Mediterranean in character, European in style, and Islamic in faith, Tunisia is a nation with a vision. In recent history the Tunisian government has made concerted efforts toward a humanist approach to social realities. According to enlightened and progressive, but hardly original interpretations of Islam, Tunisia supports the values of openness and the human right to live and choose their beliefs. In Tunisia, journalists are allowed to do their work, women to pursue self-reliance, and Tunisia’s Christian and Jewish communities to follow their respective religions. As for all nations who seek realization of such noble aims, Tunisia’s vision requires vigilance and planning. But the country’s leaders see themselves protectors of the Islamic faith as it truly was meant to be – a general guide to social order, but a choice rather than a compulsion.

Tunisia is the active host of the arts. Festivals of international film, traditional and contemporary music, and Tunisian culture and history take place each year to the delight of the many local and international attendees. The cultural and intellectual life of the country is promoted through these and as well by Tunisia’s many museums, academies, and universities, which welcome the research and participation of artists and scholars throughout the world. Famed among such institutions is the Bardo Museum at El Djem, which houses one of the finest collections of Roman art in existence.