Souks of Tunis

The souks of Tunis are a set of shops and boutiques located in the medina of Tunis, capital of Tunisia. Most of the souks were built under the Hafsid dynasty in the 13th century and near the Al-Zaytuna Mosque. They are organized in several streets and alleys.

The three souks that form the souk Ech-Chaouachine were built by the Muradid sovereign Mohamed Bey El Mouradi in 1691–1692. At that time, Andalusian immigrants imported the chachia production technique.

Built in 1240 by the Hafsid sovereign Abu Zakariya Yahya, the souk El Attarine or souk of perfumers is the oldest souk of Tunis. It is located just behind the Al-Zaytuna Mosque. When this souk was built, nobles and business owners were the only ones with the right to do this job. Therefore, it was considered one of the finest. Fragrances compounds of rare and valuable species were sold, there was also incense from India and Yemen, as well as some cosmetics.

Built in 1612 by Yusuf Dey, the souk El Berka is the old souk of black slaves in Tunis. This souk became later the souk of jewelers.

This souk has a square form, with a wooden platform in the middle which was the place where slaves were presented and waited for the outcome of the sale. Potential buyers were sitting on benches around the souk and participated in the auction. The white slaves, considered the rarest and most valuable, were not sold in the souk but in more remote locations because the sale concerned only wealthy potential buyers. The abolition of slavery in Tunisia was declared by Ahmad I ibn Mustafa in 1846 and caused the transformation of the souk into souk of jewelers specializing in silverware.

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