Tunis, Egypt


Tunis is a village in the oasis of Faiyum Governorate in Egypt known for its pottery workshops and small art galleries.

History

The village was created by two famous Egyptian poets in the 1960s. Evelyne Porret, a potter from Switzerland, established a pottery school in the village in the 1960s which played a large role in creating the village's pottery culture. The pottery school still exists today.

Institutions

Fayoum Art Center

, an Egyptian artist, founded Fayoum Art Center in 2006. It is a non-profit organization which was inspired by the International Summer Academy in Salzburg. The Center is dedicated to all the artists around the world. It helps artists by giving them studio spaces they need, besides providing them with art libraries and living areas. Additionally, the first Caricature Museum in the Middle East was built in the center. The museum includes a variety of collection of caricature.

Ibis Cooking School & Restaurant

Not only the village is limited to the art of pottery, but also it combines both the art of pottery with the cooking. There is Ibis Cooking School and Restaurant that is located at Mahmoud Youssef Pottery Atelier.

Events

Tunis Village Annual Handicrafts Festival

There is a festival held in Fayoum Village annually; it takes place every autumn. The purpose of the festival is to bring artists-potters from Tunis, Cairo, other parts of Egypt and also artists from around the world. The festival focuses on giving the chance to the participants to explore the value of potter, exchange knowledge, share interests and also discuss their challenges.

Climate

The climate of the village is warm between the months of October and April. However, the weather can be very warm from May to October.