses the association that oversees the restoration of the whole medina, so the building is itself an example of what it works on — entry is free.
Seven centuries of herbs and charms
Unlike Souk el Attarine with its perfumes or Souk el Berka with its gold, Souk el Blat sells herbs — bundles of thyme, sage, garlic and eucalyptus, laid out in front of stalls as old as the souk itself. Some sellers keep charms against the evil eye alongside the herbs, the same as centuries ago.
The bathhouse still in use
The door is red and yellow and easy to walk past without noticing, but behind it is one of the few original public bathhouses in the medina that hasn't become a shop or a flat. Hours for men and women are kept separate, no booking is needed, and you bring your own towel.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Is there actually something to buy at Souk el Blat, or just to look at?
There's something to buy — herbs, blends and charms, all haggled over like the rest of the medina. There's no fixed price list at the stall.
Does the hammam need booking ahead?
No. You turn up at the door during the hours set for your sex, no booking needed; bring your own towel and sandals.
Ready for Tunis?
Where to next
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How well does Tunis suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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