This National treasure is the largest and oldest museum in the country; it is a must visit for travelers to Tunisia and is certainly one of the more impressive museums on the African continent and in the Mediterranean region.
Located in a former palace the museum contains a significant and memorable collection of Roman mosaics from archaeological sites within the country including nearby Carthage. Pieces in the collection date back several thousand years including a number of marble statues. Portions of the collection have gone abroad to visit museums in Paris, Germany and Los Angeles.
Once visitors enter the museum they pass through the brick lined ‘Hallway of Sarcophagi’ which brings one to the start of the mosaic collection. The first floor is impressive but the upper levels are even more so – with rooms containing large mosaics- some that are extremely detailed. Allow several hours to wander through the museum.
In March 2015 several gunman tore through the museum killing mostly tourists. With great sadness one visits one room in which a number of the glass displays are still riddled with sizable bullet holes and spider cracking and shards of glass. A simple signed memorial is located on the wall at the entrance.
The museum is located in the suburbs of Tunis about a 15-20 minute ride from the center of town dependent on traffic. Depending on the time of year the museum opens at 9 or 930am until 430 or 5pm. For more information visit: www.bardomuseum.tn
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