Name of Monument:

Dar Ben Abdallah

Location:

Tunis, Tunisia

Responsible Institution (original language):

Institut National du Patrimoine

Date of Monument:

19th century

History:

This princely palace in the Tunis medina was built in the style of 19th century Italian royal courts, and named after its original owners, who were rich silk weavers. During the French Protectorate era it was brought by a French painter, but was then reacquired by the Tunisian state after independence, at which point it became the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires of the 19th century Tunisian bourgeoisie.

Description:

The curving hallway, richly decorated with faience pottery, marble and stucco, leads to an open-air courtyard, around which there are several apartments, today housing the museum's collection. The patio is surrounded by porticos with white marble columns. The walls are decorated with Neapolitan faience pottery, above a frieze of carved plaster. At the centre of the patio sits a fountain with three basins made of marble imported from Carrara. On the first floor, a circular gallery with wood railings adds to the palace's opulent style.

Citation of this web page:

Saloua Khadhar Zangar "Dar Ben Abdallah" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2026.
https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;awe;tn;14;en

Prepared by: Saloua Khadhar Zangar
Translation by: Flaminia Baldwin

MWNF Working Number: TN 014