Bardo National Museum
Bardo National Museum
Bardo National Museum (Rue Mongi Slim, Tunis) — this is the oldest and the most important of Tunisian museums. Over a century ago, it was established in the premises of a Beylical palace, for the most part built in the mid 19th century, and which has retained all the features of a princely residence. It underwent several refurbishments to adapt to the expanding collections and to the ever-increasing flows of visitors, but today it is undergoing a huge restructuring plan to improve its visibility and legibility.
Thousands of objects originating from excavations carried out all over the country during the 19th and 20th centuries are on display. These are divided into departments between fifty or so rooms and galleries, illustrating the various stages of Tunisia’s history, from prehistory to the middle of the last century, which in chronological order are prehistory, the Punic-Libyic period, the Roman and early Christian periods, with the Vandal and Byzantine eras, and finally, the Islamic period running to contemporary times. One of the more interesting exhibits at this museum is the Altar of the Gens Augusta, an ancient Roman altar that was discovered at Byrsa hill above the port of Carthage (where the Temple of the Gens Augusta was located).
Admission: 11 Dt. per person. Hours: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm (9/16 – 6/16), 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (7/18 – 9/15), 9:30 am -4:30 pm (6/17 – 7/17 — Ramadan).