Tunisia - Oasis to Roman Ruins across the Sahara

Despite its small size, Tunisia is a country that has played a significant role in world history. Less than 100 miles from Italy, Tunisia's strategic location on the southern shore of the Mediterranean has inspired the Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Arabs, Ottomans and French to locate here.

The underground dwellings and sun-baked landscapes led movie director George Lucas to film his science fiction epic Star Wars here, and the well-preserved Roman ruins at El Jem are sure to inspire the hidden archaeologist in you.

Tunisia is home to the ancient Phoenician trading city of Carthage and the best collection of Roman ruins on the continent. Gazing at the desert sands beneath the Mediterranean sun, it is hard to believe that anyone could live here, yet humans have been inhabiting the Tozeur oasis for over 10,000 years. Nowhere else can one fully grasp a sense of the country's lengthy history than at the National Bardo Museum in Tunis, home to some of the most significant artifacts from the Carthaginian, Roman, Christian and Arabic-Islamic eras.

With its wind-swept landscapes, coastal beaches, immense Roman ruins and desert oases nestled amongst the vast dunes of the Sahara, Tunisia is a land of adventure that offers something magical for every traveler.