Testour & Bulla Regia Private Day Trip

This private day trip follows the Medjerda valley into the northwest of Tunisia. In Testour, you see the Great Mosque, built by Andalusian refugees, and its clock that turns the wrong way. In Bulla Regia, you go down into Roman houses built partly under the ground, with their mosaics still in place. Your driver picks you up at your hotel, at a fixed price per vehicle.

Testour and Bulla Regia: Andalusians and Numidian Kings

The valley holds two very different stories. One is about refugees from Spain in the 17th century, the other about a royal city of the Numidians.

The Great Mosque

Andalusian Muslims driven out of Spain settled in Testour in the early 17th century. Mohamed Tagharinou, who arrived around 1609, is credited with building the Great Mosque. Its minaret, square at the base and eight-sided above, looks more like a church tower from Aragon. Its bricks and glazed tiles recall the towns its builders had left behind.

The Clock That Turns Backward

High on the minaret, a clock turns backward, with its numbers facing inward. Tradition links it to the longing of the Andalusians, as if they wished time could take them home. The clock stood still for nearly three centuries, until the engineer Abdel Halim Koundi made it run again. The minaret also bears six-pointed stars, a motif common on Tunisian mosques and doors.

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Tichilla and the Medjerda

Testour stands on the site of Tichilla, a Roman town at the mouth of the Siliana valley. It looks over the Medjerda valley, among wheat fields and olive groves. The Andalusians rebuilt the town on their own plan, with a main street and a square. Its houses still follow that layout today.

The Malouf Festival

The Andalusians also brought their music, the malouf, played in long suites called nubas. The word malouf means customary, music handed down from one generation to the next. Testour has kept it alive. Since 1967, the town has hosted an international festival of malouf and traditional Maghrebi music. During the festival, orchestras and singers from across the region fill its square.

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Royal Bulla

Bulla Regia means royal Bulla. In 156 BC, the Numidian king Masinissa made it one of his royal seats. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar made it a free city, and under Hadrian it became a Roman colony. Its people then received full Roman citizenship. Saint Augustine later scolded its citizens in a sermon for their love of shows.

Houses Under the Ground

To keep cool in summer, wealthy families built their houses partly under the ground. The main rooms lay below a courtyard, cool and lit from above. Water sprinkled on the floors kept them cooler still. Many of these lower floors have survived, with their mosaics in place. They are the reason the site is famous.

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The House of Amphitrite

The House of Amphitrite takes its name from the mosaic of its underground room. It shows the sea goddess Amphitrite, her head circled by a halo, among creatures of the sea. The finest mosaics of Bulla Regia are said to be unsurpassed in North Africa. Many were left where they were laid.

Digs and Great Houses

Excavations began at Bulla Regia in 1906, and the forum was cleared between 1949 and 1952. The House of the Hunt has a hall laid out like a small basilica, a plan that churches later took up. The owner of the House of the Fisherman closed a street to join two blocks. The site is quiet, so take your time.

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Your Day in the Medjerda Valley

We drive west through wheat fields and olive groves, with Testour first and Bulla Regia after lunch. Ask us if you want to add Dougga, which lies close to the road.

1. The driver meets you at your hotel at the agreed time.
2. Testour: the Great Mosque, its minaret and the Andalusian streets around it.
3. A lunch stop in a village on the way, paid on the spot.
4. Bulla Regia: the underground houses, their mosaics and the theater.
5. Time to walk the site at your pace.
6. Evening return to your hotel.

Price from Your Departure City

Tunis is the closest departure city, with a price of $110 for the whole vehicle. From the coast, the drive is longer and the price follows. Each price covers the driver, fuel and tolls, and nothing is added on the day. With a certified guide, add $50 for the day.

Price per private vehicle, in US dollars

What Is Included

Your price pays for the car and the driver from morning to evening. The ticket for Bulla Regia and your lunch are paid on the spot.