What to bring from Tunisia: 7 souvenir ideas for yourself and friends

Welcome to Tunisia! And today we will find out what goods can be purchased in the local markets, as well as how you can replenish your unique traveler's home collection.

Each market square in Tunisia is ready to share all its riches with tourists from different parts of the world. On the shelves you can find jewelry, copper and glass items, amazing examples of ceramic dishes, as well as scarves, shawls, and other items of clothing made from silk, leather and tulle.

Clothing and footwear

Perhaps the main expense of any tourist who first comes to Tunisia is the purchase of clothes and shoes. Thanks to their skills in the processing of wool, fabric and leather, the secrets of which technology have been passed down from generation to generation, Tunisians can offer guests a truly rich selection of finished products, fabrics and other components for their manufacture. There is no doubt about the quality of clothes and fabrics, because they were bought by tons of merchants from Istanbul, who are scrupulous about the choice of any product. From now on, you can also appreciate the skill of local craftsmen.

Mahdi silk and hammamet linen are especially popular, from which unique works of art are created in the hands of skilled craftsmen – bright scarves with a unique ornament, stoles, huge panels and handbags that will become an original accessory for any outfit.

Recently, in pursuit of a fashionable trend, local craftsmen have begun to make bright dresses and outfits of a modern style, but using ancient techniques. Such outfits do not need any decoration, because gold threads are used to create the dress.

No less popular are silk products, which have been produced by skilled craftswomen from Hammamet for several millennia. The outfits are so beautiful that they have long been part of the traditional decoration of any bride. Well, for men, market traders offer to buy Tunisian jubbas, which are made in the form of hoodies, as well as short pants called serueli.

Tourists have the opportunity to buy locally produced shoes. All samples are resistant to wear, qualitatively sewn and have a bright, original design. Almost all samples are made of genuine camel leather. You can choose both the opening of a model – sandals, and purchase unique samples of business shoes that are more traditional for a European buyer.

But the attractiveness of Tunisia's shoe stalls does not end there. Customers will be able to purchase shoes made especially for them to order. Of course, first you have to take measurements. Almost all shoes sold in Tunisia are durable and practical, so you will never regret such a purchase.

Jewelry

Outlandish jewelry created by the “golden” hands of local craftsmen is even more in demand. In most cases, craftsmen use gold with a minimum content of impurities, but at the same time they practically do not work with precious stones. Most often, gold jewelry is intertwined with semi-precious stones (cubic zirconia). If the Russians are used to 585 gold and believe that this is the “peak of perfection”, then Tunisian masters do not consider such gold as a worthy commodity at all. For the manufacture of jewelry, only gold of the 750th test is used and no lower!

If you want to buy a masterpiece of jewelry that will meet all the criteria of luxury (that is, high quality gold combined with precious stones), welcome to specialty stores. Here you can find not only unique products made of white “noble metal” with rich diamond inlay, but also attractive silver products, designed in the traditional Berber style.

Home Decorations

Tourists who want to decorate their home with original products of Tunisian masters are welcome in the city of Kairouan, which is famous for its knotted carpets. Rumor has it that almost every resident of the city has the skills to create original carpets here.

Customers are offered several subspecies of products to choose from: there are traditional wool carpets, which are decorated with traditional ornaments such as “windows of paradise”, “jasmine”, “henna” and others. You can choose from more modern striped carpets or buy a great option for the cold “Russian winter” Berber fabric with a long pile. But the most desirable are the masterpieces of man-made craftsmanship made of silk, in the threads of which the rays of the sun frantically play.

For lovers of other forms of exotic, sellers are in a hurry to offer handmade carpets depicting camels, people, as well as other objects traditional for Tunisia.

Ceramics and glassware

A wide selection of Tunisian marketplaces and ceramics. Most often, for such products, tourists go to historical places of manufacture – to northern Nabeul, Gellalu, and also the island of Djerba. There is already a lot of ceramic goodness in bulk for every taste, color and wallet. Masters actively use various color shades – blue, yellow, cyan, orange, red and many others.

It is impossible to pass by and not linger at least for a few minutes near the racks with painted flower pots, decorative dishes that can decorate any festive table, as well as sets of ceramic dishes, services and candlesticks.

Gellala markets attract with a variety of products made from unbaked clay. Here you can buy unique jugs for liquids, containers for olive oil, spices, couscous sets, ashtrays and other little things, each of which conveys a piece of the master's soul.

Local craftsmen also specialize in the manufacture of glassware. This direction of art is more traditional for the suburbs of Tunisia – Carthage. Many professionals live on Cape Bon. If you want to buy quality products, we advise you to look for goods with the stamp of the famous Sadika studio, whose works can be found in the collections of tourists from all over the world. Not far from the historical homeland there is even a museum of glassblowing art. Here you can see how the products of glassblowers have evolved, how they have changed in different historical periods and become a witness to the most interesting and unusual ideas of the local masters.

Well, if you consider that the manufacture of blown glass is one of the oldest crafts in the Mediterranean, then a walk through the halls of the museum and between market stalls, bursting with excess products, will become truly memorable and iconic.

Copper

Local magicians know how to handle copper. Masters skillfully experiment with the composition of the metal, add various additives to traditional copper, creating interesting color schemes for the final product and changing their properties. As a result, products appear, both in the usual reddish hue, and in more modern silver colors.

As a result, you can get brand new cutlery that is great for cooking, serving it beautifully, as well as for other “appetizing” ceremonies. In our opinion, every tourist simply does not have the right to leave the market without the traditional utensils for making aromatic coffee – the Turks. Copper turks are great for creating excellent drinks from coffee beans, and teapots will give every owner the opportunity to appreciate the tart taste of green tea with mint.

Do not pass by other items of utensils that are ideal for preparing both traditional Tunisian dishes and familiar dishes for an ordinary resident of Russia. A variety of saucepans for cooking couscous, caskets, carved buckets with a ladle for a traditional hammam are striking.

Bird cages and straw products

Craftsmen from Sidi Bou Said are famous all over the world for their amazing size and design of cages for various bird species. This is not just a standard construction of intertwined wire and vines, but a real masterpiece of art! Without exception, all models are richly decorated with beads and tiny handmade souvenirs. You can find both absolutely tiny cages for decorative birds, and gigantic, human-sized structures, in which even rather large representatives of the feathered family will be comfortable. You will not find similar cages for pets anywhere else!

They know how to work with straw in Tunisia. So, tourists who ended up in Gabes, the oases of Shebika and Midez will be able to purchase not only traditional baskets made of straw and vines, but also a lot of unusual household and household utensils – chests, chests, furniture. Each city is famous for its products. So, in Gabes, tourists prefer to buy original floor lamps and lamps that give a pleasant stream of light for the eyes. And Nabeul is more famous for its caskets and furniture, which can become a real decoration of any home.

Food

Now, let's talk about food. After all, not a single tourist trip is complete without buying sweets, fruits and dishes unique to each country. Let's start with the “gold reserve” of Tunisia – dates. It is this fruit that occupies the most important export item to European countries. Most of the date groves grow in Djerid, whose territory stretches all the way to the sands of the Sahara. The first fruits appear on local shelves in mid-autumn.

Extra virgin olive oil is also available for purchase at local retailers and shops. In Tunisia, there are several dozen varieties of olive trees, which allows you to get oil of different taste and characteristics.

But one of the most popular seasonings in Tunisia – harissa – is a rarity for other parts of the world. With its help, you can give a special taste to the usual dishes of home or restaurant cuisine.

Well, lovers of sweets will be able to please in local confectioneries, which can be found by the sign “pvtisserie”. The main ingredient in almost all treats is honey, nuts and sugar. The taste of all pastries, although unusual, is quite recognizable.