Explore the ancient history of Tunisia at the Bardo National Museum
The Bardo National Museum is considered the most important museum in the Republic of Tunisia and one of the most significant museums in the Mediterranean region. It's also the second-largest museum in Africa after the Egyptian Museum in terms of the richness and diversity of the displayed artifacts. Moreover, it is the second most famous museum globally for exhibiting mosaic arts.
The Bardo Museum was established in the capital, Tunis, nearly a century ago, within one of the palaces of the Beys who ruled Tunisia. The palace is characterized by the grandeur and beauty typical of royal palaces.
The Bardo Museum contains thousands of historical and rare artifacts displayed in fifty halls and galleries, presenting a comprehensive picture of Tunisia's historical stages up to the present day. These stages include prehistoric eras, the Punic-Libyan era, the Roman and ancient Christian periods, the Vandalic and Byzantine periods, and finally, the Islamic era extending to the present time.
What distinguishes the famous Bardo Museum the most is its vast and globally diverse collection of mosaics. It includes some of the world's most renowned historical mosaic panels, such as the Victory of the God Neptune and the panel depicting Dionysus presenting grapes to Icarius. Thanks to this extensive mosaic collection, the Bardo Museum gained worldwide fame. Of course, one of the most important things you must visit when coming to the museum is the Harmaion Monument, dating back to 40,000 years BCE. It is one of the oldest historical pieces in the world and one of the earliest human attempts at spiritual expression.
