Modern Tunis lies just a few kilometres from ancient Carthage, the Phoenician city founded by Queen Elissa (Dido) in the 9th century BCE that famously warred against Rome. Tunis itself rose to prominence as a major urban centre after the Islamic conquest.

The UNESCO-listed Medina of Tunis is home to the Zitouna Mosque, founded in 698 CE and long a leading centre of Islamic learning, alongside a network of covered souks each historically devoted to a specific traditional craft.