Sidi Bou Said ( ') is a town in northern

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

located about 20 km northeast from the capital,

Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...

. Named after a religious figure who lived there, Abu Said al-Baji, it was previously called Jbel el-Menar. The town itself is a tourist attraction and is known for its extensive use of blue and white. It can be reached by a TGM train, which runs from

La Marsa La Marsa ( ') is a coastal city located in the northeastern part of Tunisia, situated along the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Tunis Governorate and has a population of around 100,000 people. The city is known for its beaches, upscale resid ...

History

In the 12th century/13th century AD Abu Said Ibn Khalaf Yahya al-Tamimi al-Beji arrived in the village of Jabal el-Menar and established a sanctuary. After his death in 1231, he was buried there. In the 18th century wealthy citizens of

built residences in Sidi Bou Said. During the 1920s, Rodolphe d'Erlanger introduced the blue-white theme to the town. His home, Ennejma Ezzahra, is now a museum that has a collection of musical instruments, and organizes concerts of classical and Arabic music.

Famous people

Sidi Bou Said has a reputation as a town of artists. Artists who have lived in or visited Sidi Bou Said include famous occultist

Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley ( ; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, novelist, mountaineer, and painter. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pr ...

Paul Klee Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented wi ...

, Gustave-Henri Jossot,

August Macke August Robert Ludwig Macke (3 January 1887 – 26 September 1914) was a German Expressionist painter. He was one of the leading members of the German Expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). He lived during a particularly activ ...

and Louis Moillet. Tunisian artists in Sidi Bou Said are members of École de Tunis (painting school of Tunis), such as Yahia Turki, Brahim Dhahak and Ammar Farhat. French philosopher

Michel Foucault Paul-Michel Foucault ( , ; ; 15 October 192625 June 1984) was a French History of ideas, historian of ideas and Philosophy, philosopher who was also an author, Literary criticism, literary critic, Activism, political activist, and teacher. Fo ...

lived there for a number of years while teaching at the University of Tunis. French author Andre Gide also had a house in the town. Former Tunisian President

Beji Caid Essebsi Beji Caid Essebsi (or es-Sebsi; , ; 29 November 1926 – 25 July 2019) was a Tunisian politician who served as the fourth president of Tunisia from 31 December 2014 until his death on 25 July 2019. Previously, he served as minister of foreign af ...

was born in Sidi Bou Said, as was Moufida Tlatli, film director, screenwriter, and editor.

Azzedine Alaïa Azzedine Alaïa (; , ; 26 February 1935 – 18 November 2017) was a Tunisian couturier and shoe designer. He became globally known particularly beginning in the 1980s for his women's dresses and he would dress numerous celebrities throughout his ...

had a house in Sidi Bou Said which is now transformed into an art gallery. French singer Patrick Bruel sang about Sidi Bou Said, specifically about Café des Délices, in his song ''Au Café des Délices'' in his 1999 album ''Juste Avant.''

Gallery

File:Sidi Bou Said - Cafe de delices.jpg, Cafe de delice and coast view File:Carthage Palace from Sidi Bou Said.jpg, Carthage Palace from Sidi Bou Said File:Sidi Bou Said 2007.JPG, Typical street with white walls and blue window shades File:SidBS (47).JPG, Café de Nattes and souvenir shops File:Cafe des delices in Sidi Bou Said.jpg, Café des delices at night File:Graffiti à Sidi Bousaid.jpg, Graffiti in Sidi Bou Said File:Gulf of Tunis by night.jpg, Gulf of Tunis by night File:Sidi bousaid 2.jpg, Sidi Bou Said in a cloudy weather File:Sidi Bou Said 01.jpg, Sidi Bou Said road File:Sidi Bou Said at night.jpg, Sidi Bou Said at night File:Sidi Bou Said(js)1.jpg, People and tourists in Sidi Bou Said File:Sidi Bou Said, Carthage, Tunisia - panoramio (8).jpg, Sea and Mountain view from Sidi Bou Said File:TGM Sidi Bou Kassus.jpg, TGM in Sidi Bou Said File:SidiBouSiid.jpg, alt=

References

External links

About Sidi Bou Said in general
* {{Authority control Populated places in Tunis Governorate Communes of Tunisia