Tunis: The Land and the People (The Folios Archive Library)

First published in 1882, this book offers a remarkably unprejudiced account of life in Tunisia towards the end of the nineteenth century. Touching upon oft-described “archaeological curiosities” only briefly, the author instead concentrates his attention on the country’s “present condition, its towns, districts and people”, making the book an invaluable historical document.

Topics covered within the book include the Bey, his court and administration; the “life and customs” of good society in Tunis”; “life in a Moorish harem”; street-life within the bazaars of Tunis; and a number of chapters on the situation of the Jews of Tunis. The author also travels beyond the capital to a number of provincial towns such as Mater, the holy city of Kairouan and Sfax; spends time in the southern oases; and discusses the lives of Tunisia’s Bedouin and Berber inhabitants.