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Museums & Galleries in Tunis
Tunis, Tunisia's capital on a lagoon behind the ruins of ancient Carthage, pairs a UNESCO-listed medina of souks and mosques with the French-built Ville Nouvelle, and holds the Bardo, a former beylical palace that houses the world's largest collection of Roman mosaics.
Why here
The Bardo National Museum is the reason to plan a museum day in Tunis, a former Husainid beylical palace on the edge of the city that holds the largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world. The floors and walls carry more than five thousand square metres of mosaic lifted from Carthage, Dougga, Hadrumetum and Utica, so you walk through room after room of chariot races, sea gods, hunting scenes and the famous panel of the poet Virgil seated with his muses, the only known ancient portrait of him. Beyond the mosaics there are Punic stelae from Carthage, a Christian and Islamic wing, and the Chemtou treasure of gold coins, all set inside the carved and tiled palace itself. The museum reopened in September 2023 after a long renovation, and it makes sense to pair it with the nearby ruins of Carthage and the medina to read Tunisia's layered history in one trip.
Best months
The Bardo is open year-round as a mostly indoor museum, so weather is rarely a factor, though spring and autumn are the most comfortable months to combine it with the open-air ruins of Carthage. It is large, and the mosaic halls reward a slow half-day. Opening days and hours have shifted since the 2023 reopening because the building shares a site with the parliament, so check current times before visiting.
Getting there & around
The Bardo sits in the Le Bardo district on the western edge of Tunis, reached by taxi or the light-rail Metro from the city centre in about twenty minutes. Tunis has an international airport and is the country's transport hub, so the museum is easy to combine with the medina, the Ville Nouvelle and a half-day at the Carthage ruins and Sidi Bou Said. Allow at least half a day inside.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (1)
Bardo National Museum
OrganizerThe Bardo National Museum occupies a former Husainid beylical palace in Le Bardo, Tunis, and holds the largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world, lifted from Carthage, Dougga, Hadrumetum and Utica across more than five thousand square metres. Highlights include the ancient portrait of the poet Virgil with his muses and the Triumph of Neptune, alongside Punic stelae, Christian and Islamic rooms and the Chemtou hoard of gold coins. It reopened in September 2023 after a long renovation.