Arts of Tunisia not only have a significant place in the culture of the country but also include various art forms that have enough charm to captivate travelers’ fascination. Sunnytunisia.com divides Tunisian arts into five major different and distinct categories. Here is some brief information related to all of them:

Music and Dance – Being considered as a result of the cultural mix of Egypt, Tunisian music is influenced by the old Andalusian song which has a stroke of Turkish, Persian and Greek influences. Mainly the Tunisian music has undergone three phases of outside influences which plays a great role in the creation of Tunisian traditional music. Among the whole music, the major notable Tunisian classic music is the Malouf. The Malouf is the introduction of the Nuba in Tunisian music. Apart from these the major population of Tunisia is attracted by the Arab music and rest of the population also has a keen interest in popular western music including rock music, hip-hop, reggae and jazz.

On the other side dancing in Tunisia mainly appears at circumcisions, weddings, and also on some of the important festivals, concerts, football games etc. As like music, Tunisian dance is also similar to that of Egyptian dance. In the variety of dances, The Nuba is mainly in practice while the Kerkennah Djerba is not very much popular. Among Tunisian dance, the common religious dance Stambali is also well-known among the people. In the present scenario, the National Troupe Folk Art Center or the National Dance of Ariana, practices the traditional Tunisian dances.

Painting – Painting in Tunisia is mainly linked to the School of Tunis which was established by a group of Tunisian artists. After the independence of Tunisia, the art movement was introduced by the artists serving the state. There are several artists who gained international recognition like El Mekki or Zoubeir Turki which also encourage the new generation of young painters. Tunisia has many European painters, among these Alexander Roubtzoff was regarded as the painter of Tunisia. Presently, Tunisia contains fifty art galleries together with exhibitions of Tunisian and international artists.

Architecture – Tunisia has an Islamic architecture which is expressed in various aspects. Being the home to several notable buildings, out of them, Kairouan forms the epicenter of an architectural movement. In Tunisian architecture, there are large numbers of original fortresses of Byzantine period found in the cities like Monastir, Sousse or Lamta. Being considered as the World Heritage Site of UNESCO, the medina of Tunis is a distinctive example of the Islamic architecture.

Crafts – Being famous for several important things, Tunisia is also famous for its different specialties and trade of craft products. The pottery of Tunisia is mainly influenced by Guellala. The Tunisian craft also includes the ancient iron work of the Andalusian era. In this country, blue is considered as the traditional color at the window shutters. In the beginning of the 20th century all the regions and villages had their own costumes but now it has been changed and it is only reserved for only weddings and other national or native ceremonies. Apart from all these, the country also has a rich tradition of ancient mosaics.

Performing Arts – When it comes to cinema then Tunisia is not less than any country. In cinemas of the Arab world, Tunisian cinema is being considered as one of the most liberal and one of the most prize-winning. From 90s onwards, Tunisian cinema gets a new charm and the country becomes a new place for filming. Several companies also emerged and achieve great success. In 1986, Lumière brothers started showing animated views in the streets if Tunis. The feature length movie, Les Cinq gentlemen maudits was filmed in Tunisia in the year 1919.

After cinemas, Tunisian Theatre is also counted among one of the favorite theatres of the countries. Mainly developed between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century during the French protectorate, theatres grew up very rapidly such as Politeama Rossini, Arena, the French Theater, heater Tunisia, the Gringa, Paradiso, etc. Due to fire some wooden built theatres get destroyed while others simply changed. Presently, the Municipal Theater of Tunis has survived. Not just only this, these theatres has also hosted some of the important names of the Tunisian and international theatrical scene.