52 countries in and somehow North Africa was still waiting for me.
Tunisia was my first country in the Maghreb and nothing quite prepared me for how it feels to be there. It is not the Middle East. It is not Europe. It is not sub-Saharan Africa. It is an unhurried blend of all three. French architecture on Arabic streets. Mint tea served with the calm of someone who has nowhere else to be. A Muslim country that wears its faith quietly and comfortably, without any performance.
I came for JCI World Congress and turned it into a road trip. Tunis down to Sousse and Monastir, inland to Kairouan and the Roman amphitheatre at El Jem, then all the way south to Djerba. Djerba was one of those spontaneous decisions. I had seen photos for years and refused to leave Tunisia without seeing it in person. Sidi Bou Said and Hammamet fit in around the Congress days.
The moment that stayed with me most was Kairouan, the first Muslim city in North Africa, built in 670 AD from one brave decision. We arrived at Zuhr time and prayed inside a mosque that has been holding prayers for 1,300 years. Before Islam even reached our part of the world, people were learning here. Debating here. Building something that lasted.
Give Kairouan an unhurried morning and try to be there for a prayer. El Jem is close enough to see on the same day. If you have time, go all the way south to Djerba.
