The white villa
Arches and simple domes.
Habib M'henni — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Habib M'henni — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Habib M'henni — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Habib M'henni — CC BY-SA 3.0
An elegant white villa in a large garden by the beach at Hammamet, built in the 1920s by the wealthy Romanian George Sebastian, who fell for Hammamet and settled here. With its arches and simple domes, it was one of the first houses to draw European artists and writers to the town. The Tunisian state bought the villa after independence, and since the 1960s it has housed the International Cultural Centre of Hammamet. You walk through white rooms under vaulted ceilings, around the long pool at the heart of the house, and through gardens full of cypress, olive, orange and jasmine. The garden holds a Greek-style open-air theatre facing the sea, which every summer hosts the Hammamet International Festival with concerts and plays. The visit is calm and restful, away from the bustle of the medina, and is especially worthwhile for lovers of architecture and gardens. If you are in Hammamet in July or August, check the festival programme.
Arches and simple domes.
Cypress, jasmine, orange trees.
Facing the sea.
On Hammamet beach, west of the medina
Every summer, usually in July and August, on the open-air stage in the Dar Sebastian gardens.