Tunisia- Land of the Lotus Eaters

The Land of the Lotus Eaters

A map of North Africa

Tunisia is a wonderful country in North Africa. It holds many secrets and treasures. Tunisia has many great qualities! It is located off the Mediterranean Sea and has amazing beaches! Tunisia is a land with a strong and unique culture. The main language is Arabic and some French. Tunisia holds many secrets and stories of the Lotus Eaters. Found in a scroll, here is a story of Odysseus and his men told by the Lotus Eaters after being translated into English, "These strange men came to our land. The land of the Lotus and we offered them our prized possession, the lovely lotus. It is surely a plant that is can't be resisted. It is a plant that can't be compared. After consuming the Lotus, no man wants to leave and stays forever. But, with these men, they were taken away by force. A great and large man known as Odysseus came and seized them from the country. He tied them down and went out to see. Never to be seen again." This is a great story and located in a wonderful place. So come on down and smell (or eat) the lotus! 

Present day Tunisia

Beautiful Sea- What a wonderful place to be!

Cultural Expert

The International Festival of the Sahara



The International Festival of the Sahara is celebrated at the end of December for 4 days. Its celebration includes camel marathons, horse races, marriages, and desert hunting dogs for sport. Poetry contests are the main event held by famous Tunisian poets.      

                       

Cultural Expert

Painting of the human image is prohibited in the Tunisian culture. So for centuries they have stuck to recreating and painting landscapes and their surroundings using  calligraphy. Their artwork combines all of the past empires who have ruled Tunisia from  France to the Ottoman Empire. 1956 after independence was declared for Tunisia artists were inspired to paint the beginning of a new nation and freedom.

Cultural Expert

Safsari

Proper etiquette is a very important part of the Tunisian culture. Women aren't supposed to marry anyone beneath them , marriages can either be arranged or by personal selection. Urban society women tend to where a white Safsari that covers head to toe , and rural women follow different rules but when visiting the city they may adopt this practice. These are old customs compared to the modern times where there is no official dress code. Men typically wear  loose pants with a shirt and robe with a skull cap , but those are less enforced today.

Historian

This is one of the exact ropes used by Odysseus when he and his crew were leaving the Land of the Lotus Eaters. While visiting the island, Odysseus's crew eat some the the lotus flowers that grew abundantly there. After eating the flower the crew forgot all there travel and need to go home. When Odysseus heard of this news he tied all his men down in his ship, against their will, so they could continue their travels. Eventually the lotus flower's "magical" extract ran out of their systems and the men were safe and homeward bound.

                                         

This is a painting of the legendary lotus flower, which the native and many visitors eat.The beautiful and captivating flower tasted like honey. Why not continue eating this sweet flower? After consumption this flower draws you into the beloved home, making you want to stay there. Forgetting your journey for home and worries. So if you are feeling stressed or worried come visit us and try our flowers. Its a once in a lifetime experience!



This is one of the amazing tables taken from one of the homes in Tunisia. In Tunisia the art, statues and furniture is made by expert craftsmen. Using the large parts of the tree, the craftsmen not only had a large use of the wood, but were also able to make the wood into beautiful functional pieces. 

Children's Expert

The Lotus Eaters by Hannah Moskowitz is a childrens book based on book 9 from the Odyssey. This book is excellent for all ages. Whether you enjoy mythology, want to teach your children history about Tunisia, or just love to read you will enjoy this book. The book will explain the story of the lotus eaters with a modern twist. This makes it perfect for children to understand as well as easier for them to read by themselves. With a great book like The Lotus Eaters, you won't be able to resist to read it.