Fact: I have this thing with doors.
Well not all doors, not the common ordinary ones, but the detailed ones, the ones that look like small pieces of fine art. The ones that make a statement, that are high and beautiful and, somehow, proud. I love admiring the millions of little details, and thinking about the architect behind that great work.
And at the moment, I feel incredibly lucky to live in Tunisia where beautiful doors can be found everywhere. The doors here are true eye-candies.
I am from Montreal, Canada where, I have to say, stunning, breathtaking doorway-architecture is not our best strength. Don’t get me wrong, we do have lots & lots of great things such as lakes, forests, festivals, contemporary art, aboriginal heritage, centenary houses… but doors? Not so special.
Anyway…
I moved to Tunisia in July 2018, and I have had numerous good and not-so-good experiences, which I’ll write about in future blog posts. Yet, there is one special aspect of Maghreb architecture that I cannot get tired of: those glorious doors.
The prettiest doors (is there a proper synonym for that?) are undoubtedly located in the lovely village of Sidi Bou Saïd, a typical Mediterranean small-town where buildings are all white, where roofs are all blue… Just like the doors: all blue like the sea. And when the sun shines brightly, you can really appreciate the lively colours and details of these doors.
Other cities where I photographed some great ones include Kairouan (famously known for its rugs, Great Mosque, and delicious “makrouz”), Monastir, Carthage, Sousse, and countless more.
Tunisia is a must-see place for its architecture, for sure, but the country has a lot more to offer: historical and archaeological sites (including the world’s second biggest amphitheater, just after Rome’s Colosseum), gorgeous beaches, tasty food, the desert, and so much more which, again, I will explore far deeply in future posts.
So, for now, just enjoy these goddamn doors 🙂
Bittersweet Travel Memories 