A Journey Through the Forgotten Streets of Avenue de Carthage

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 store, right beside the Palmarium, along with the Yahia Gallery, the city’s theatrical troupe headquarters, and the famous Tunisia Palace, long considered the capital’s largest hotel. Bookstores, bistros, and local shops filled this emblematic avenue."

I never knew Avenue de Carthage as intimately as Hatem did, but I could sense its history in every detail: the weathered columns, the intricate carvings, and the faded facades, all remnants of a time when this avenue was alive. 

There’s a strange nostalgia in seeing these structures in their current state—a kind of longing for a world I never knew but can almost imagine. They tell their stories in layers: cracked plaster, peeling paint, and sagging walls speak of resilience, of holding on through cycles of decay and renewal. In their weathered beauty, I see the soul of Tunis—layered, complex, and enduring. These buildings hold memories of a flourishing past but also stand firmly in the present, bearing witness to the lives of those who now call them home. They embody a contrast that’s both haunting and poetic, reflecting the city’s spirit as it moves forward while carrying echoes of its vibrant history.

This is Avenue de Carthage, with its storied facades, just a 10-minute walk from Tunis Marine. There, you can pause, gaze over the Lake of Tunis, and look to Boukornine—my compass, where I'll take you next.