Medina of Tunis hosts Jaou Tunis until 22 November
Published on 11/14/2026 at 16:44 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSJaou Tunis and the Medina setting
- Jaou Tunis runs through 22 November 2026 across ten venues in Tunis.
- Caserne El Attarine presents Becoming the Ocean inside a nineteenth-century barracks.
- UNESCO inscribed the Medina of Tunis on the World Heritage List in 1979.
- The historic settlement developed from 698 and contains about 700 monuments.
The Medina of Tunis (Médina de Tunis) is one of ten venues for Jaou Tunis, the contemporary art biennale running across Tunis until 22 November 2026. The programme brings Becoming the Ocean to Caserne El Attarine, a nineteenth-century barracks within the historic centre of Tunisia’s capital.
Jaou Tunis continues across Tunis until 22 November
Jaou Tunis is organised by the Kamel Lazaar Foundation with the Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève and the Art Explora Foundation. The eighth edition includes exhibitions, performances, concerts, talks and workshops across ten venues, with more than 140 artists and contributors from over 24 countries taking part.
The exhibition in the old city is Becoming the Ocean, presented in collaboration with the Biennale de l’Image en Mouvement. It brings together sixteen commissioned artists from Africa, the Arab world, Asia, Latin America and their diasporas. The programme also includes the exhibitions Undertow / Contre-courant at B7L9 Art Centre and Images de Syrie, Palmyre, Alep, Damas at the Institut français de Tunisie. Jaou Tunis programme details confirm the closing date and the Medina venue.
Caserne El Attarine brings moving image into the old city
Becoming the Ocean opened on 24 October 2026 at Caserne El Attarine. The exhibition is the first presentation of the Biennale de l’Image en Mouvement outside Switzerland, and its sixteen commissions were produced for this edition.
The barracks places contemporary moving-image work inside a building that belongs to the architectural history of Tunis. The connection is specific: Jaou’s exhibition is not simply in the capital, but in a former military complex surrounded by the mosques, madrasas, funduqs, baths, markets and palaces that define the historic urban fabric. Caserne El Attarine exhibition context identifies the barracks as the Medina setting for the show.
A World Heritage city shaped by narrow streets
UNESCO describes the Medina as one of the first Arab-Muslim towns of the Maghreb, with development recorded from 698. The World Heritage property includes the eighth-century central medina, thirteenth-century northern and southern neighbourhoods and about 700 historic monuments.
Its urban form includes narrow, twisting streets, courtyard houses, surviving city gates and traditional markets such as Souq el-Attarine. More than 80 monuments are listed within the wider historic area, including mosques, mausoleums, palaces, madrasas and the El Attarine military barracks. UNESCO’s Medina profile records the settlement’s World Heritage history and architectural features.
Visiting Medina of Tunis: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Jaou Tunis continues until 22 November 2026, with Becoming the Ocean at Caserne El Attarine in the Medina.
- The programme combines exhibitions with performances, concerts, debates and workshops; the Medina visit is centred on the exhibition in the barracks.
- The site is in Tunis, within a historic district of narrow, twisting streets and covered passages, so visitors should expect an urban walking environment rather than a single isolated monument.
- The Medina lies in north-eastern Tunisia, a few kilometres from the sea, and its streets include traditional markets such as Souq el-Attarine.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Medina of Tunis
When does Jaou Tunis take place at Medina of Tunis?
Jaou Tunis runs across Tunis until 22 November 2026, with Becoming the Ocean at Caserne El Attarine in the Medina.
What is Medina of Tunis?
It is the historic urban centre of Tunis, a World Heritage property with about 700 historic monuments and development recorded from 698.
Where is Medina of Tunis and how do you get there?
It is in Tunis in north-eastern Tunisia, a few kilometres from the sea. The Jaou venue is Caserne El Attarine within the historic district.
