Tunisia Way

With its unparalled collection of mosaics, the Bardo Museum is sometimes likened to the Louvre for its breadth and quality. Most of the mosaics were commissioned between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD to adorn the sumptuous villas of wealthy citizens throughout Tunisia. The rooms of the Bardo are named after the places from which the mosaics were found - such as the Dougga Room, Bulla Regia Room, and so on.

Like the Louvre, trying to see and fully appreciate all the pieces can be overwhelming if not impossible.In addition to the fine mosaics, the Bardo Museum also has sections covering the Punic, early Christian, and Islamic periods. The architecture of the palace itself is worthy of attention. I kept finding myself looking up at the ceilings. The Virgil Room architecture is particularly beautiful, complementing its star attraction.

The Bardo Museum is located about 4 km from the Tunis city center, in the suburb of Bardo. It occupies the former Bardo Palace, official residence of the Husseinite beys. The present palace was built at the end of the 17th century and became a museum in 1888.

  For tourists who will not be lucky enough to visit all the above listed sites, a visit to the Bardo Museum in Tunis will give a good overview of the wealth and depth of the Tunisian cultural heritage.

The Bardo Museum ought to be visited by all that come to Tunisia not only for its amazingly rich collection for but also for the building that houses it. The museum was a bey’s palace built in the 19th century in the Moorish style. The ceilings are painted wooden ceilings and painstakingly sculpted plaster known as stuccoes that give it the appearance of lace. The walls are covered by ornamental ceramics. The museum holds collections of historical and archeological objects relating to the history of Tunisia from prehistory to the beginning of the 20th century. The thousands of objects are exhibited in fifty rooms and galleries. The Bardo holds one of the largest collections of Roman mosaics in the world. The most famous one is the only known portrait of the Latin poet Virgil.