Dar Hussein, Tunis

This splendid palace is now occupied by the offices of the Institut National du Patrimoine (the National Heritage Institute) so it is not possible to visit it, but you can take a look to its beautiful patio: the marble courtyard is surrounded by marble columns supporting finely worked stucco arcades and the gallery is covered with colored ceramic tiles and stucco. Its history is as rich as its architecture. In the 11th century, the site was occupied by the castle of the rulers of Tunis, the Beni Khorasan. During the reign of the Husseinite dynasty in the 18th century it was rebuilt by the son-in-law of the Ottoman Bey of Tunis and became the house of an influent Ottoman minister. In 1858, it became the building of the first municipal council of the city (the president of the council, the General Hussein, gave the name to the palace). From 1881 to 1956, the French made it their military headquarters. N.L.