The Zaitz Take A Cruise

Did you know? - Tunisia  is the northernmost country in Africa. It is an Arab country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area is almost 165,000 km², with an estimated population of just over 10.3 million. Its name is derived from the capital Tunis located in the north-east.

Tunisia is the smallest of the nations situated along the Atlas mountain range. The south of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil and 1,300 km of coastline. Both played a prominent role in ancient times, first with the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, then as the Africa Province which was known as the "bread basket" of the Roman Empire. Later, Tunisia was occupied by Vandals during the 5th century AD, Byzantines in the 6th century, and Arabs in the 8th century.

Under the Ottoman Empire, Tunisia was known as "Regency of Tunis". It passed under French protectorate in 1881. After obtaining independence in 1956, the country took the official name of the "Kingdom of Tunisia" at the end of the reign of Lamine Bey and the Husainid Dynasty. With the proclamation of the Tunisian republic on July 25, 1957, the nationalist leader Habib Bourguiba became its first president and led the modernization of the country.

Did you know? - A towel animal is a depiction of an animal created by folding small towels. It is conceptually similar to origami, but uses towels rather than paper. Some common towel animals are elephants, snakes, rabbits and swans.

The exact originator of towel animals is unknown, but their popularity is often attributed to Carnival Cruise Lines. The ancestors of the towel animals are perhaps handkerchief animals or napkin folds

Did you know? - The word Tunisia is derived from Tunis; a city and capital of modern-day Tunisia. The present form of the name, with its Latinate suffix -ia, evolved from French Tunisie. This name was introduced by French geographers and historians as part of their efforts to give names to their new occupied territories and protectorates. The French derivative Tunisie was adopted in some European languages with slight modifications, introducing a distinctive name to designate the country.

Did you know? - This is a poor country, with a 15-percent unemployment rate. It is one of the world's largest producers of olive oil. Other products include citrus, wine and dates. Tourism is an important business here (more than five million tourists visit each year, mostly French and German), though cruise calls are still pretty exotic and limited largely to European ships (like those from Costa and MSC Cruises) and U.S. lines that offer more exotic Mediterranean itineraries (such as Oceania).

Did you know? - The name derives from gullet, a channel where the city is located, not from the ship type schooner, called goélette, goleta or goletta in French, Spanish and Italian.

Did you know? - Tunisia's history dates back over some 3,000 years. The country has been occupied by the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Turks, Spanish and French. During the 12th to 16th centuries, Tunis was considered one of the most important and wealthiest cities in the Arab world. It finally gained independence from France in 1956. Today, the Tunisian president is elected, although the same leader ruled from 1957 to 1987, and his successor has ruled since then: "We have elections, but we know the outcome of these elections before they take place," said our guide, noting that the system is more a wink to the concept of democracy than reality.

Did you know? - The historical study of Carthage is problematic. Because its culture and records were destroyed by the Romans at the end of the Third Punic War, very few Carthaginian primary historical sources survive. While there are a few ancient translations of Punic texts into Greek and Latin, as well as inscriptions on monuments and buildings discovered in North Africa, the main sources are Greek and Roman historians, including Livy, Polybius, Appian, Cornelius Nepos, Silius Italicus, Plutarch, Dio Cassius, and Herodotus. These writers belonged to peoples in competition, and often in conflict, with Carthage. Greek cities contested with Carthage for Sicily, and the Romans fought three wars against Carthage. Not surprisingly, their accounts of Carthage are extremely hostile; while there are a few Greek authors who took a favorable view, these works have been lost.

Did you know? - Carthage refers to a series of cities on the Gulf of Tunis, from a PhoeCarthage (Latin: Carthago or Karthago) meaning New City, implying it was a 'new . Tyre refers to a series of cities on the Gulf of Tunis, from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BCE to the current suburb outside Tunis, Tunisia.nician colony of the 1st millennium BCE to the current suburb outside Tunis, Tunisia.

Did you know? - Carthage was built on a promontory with inlets to the sea to the north and south. The city's location made it master of the Mediterranean's maritime trade. All ships crossing the sea had to pass between Sicily and the coast of Tunisia, where Carthage was built, affording it great power and influence.

Did you know? - UNESCO qualified Dougga as a World Heritage Site in 1997, believing that it represents “the best-preserved Roman small town in North Africa”. The site, which lies in the middle of the countryside, has been protected from the encroachment of modern urbanisation, in contrast, for example, to Carthage, which has been pillaged and rebuilt on numerous occasions.

Also, did you know? - A necropolis (Greek plural: necropoleis; Latin plural: necropoles) is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead". Apart from the occasional application of the word to modern cemeteries outside large towns, the term is chiefly used of burial grounds, near the centers of ancient civilizations, such as an abandoned city or town.

Did you know? - Located on the seaside at the north-eastern corner of ancient Carthage, the Antonine Baths today retain very little of their former splendor. Of the largest bath complex in the African provinces and the third largest bath complex in the Roman world, measuring about 35,000 square meters, only remnants of the substructures remain, yet these fragments hint at the enormity and vastness of the original structure.

Bathing was a critical part of Roman society. Many Romans, in fact, spent a great part of their day at the bath houses. A Roman man would conduct the majority of his business in the morning and then find himself at the baths by early afternoon, where he would remain for several hours. The baths, however, were for much more than just hygienic purposes. While cleanliness certainly contributed to the popularity of the baths, what was probably a greater factor was the sheer enjoyment that was derived from spending time there.

Pools of clear water, magnificently decorated walls, floors, and vaulted ceilings, and soothing warmth radiating from the floor and walls could not but make the baths a premier attraction. Even the luxury of the baths was not the extent of their lure. Many bath complexes were equipped with exercise facilities such as simple open air, peristyle areas called palaestra and running tracks. These exercise areas would have been used as a regular part of the bathing ritual, taking place before the bath itself. There were also changing rooms, libraries, gardens, and spaces for other sorts of entertainment. The bathing practice that had originated from the Greek gymnasiums and Italian folk practice had evolved into a full-blown social club.

Did you know? - Located on the seaside at the north-eastern corner of ancient Carthage, the Antonine Baths today retain very little of their former splendor. Of the largest bath complex in the African provinces and the third largest bath complex in the Roman world, measuring about 35,000 square meters, only remnants of the substructures remain, yet these fragments hint at the enormity and vastness of the original structure.

Did you know? - Bathing was a critical part of Roman society. Many Romans, in fact, spent a great part of their day at the bath houses. A Roman man would conduct the majority of his business in the morning and then find himself at the baths by early afternoon, where he would remain for several hours.

The baths, however, were for much more than just hygienic purposes. While cleanliness certainly contributed to the popularity of the baths, what was probably a greater factor was the sheer enjoyment that was derived from spending time there. Pools of clear water, magnificently decorated walls, floors, and vaulted ceilings, and soothing warmth radiating from the floor and walls could not but make the baths a premier attraction.

Did you know? - There are three main types of Roman colums:
-Doric (least decorative, simple design)
-Ionic (middle-scale design, elegant)
-Corinthian (the most decorative of all three columns)

Did you know? - La Goulette (Arabic: حلق الوادي‎, Halq al Wadi) is the port of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. The Kasbah fortress was built in 1535 by Charles I of Spain but was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1574 The name derives from gullet, a channel where the city is located, not from the ship type schooner, called goélette, goleta or goletta in French, Spanish and Italian.

La Goulette is linked to Tunis by the TGM railway.

Did you know? - Tunis (Arabic: تونس‎, Tūnis) is the capital of Tunisia and also the Tunis Governorate, with a population of 1,200,000 in 2008 and over 3,980,500 in the greater Tunis area. It is Tunisia's largest city.

Situated on a large Mediterranean Sea gulf (the Gulf of Tunis), behind the Lake of Tunis and the port of La Goulette (Halq al Wadi), the city extends along the coastal plain and the hills that surround it. At the centre of more modern development (colonial era and after) lies the old medina. Beyond this section lie the suburbs of Carthage, La Marsa, and Sidi Bou Said.

The medina is found at the centre of the city: a dense agglomeration of alleys and covered passages, full of intense scents and colours, boisterous and active trade, a surfeit of goods on offer ranging from leather to plastic, tin to the finest filigree, tourist souvenirs to the works of tiny crafts shops.

Did you know? - As well as providing a visual cue to a Muslim community, the main function of the minaret is to provide a vantage point from which the call to prayer is made. The call to prayer is issued five times each day: dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. In most modern mosques, the adhan is called from the musallah, or prayer hall, via microphone to a speaker system on the minaret. Minarets also function as air conditioning mechanisms: as the sun heats the dome, air is drawn in through open windows then up and out of the minaret, thereby providing natural ventilation.

Did you know? - The souks are a network of covered streets lined with shops and traders and artisans ordered by specialty. Clothing merchants, perfumers, fruit sellers, booksellers and wool merchants have goods at the souks, while fishmongers, blacksmiths and potters tend to be relegated to the periphery of the markets.