Tunis, the capital and the largest city of Tunisia. *Photo from Wikipedia
March 20 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Tunisia from France in 1956.
In ancient times, Tunisia was primarily inhabited by Berbers. Phoenician immigration began in the 12th century BC; these immigrants founded Carthage. A major mercantile power and a military rival of the Roman Republic, Carthage was defeated by the Romans in 146 BC. The Romans, who would occupy Tunisia for most of the next eight hundred years, introduced Christianity and left architectural legacies.
After several attempts starting in 647, the Arabs conquered the whole of Tunisia by 697, followed by the Ottomans between 1534 and 1574. The Ottomans held sway for over three hundred years. The French conquest of Tunisia occurred in 1881.
Tunisia gained independence in 1956 and declared the Tunisian Republic in 1957.
In 2011, the Tunisian Revolution resulted in the overthrow of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, followed by parliamentary elections. The country voted for parliament again on 26 October 2014, and for President on 23 November 2014.
Tunisia, officially the Tunisian Republic or the Republic of Tunisia, is the northernmost country in Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia is considered to be the only full democracy in the Arab World. It has a high human development index.
In commemoration of the day, let us introduce you to a Tunisian cuisine instructor.
*Click a photo below to see her story!
“I don’t feel any cultural barrier here. Of course some Muslim customs are difficult to be adapted to Japanese culture. But we should try to accommodate ourselves to their culture as much as possible as long as we live in Japan. We must be flexible.” – Houda Sellami
*Reference: Wikipedia
