A project to bring back life to the characterful area of the old port of Bizerte in Tunisia, is under way with the repainting in their original vivacious colours of the homes that overlook the sea.
The “Bizerte in colours” scheme is being run by civil society organisation C’est à Vous De Changer Bizerte. (“Changing Bizerte is up to you”)
The programme, which has been running for some months, is bringing about the restoration of the facades of homes around the city’s historic port by painting them in pastel colours, similar to their original decoration. These have been researched in the archives of the National Heritage Institute (Inp) under the supervision of architectural specialists.
A project to bring back life to the characterful area of the old port of Bizerte in Tunisia, is under way with the repainting in their original vivacious colours of the homes that overlook the sea. https://t.co/b95YVJ4WnT
— The Arab Weekly (@ArabWeekly) June 24, 2021
The idea comes from the colourful houses of Cape Town, in South Africa and because the city is in the north of Africa, it would represent some sort of symmetry, the founder of the NGO, Ahmed Hamdoun, told Tap news agency.
About 70% of the project has been completed and the whole makeover will be finished in two months. The couple of homes completely restored and repainted have made a good impression on foreign and local tourists. The location has already been chosen for photo sessions and videoclips, said Hamdoun. His organisation is running awareness campaigns, especially among the young, to promote the area as a characterful locale for local and foreign visitors.
The NGO also joined other civil society organisations and the local authority in cleaning up the area around the old port.
The old port and kasbah of Bizerte in northern Tunisia is looking particularly pretty today. But so few visitors! If we were in Morocco, this place would be absolutely crowded with tourists. #LPinTunisia pic.twitter.com/NSPKCRjTXB
— Paul Clammer ? (@paulclammer) April 22, 2018
C’est à Vous De Changer Bizerte has also put forward a plan to link the old port to the sea with another canal. This, it argues will help reduce pollution in the harbour which for years has suffered from the dumping of waste water and oil from visiting vessels.
Bizerte is also known as the “African Venice” because of the canals connecting the lake to the sea which cross the city to form a central island. For centuries the historic port been a refugee for seafarers, civil and military fleets and, after it was taken by the Turks in 1574, a corsair base.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
