Bardo National Museum
المتحف الوطني بباردو
A national museum housed in a 19th-century Beylical palace, with the world's richest collection of ancient Roman mosaics, including the famous mosaic of Virgil flanked by Muses.
The Bardo National Museum sits in the Bardo Palace, northwest of central Tunis. The building itself was a palace of the Ottoman-era beys (regional rulers), with richly carved ceilings and decorative tiles. The museum is world-famous for its Roman mosaic collection. Thousands of square meters of mosaics from Carthage, Dougga, Sousse, El Jem, and other sites cover the walls and floors. Subjects include Neptune's triumph, Ulysses and the sirens, hunting, farming, and the seasons. The most famous piece shows the poet Virgil seated between two Muses. It is considered the only surviving ancient portrait of Virgil. The museum also displays artifacts from the Punic, Hellenistic, early Christian, and Islamic periods, as well as Greek bronze statues recovered from the Mahdia shipwreck. The museum closed in 2021 and reopened in 2023. Opening hours and ticket prices should be confirmed with official sources. Tickets cost about ten-odd dinars. Take Metro Light Rail Line 4 to Le Bardo Station, or take a taxi for about 15 minutes. Plan at least 2 hours, and expect a security check at the entrance.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun about 09:30–17:00 (closed Mon; check official)
Nearby sights
- Sidi Mahrez Mosque
- Medina of Tunis
- Al-Zaytuna Mosque
- Belvédère Park
- Dar Ben Abdallah
- Tourbet el Bey
- Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul
- Avenue Habib Bourguiba