Bardo National Museum (Tunis)

The Bardo National Museum building was originally a 15th-century Hafsid palace, located in the suburbs of Tunis. The Bardo is one of the most important museums of the Mediterranean basin, and the second largest on the African continent after the Egyptian Museum. It traces the history of Tunisia over several millennia and through many civilizations through a wide variety of archaeological pieces. Being in the former palace, it offers many major works discovered since the beginnings of archaeological research in the country. Originally called Museum Alaoui (المتحف العلوي), the name of the reigning bey at the time, it has had its current name of Museum of Bardo only since the country's independence. In addition to famous works such as the Blue Koran of Kairouan, the Islamic Department contains a collection of ceramics from North Africa and Asia Minor. The Bardo brings together one of the finest and largest collections of Roman mosaics in the world thanks to the excavations undertaken from the beginning of the 20th century on archaeological sites in the country including Carthage, Hadrumetum, Dougga, or Utica, as well as notable works such as the Mosaic of the islands and cities of the Mediterranean. The mosaics represent a unique source for research on everyday life in Roman Africa. The museum also contains a rich collection of marble statues representing the gods and Roman emperors found on various sites including those of Carthage and Thuburbo Majus. The Bardo has also rich pieces discovered during the excavations of Libyco-Punic sites including mainly Carthage, although the Carthage National Museum also possesses an important collection. The main parts of this department are grimacing masks, terracotta statues and stelae of major interest for the Semitic epigraphy, the stele of the priest and the child being the most famous. The museum also houses Greek works discovered in particular in the excavations of the ship of Mahdia, whose iconic piece is a marble bust of Aphrodite. The museum underwent a major refurbishment, completed in 2012, that was interrupted due to the Tunisian revolution. The expansion, which added 9,000 square meters to the complex, was designed by SCPA Codou-Hindley (France) and Amira Nouira (Tunisia). Considerable funding came from the World Bank. ==Collections==

It contains a major collection of Roman mosaics and other antiquities of interest from Ancient Greece, Carthage, and the Islamic period. The museum displays objects ranging from pre-historical artifacts to modern jewelry. ==2015 terrorist attack==

On 18 March 2015, 24 people were killed in a terrorist attack when three terrorists in civil uniform attacked the museum and took hostages. Twenty-one people, mostly European tourists, were killed at the scene, while an additional victim died ten days later. Around fifty others were injured. Two of the gunmen, Tunisian citizens Yassine Labidi and Saber Khachnaoui, were killed by police, while the third attacker escaped. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in Tunisian history; surpassing the 2002 Ghriba synagogue bombing, which killed nineteen people and injured more than thirty others, most of whom were also European tourists. ==Gallery==

"Carthaginian art" File:Amphore anthropomorphe Musée Bardo.jpg|Anthropomorphic amphora File:Baby bottle from Carthage.jpg|Carthaginian baby bottle. Painted decoration: eyes; palmettes; Tanit 3rd century BCE File:Baal Hamon Bardo.JPG|Statue of Baal Hammon sitting on a throne File:Bardo National Museum tanit.jpg|Statue of Tanit leontocephalus File:Bijoux puniques au Musée du Bardo.jpg|Punic jewelry File:Carthaginian armor from Ksour es-Saf Bardo Museum.jpg|Carthaginian armor from Ksour es-Saf File:Bottle sign Bardo National Museum.jpg|Bottle idol on a stele File:Diosa tanit cartago.jpg|Stele of Tanit (Carthaginian goddess of fertility) File:Estatuapunica.jpg|Punic statue File:Galet Bétyle Bardo Museum.JPG|Carthaginian granite pebble with figure of deity. 5th century BCE File:Naiskos Bardo Museum.JPG|Miniature Punic chapel (naïskos) File:Prêtre à l'enfant Musée Bardo.jpg|Priest's stele, discovered in Carthage in 1921. (3rd century BCE. J.-C.). File:Punic jewellery in Bardo Museum.jpg|Punic jewellery File:Statue of Demeter in Bardo Museum, inv. 3493.jpg|Statue of Demeter File:Statuette tambourin Bardo.jpg|Coroplath statuette holding a tambourine File:Statue of goddess with a lion's head AvL.JPG|Punic figure of the goddess Tanit with a lion’s head. CE 1st century File:Steles puniques Bardo.JPG|Punic stelae File:Stèle Tophet Bardo.jpg|Stele of the tophet of Salammbô File:Túnez, El Bardo 1992 01.jpg|Sculpture of Tanit goddess File:Urna.jpg|urn to the Bard, "naïskos" File:Masque féminin punique (Musée du Bardo, Tunis) (49817569613).jpg|Egyptian style Female mask found in a tomb, known as Protomé Necropolis of Carthage, late 6th - 5th century BCE. "Famous mosaics" File:Dionysus at Bardo National Museum.jpg|Detail of the Ulysses Mosaic File:Tunis, Museum Bardo,A bottle of wine (2. Jhdt.n.Chr., El Jem-Thysdrus) (41133727914).jpg|Mosaic of a bottle of wine (2. Jhdt.n.Chr., El Jem-Thysdrus) File:Bardo(js)015(js).jpg| Ulysses Mosaic File:Neptune_Roman_mosaic_Bardo_Museum_Tunis.jpg|Neptune Roman Mosaic File:A mosaic BardoMuseum (13)-edit.JPG| Zodiac mosaic File:La proprietà del signore Giulio proveniente da Cartagine conservata al Bardo di Tunisi.jpg| Seignor Julius mosaic, CE 5th century, Carthage File:Mosaique de matrone à sa toilette thermes de Sidi Ghrib.jpg| Matron at her toilet, CE 4th century, Carthage File:GiorcesBardo40 - Chasse au lièvre et au sanglier de Sousse.jpg| Mosaic of a Wild boar and dog. CE 3rd century File:GiorcesBardo42.jpg|Mosaic of Virgil seated between Clio and Melpomene (from Hadrumetum Sousse). CE 3rd century. File:GiorcesBardo67 - mosaïque de la chasse à courre de la maison des Laberii à Oudna.jpg| Mosaic of a hunting scene. CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo34 - chantier de construction d'une basilique.jpg| Roman Christian mosaic of bricklayers at work. CE 4th century File:GiorcesBardo37.jpg| Roman mosaic of "Crescentinus diaconus", dating from the CE 4th century. The inscription translates: "The host of the angels, the count of the martyrs, and breathing a peaceful life, may he go to you in a holy manner. Our memory, with the gracious piety with which the deacon Crescentinus is accustomed, returned in peace the 3rd Augustus Kalends." File:GiorcesBardo38.jpg| A Roman Christian mosaic called "Daniel among the Lions". CE 4th century "Famous sculptures" File:GiorcesBardo2.jpg| Roman commemorative sculpture, in which the deceased is dressed as Hercules. CE 3rd century File:GiorcesBardo4.jpg| Minia Procula, Roman sculpture. CE 2nd century. File:GiorcesBardo5.jpg| Roman sculpture of Minerva. CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo6.jpg| Roman sculpture of Saturn. CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo7.jpg| Roman sculpture of Ceres Diademea, CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo9.jpg| Roman sculpture of Apollo leaning on the Delphic tripod. CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo10.jpg| Venus and Eros, Roman sculpture of Venus and Eros, CR 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo22.jpg| Sculpture of Venus Pudica, CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo11.jpg| Sculpture of Ganymede, CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo12.jpg| Colossal head, Sculpture of Jupiter, CE 3rd century File:GiorcesBardo18.jpg| Jupiter Serapio, CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo30.jpg| Sculpture of Jupiter, CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo15.jpg| Sculpture of Bacchus, CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo27.jpg| Sculpture of Dionysus as a child, CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo16.jpg| Sculpture of Empress Faustina II statue, CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo21.jpg| Sculpture of Hercules, CE 2nd century File:Hercules drunk - Bardo National Museum (photo by Giorces).jpg| Sculpture of Drunken Hercules, CE 2nd century File:GiorcesBardo24.jpg| Sculpture of Abundance, CE 3rd century File:GiorcesBardo25.jpg| Sculpture of Concordia Pantea, CE 2nd century "Pieces in the ground floor" Image:Tunis Musée Bardo 2.jpg|The early Christian room with baptistery in the centre Image:Bardo Museum exit.JPG|Museum entrance Image:Bardo Museum entrance.JPG|Hallway of sarcophagi full with visitors. Image:Bardo Palace door decoration-1.JPG|Access door on the first floor "Fresco and Roof of Althiburos Room" File:Bardo fresque.jpg|Fresco on interior balcony File:متحف باردو - سقف قصر الباي 7.JPG|Roof of the Bey Palace "Roofs of Oudna Room" Image:Bardo P6202366.jpg|Painted ceiling of the Oudna Room. Image:Bardo P6202322.jpg|Painted wooden ceiling. Image:Bardo P6202352.jpg|Painted and gilded ceiling of the Room Althiburos. "Roofs of Sousse Room" File:Bardo Mosaic Hall Ceiling.jpg|The domed ceiling of the mosaic hall File:Coupole salle de Sousse.JPG|Parts of the Bardo Palace before CE 1870, Le Bardo "Roofs of Virgil Room" File:Bardo Palace decoration.jpg|Roofs decorated with stucco File:Tunis, musée du Bardo, salle de Virgile 04.jpg| Ceiling of the Virgil room File:Tunis, musée du Bardo, salle de Virgile 01.jpg|Apartments of the Bey, room called Virgil, after the name of the mosaic of Sousse that was exposed until the extension of the years CE 2010 == Technologies ==

Starting from 17 June 2014, the museum offers visitors a digital guide in English, French, and Arabic. Developed by Orange Tunisia using Near-field communication technology, it comes in the form of a free downloadable application for smartphones and visitors can also borrow a free smartphone at the museum entrance. It offers audio commentaries, photo slideshows, and a historical and geographical perspective of the displayed works. ==See also==