24 November 6, 2015 Travel www.thearabweekly.com

Agenda

Tunis: Through November 8th

The fifthDream City, a bien- nial, multidisciplinary cel- ebration of contemporary art, takes place in public spaces. The event includes movie projections, theatre perfor- mances, music concerts and art exhibitions. This edition’s theme is Art and Social Con- nection. Artists from Africa, the Middle East and Europe will participate.

London: Through November 8th

The Nour Festival of Arts shines light on the best of contemporary Middle Eastern and North African arts and culture in venues across Kensington and Chelsea in London. The festival has a rich programme featuring exhibitions, music, film, food, talks and dance.

Dubai: Through April 9th The view from a Sidi Bou Said coffee shop overlooking the Mediterranean. Global Village is the largest seasonal cultural extrava- ganza in the region. Visitors can enjoy an array of festivals, The unique vistas of ’s Sidi Bou Said shopping and entertainment in an open-air theme park. The entertainment and shop- Roua Khlifi ranging from Phoenician to Arab- ing houses here. Its architectural the sounds of the feet touching the ping destination hosts more Andalusian origins. The latter has characteristics and its geographi- ground can be heard ascending on than 70 participating coun- graced the town with a particular cal placement have brought the at- a harmony of silence and echoes of tries with presentations in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia identity as it is a town that was built tention of many artists and writers music playing from a distance. more than three dozen pavil- as a pilgrimage destination. The who were inspired by the beauty of The alleys made of old stones ions. There are more than 50 ollowing a maze of alleys, first inhabitants were those who the town. Since the 1920s, the town carved into the paths are a treat to fun rides and 26 restaurants ornamented with blue used to come to attend to the shrine became a destination for people,” those with explorer souls as they offering food from around the doors and stone-covered of Sidi Bou Said,” Raouf Dakhlaoui, Dakhlaoui said. offer the visitors a labyrinth for ex- world. path, the blue sky meets mayor of Sidi Bou Said, stated. ploring the scenery of the city. the sea at the top of the hill A leading figure of Sufism, Sidi Streets are busy with visitors at Fas the jasmine-selling man passes Bou Said El Beji settled in the area. The town art galleries and shops of artisans. Beirut: by leaving a trail of scent beckoning Born at Beja in 1156, he studied became popular Sidi Bou Said offers serenity and Through December 17th travellers to venture inside. This is and taught religion at the Zitouna beauty. how Sidi Bou Said welcomes visi- mosque in . After a long jour- among Tunisians “Sidi Bou Said lives on the touris- Nocturnes du Musée Sursock or tors. ney, he retired from the world to for its scenery tic appeal it has, and the cafés scat- Sursock Museum Late Nights Overlooking the Mediterranean, meditate. The mountain of M’nara and spiritual tered on the sides offering tea and takes place every Thursday the town of blue windows and was his sanctuary. After his death, coffee. During the summer, it wel- from noon-9pm at the Sur- doors and whitewashed walls is on his mausoleum became a place of status. comes over 10,000 visitors almost sock Museum in Beirut. The the hill overlooking the harbour. pilgrimage. The shrine still exists. every day,” Dakhlaoui said. event varies by week with art Sidi Bou Said is a jewel of unique ar- “It has a spiritual aspect as the Sidi Bou Said also has a reputa- With sites such as the Ennejma exhibits, collection displays, chitecture and mesmerising views shrine of Sidi Bou Said resides tion as a town of artists. Artists such palace, the town remains late-night talks, performances offering serene beauty. there. He is one of the leading fig- as Paul Klee, Gustave-Henri Jossot, vibrant despite the current absence and screenings. Located 20 kilometres from Tu- ures of Sufism in the country, and August Macke and Louis Moilliet of the usual lively tourist wave. nis, Sidi Bou Said offers a pictur- one of the four saints protecting have visited or lived in the town. “Today, however, the town has esque view of the sea, the harbour the capital of Tunis,” Dakhlaoui Sidi Bou Said artists Yahia Turki, been struggling with some eco- Beirut: and Jebel Boukornine, enabling said. “The Sufi season is celebrated Brahim Dhahak and Ammar Farhat nomic issues as the tourism sector. November 10th-14th visitors to savour a glimpse into the every year with their rituals as the came to be known as the founders Yet the town is a cultural hub. We layers of the town’s scenic attrac- followers of the Sufi order through of the painting school of Tunis. The have cultural festivals of art, litera- The Beirut Cooking Festival tions. festivities.” town was also the home of French ture and music. We host one of the takes place at the Biel Pavillon Sidi Bou Said history boasts a di- The town became popular among philosopher Michel Foucault, who biggest institutions of music, the Royal, bringing together the versity of cultures and celebrates Tunisians for its scenery and spir- lived there for a number of years centre for Arabic and Mediterra- best in cuisine, wine, beer and the spirituality that has graced the itual status. The municipality was while teaching at the University of nean music. These cultural events spirits. Many celebrity chefs location. Built on the mountain of created in 1843. In the 18th centu- Tunis. keep the town alive despite the will be present to meet people M’nara (Minaret), which later came ry, the Husseinite Bey and later the The town’s beauty stems from touristic crisis,” Dakhlaoui said. and share recipes, entertain- to be known as the mountain of wealthy of Tunis built residences the alleys that are intertwined into Once in Sidi Bou Said, one can- ing dishes, cocktail courses Sidi Bou Said, the town has served in the town. During the 1920s, Ro- a puzzle of paths, with each leading not leave without savouring the and new trends in cooking. as a minaret to observe the sea and dolphe d’Erlanger, a painter and to a unique view of the sea. Stroll- mint tea and taste Fatayer , a local guard Tunis since the Punic period. orientalist who settled in the town, ing the alleys, visitors realise that delicacy made of sweet dough and During Punic and Roman times, a applied the blue-white theme. His this village is meant for walking as immersed in honey. The cafés are Tunis: fire was in place at the lighthouse to home, Ennejma Ezzahra, is a cul- it enchants the wanderers to a myr- a signature of the town with their November 21st-28th guide boats. tural centre and museum. iad of old artisan shops and cafes artisanal seats and the view of the “It is a small town that is distin- “The town became quite popu- with a panoramic view of the blue sea from the top of the hill beckon- The Film Festival is guished from other towns with its lar among the families of Beys who Mediterranean. Those who seek ing the visitor to be immersed in an annual event showcasing architectural uniqueness. It dis- used to come to enjoy the seren- solitude are also greeted by the vil- the haziness that unites the sky and films from the Maghreb, Af- plays an antiquity of characteristics ity of the place and started build- lage to peaceful corners where only the sea. rica and the Middle East. In its 26th edition, the 2015 festival will take place in Tunis and other regions of Tunisia. A parallel programme includes world cinema showings, Argentina cinema projections, seminars, debates and meet- ings. The 2015 Carthage Film Festival is a tribute to Manoel de Oliveira, Nouri Bouzid, Es- sia Djabbar and others.

We welcome submissions of calendar items related to cultural events of interest to travellers in the Middle East and North Africa.

Please send tips to: Café des Nattes in Sidi Bou Said White and blue colours of Sidi Bou Said [email protected]