Jaunted

Tunisia

Hannibal's Hometown Hosts Fest

August 2, 2006 at 8:50 AM | 0 Comments

If you were listening in school when the teacher droned on about Roman history maybe Carthage rings a bell. It's not just a chapter to memorize for a test, but a fairly impressive travel destination as well. The huge multi-site collection of Roman ruins in northern Tunisia is a short train ride north of the capital Tunis, and attractions include the Antonine Thermal Bath ruins, where you can still imagine the opulent surroundings where emperors might have bathed many centuries ago, and of course a typical Roman amphitheater.

This theater is still used today for the Carthage Festival, a music and arts fest that's taken place for 42 years and counting. Running from mid-July to mid-August, in 2006 there will be theater pieces, dance, concerts and even poetry readings from Tunisia and as far afield as the USA, France and Korea. Nobody super-famous reached the playlist this year, but previous performers have included Ray Charles, Youssou Ndour, Joe Cocker and Louis Armstrong. After Mariah Carey's mixed reception in Tunisia last week, (can you believe some commentators thought she was too sexy?) she might not make the bill next year either, but keep the Carthage Festival on your list of possibilities when you're roaming the world.

[Image via lil/Flickr]

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