Culture of Tunisia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Contents

[edit] Cultural history

Tunisia's cultural life dates to prehistoric times, as illustrated by dolmens near Bou Salem and rock carvings of the Tunisian Sahara. The Hermaïon of El Guettar, discovered near the city of El Guettar in the south, is the oldest extant religious display discovered.

[edit] Ethnicities and languages

Main article: Demographics of Tunisia

Tunisia has a very diverse population of people coming from all around the world. Though the majority ethnic groups are Arab (98%) following European (1%) and Jewish (1%).

The most spoken language is Arabic, but the dialect is Tunisian Arabic. Other minor languages include French, and Shilha. Lingua Franca and Sened are languages that are not spoken anymore.

[edit] Religion

Main article: Religion in Tunisia

Tunisia is somewhat diverse with its religions. Although Islam is recognized in Tunisia as the state religion there are several other religious groups. Roman Catholics, Jews, Greek Orthodox, and Protestants are some other religions found in Tunisia. These religious groups are small but promised their rights of practicing their religion by Tunisian government. The second most common belief in Tunisia besides Islam is atheism, the belief that there are no gods.

[edit] Gender roles

Men and women have their own set of standards in the Tunisian culture. Men are responsible for making their families income. Women are then left to take care of their agricultural needs such as maintaining and preserving fruits and vegetables, spinning and weaving wool, harvesting wheat into couscous, and other means of agriculture. By regional standards, Tunisian women enjoy far more freedoms than women in neighboring countries.

[edit] Food

Main article: Cuisine of Tunisia

Tunisian food uses a variety of ingredients and in different ways. The main dish that is served here is Couscous. Couscous is made of miniscuol grains that are cooked and usually served with meat and vegetables. In cooking they also use a variety of flavors such as: olive oil, aniseed, coriander, cumin, caraway, cinnamon, saffron, mint, orange, blossom, and rose water.

[edit] Art

Most of the country’s older art came from the influences of China, Spain, Persia and the Near East forming the style known as Arabesque. Tunisian artists are known for their mosaics and pottery. Their Mosaics use a variety of colors in repetitive patterns to adorn walls and floors by depicting a story or person. Mosaics are often used in architecture by implementing the use of geometric shapes and accenting with gold. Though, the displays of some artwork can be seen on buildings and architecture, one could find many sources of art in one place in the Bardo Museum in Tunis.

[edit] Sports

Main article: Sport in Tunisia

-Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in the country. The Premiere league has twelve teams that complete against one another for a trophy, also a chance to qualify for the Champions league of the African Nations. The Tunisian National team won the African Nations cup in the year 2004.

-Handball happens to be the second largest sport in the country. Tunisia held the 2005 world championships of Handball and won 4th place in the competition.

-Rugby is a growing sport in the country. More and more people are picking up the sport as a hobby because of the success the National team is beginning to have. They are ranked 35th in the world, and are slowly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the International Sevens Circuit.

-Golf is a great hobby to have in Tunisia. If you are visiting bring your golf clubs because the great climate provides excellent conditions for not only playing gold, but also for the upkeep of the courses around the country.

[edit] Music

Main article: Music of Tunisia

Malouf is a kind of music that has been around in Tunisia since the 15th century. It is played by a small Orchestra using Sitars, Drums, violins and Lutes. The Rachidia was founded in 1930, which is where al the best musicians from the area study. The school was established in 1934 b Mustapha Sfar. The motivation for opening the school was to revive Arab Andalusian music.

[edit] Events/Holidays

Sahara Festival

This amazing festival takes place on the oasis of Douz, which is located in the southern part of Tunisia. The event typically takes three days and takes place in November or December. The Sahara Festival is important to Tunisia’s culture because it celebrates the traditions of the desert people. This attracts many tourists and musical from all around the world such as horsemen who show off their saddles and local fabrics and skills. One exciting event is watching the camel races riding towards the finish line. Overall this event is a must see.

[edit] References

Languages