The small village of Tunis (‘izbat Tunis) is located in the oasis of Fayoum , on the way to Wadi Rayan. Located on a hill facing a large salt water lake, the village overlooks a stunning view of the edge of the desert on the other side of the lake. It is one of the most beautiful places in Egypt.
Until recently, the village of Tunis was an unknown farming and fishing community on the southern shore of Lake Qaroun. Though it looked like thousands of average Egyptian Villages, Tunis has its own charm; very small, extremely beautiful and surprisingly peaceful. It was 1980s when a Swiss female potter – called Evelyn Porret – visited Fayoum with her Egyptian friends. No sooner had she come across Tunis than she decided to build her own country house and pottery workshop there.
The house was built in a domed- ceiling design, using environment-friendly building materials. It apparently was inspired by the designs of Hassan Fathi, dean of contemporary Egyptian architects. Being a masterwork of eco architecture, the potter’s house encouraged others to build their houses in Tunis following the same pattern.
She started her pottery studio in her new country house. At the very beginning, the village children would come – out of curiosity- to see what is going on. Some of them appeared very interested in Evelyn’s work, which encouraged her to help them unearth their talents. Consequently, she established a pottery school.
Today, the students of the Swiss lady, as some like to call it, represent a new generation of independent potters who reflect the interaction of man and his surroundings, each of them has his own studio and display his / her pottery works in local and international exhibitions .
Gradually, the ordinary village turned into a reputable center of a modern pottery and an open air museum of both eco and traditional rural buildings, which attracted investors and entrepreneurs who began to provide the village with different facilities to meet the incessant demand on the place. The most important of such facilities are some eco-lodges, a horse-riding center, a guesthouse, in addition to guidance services for bird-watching and Safari.
Perhaps when Evelyn decided to settle in Tunis more than 30 years ago, she didn’t know then that she would change the future and destiny of a small and unknown village called Tunis.
Fayoum Art Center:
Fayoum Art Center is a Non Profit Organization founded by Egyptian artist, Mohamed Abla in 2006, inspired by the beautiful nature of Tunis, Mohamed Abla , an Egyptian painter and cartoonist, built a house in Tunis including a studio. Then, he established, in cooperation with his friend artists and intellectuals, an art center and a caricature museum, the first of its kind in the Middle East which holds a vast collection of caricatures by artists such as Saroukhan, George El Bahgoury and Ahmed Toughan. The museum has informative panels that describe the exhibits.
Entrance Fees : 20 EGP per person – 15 EGP per person for a group of 10 pax or more – 10EGP per person for a group of 20 pax or more.
Guided tours inside the museum or large groups are with appointment…for inquiries contact us
Tunis Village Annual Handicrafts Festival
Tunis pottery festival is an annual event which takes place every autumn and brings together gifted artists-potters from Tunis, Cairo and other parts of Egypt, traditional artisans from rural villages, as well as creative potters from other countries. The festival offers participants a unique opportunity to explore the importance and value of different forms of pottery, learn from peers in a cross-cultural environment, create and experiment together, and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Egyptian potters and pottery today.
Tunis offers several Guest Houses and lodges, for more info please follow this link
as well as a wide range of activities from Bird watching to Horse Riding
Horse Riding Lovers
Les Chevaux Du Lac is a great Place for horseback riding in and around the Stunning Tunis Village. the center is offering all kinds of horseback riding – for adults or kids, for well-riders or beginners.
Mohamed Saleh is the owner of Les Chevaux du Lac and he organizes everything.
Contact us for more info and prices
Bird Watching trips in Fayoum
Since 2008 Ahmed Mansour Local bird watching guide has been guiding and organizing bird watching trips throughout the Fayoum region.
Go Bird Watching with Ahmed Mansour : Contact us
Recommended Lodges & Private Stays in Tunis Village:
Tunis Village has a variety of lodges and Private villas, we decided to provide for our visitors some recommended private places to stay in Tunis Village.
- Hamlet of Gold House ( Beit Ezbet El Dahab)
The beautiful two storey House is located a few walking distance from The Fayoum Pottery School. You will stay in the house’s upper floor which offers two bedrooms, spacious terrace over looking the farmlands and Lake Qaroun, fully equipped kitchen, private bathroom and a shared car parking space.
For booking availability and the rates please contact us.
- Hoopoe Lodge by Ibis:
Hoopoe lodge is a tranquil lodge located in Tunis village and overlooking Lake Qaroun. The lodge offers chalets and double and single rooms. Guests of the lodge will enjoy food prepared at the adjacent Ibis restaurant and cooking school as well as pottery activities at Mahmoud Youssef workshop and gallery. Contact Us for rates and booking
Ibis Cooking School & Restaurant:
Located at Mahmoud Youssef Pottery Atelier. Ibis cooking School & Restaurant bring you a complete experience of all senses set in a scenic environment by blending the art of cooking with the art of pottery and by doing so, we develop the next generation of skilled chefs and potters.
The cooking school is still in the process of getting funding to establish the training kitchen, but hopefully the cooking school will open summer 2019. The restaurant is operational already since the pottery festival in November 2018.
*For more information on booking cooking classes, please contact us
Go Biking in and around Tunis Village
The Perfect way to get around Tunis village is on bicycle. Tunis Bike is located just beside Kom ElDikka Agri Lodge and it offers a wide variety of bikes ranging from mountain bikes to speed bikes. Delivery service of bikes to the hotels, villa in and around Tunis village is also available.
Contact us for more info.
EXPLORE FAYOUM WITH FAYOUMER!
As to provide the Fayoum visitors with an ultimate Fayoum experience. Explore Fayoum founder, Mahmoud a.k.a Fayoumer, a local guide and a researcher based in Fayoum Governorate will take you on curated tours to explore fabulous Fayoum in different thematic itineraries to ensure an ultimate Fayoum experience. He will share with you his knowledge of the area and his interesting Fayoum stories. see more info about Fayoumer’s itineraries click here.
14 thoughts on “Tunis Village”