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Nostalgia for a Place and Time I Never Knew: My Connection to Casino Hammam-Lif

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Hammam-Lif, at the foot of Boukornine, was my father’s birthplace, his final resting place, and my home for two brief years. Hammam-Lif, or “Naro” in ancient times, carries a history dating back to antiquity. The Romans renamed it Aquae Persianae , and under Arab rule, it became Hammamat El Jazira— “baths of the peninsula.” Eventually, it settled into its current name, referencing its famed thermal springs and the mountain's shape resembling a nose ( anf in Arabic). Renowned for its healing hot springs since antiquity, Hammam-Lif was also a symbol of elegance during Tunisia’s colonial period. Its golden age featured Dar El Bey (the Bey’s Palace) and a glamorous casino. The Casino, built in the late 19th century in a Moorish style, was a hub of entertainment. Its weathered façade still whispers stories of glam and festivity. When I was a child, my father and I would often stroll along the shore, passing the Casino. To me, it was just a ruin, but through his stories, it came alive. ...
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Boukornine: A Mountain of Memories and Myths

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Our journey began with a short walk down Avenue de Carthage . But I promised you something more enduring, and so I brought you with me to Tunis Marine to take in the view of Boukornine—a mountain that, for many, is just a landmark. For me, it’s so much more; it’s my compass, my home. I was born in Tunis, at Aziza Othmana Hospital in the Kasbah , but my childhood played out between Ezzahra and Hammam-Lif, two coastal suburbs where Boukornine’s twin peaks were always in view.  To the ancient Carthaginians, Boukornine wasn’t just a mountain. It was sacred ground, a place of worship for the god Baal Hammon , the deity of fertility and vegetation, revered as the king of gods.  As a child, I heard whispered tales that Boukornine was a dormant volcano. That idea terrified me, planting vivid images of Pompeii-like destruction in my young mind. But over time, that fear turned into fascination.  I climbed Boukornine on a school trip, and my childish dread melted into awe. From the...
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A Journey Through the Forgotten Streets of Avenue de Carthage

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You thought I wouldn't be back, didn’t you? Same here... But I got caught up boarding planes, making memories, and filling my phone with even more snapshots. So, where did we leave off? Ah, yes—I’d told you about how I first fell in love with the vibrant architecture of downtown Tunis when I was 18, rushing off to tutoring classes. Back then, I’d dash through the streets without pausing to appreciate their beauty. In Tunis, people rarely stop to take in their surroundings; it’s the capital, after all. Life moves fast, and no one wants to slow the stream of pedestrians just to admire buildings, once grand, now occupied by those facing hardship. But as I grew older, I gathered the courage to capture these streets through my lens. My photos reveal the beauty of what was once the cultural heart of downtown Tunis. As my friend Hatem Bourial described in one of his articles , "Back in the day, Avenue de Carthage was a hub of culture in Tunis. It hosted the Artisanat department stor...
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Hello! I'm Rawdha, and This is Travel Through My Lenses.

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Hello, I’m Rawdha —a Tunisian woman, a lawyer by profession, and an artist at heart. I am neither a globetrotter nor a conventional travel blogger. I am an ordinary person with a 9 to 5 job in law,  finding solace and inspiration through the lenses of my phone camera .  My journey into street photography started a decade ago in the vibrant streets of Tunis , where French colonial elegance meets brutalist grit and Italian art deco charm.  It all began at the age of 18, when I embarked on a weekly train journey from Ezzahra to Tunis during 2013-2014. My destination: Avenue de Carthage, where I attended Philosophy tutoring lessons to prepare for my baccalaureate. Our classroom perched on the fourth floor of a building our professor jestingly claimed would crumble by year's end. Avenue de Carthage buzzed with morning activity—cars honking, shared taxis, buses, and people darting in all directions. The 5 to 10-minute walk from Tunis Terminal train station to my tutor...
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Pays/territoire : Tunis, Tunisie
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