fayoum

Tunis is a small hamlet located on the way to Wady Rayan, at the far end of Qaroun Lake. At the limit of desert land, located on a hill facing the lake, it has one of the most beautiful view in Egypt.

Some twenty years ago, Evelyn, a Swiss potter, decided to live and work there. Potters Ahmad Abou Zied and Ikram joined the village. Since then, artists, painters, writers, journalists and others, from Cairo and elsewhere from the world, have built mud-brick houses and contribute to the life of the village community. Villagers are partly settled Bedouin (you can find nice couscous as in Siwa and the Maghreb), and cultivate arid land reclaimed from the desert.

Visiting Tunis is very easy. Ahmad permanently shows his very interesting pieces (his last Raku experiences are just beautiful). Evelyn has established a pottery school for children which can be visited. They also host potters from all over the world.

Article on-line:
Almost Paradise

For more information on the Fayoum, you may refer to the recent guidebook on Fayoum and its treasuries:
Neil Hewison, The Fayoum, History and Guide. AUC press, 2001.
Book review

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Tunis, a village of artists