The Story of Tunis Village in Fayoum

The Story of Tunis Village

The Tunis Village was first created in the 1960’s by two famous Egyptian Poets who encourage the locals to become artists, but it is more famous now for the arrival in the 1980’s of Evelyne Porret, A Swiss woman and Potter who opened her own Pottery studio with her husband, and very quickly turned it into a pottery School to teach all the local children how to make pottery items and encourage them to become budding Potters. It still exists today with all the children in the village still creating pottery and earning money for their families.

History of the village of Tunis

History of the village of Tunis Evelyn Bure is a Swiss woman who came on a journey to find recreation in a simple Egyptian village, the village of Tunis, more than 65 years ago. At that time, the village was very small and consisted of about 10 or 20 small country houses only. After her journey ended in the village of Tunis, she returned to her country, but soon She never returned to the village of Tunis after her heart was attached to that charming village. 

She returned to the village of Tunis with an idea that changed that village forever and made it one of the most famous tourist villages in the world. 

She established the “Fayoum School of Pottery” to teach the children of the village to make ceramics, Evelyn was the foundation In transforming the village of Tunis into a complex for the manufacture of ceramics, Evelyn settled in the village of Tunis and spent her whole life there until she passed away in 2021 after changing the lives of thousands and teaching them the art of making ceramics until the village of Tunis became the most famous ceramic producer in the world and an annual international festival of ceramics was held in it.

What to See

At Tunis Village, the villagers are more than friendly and hospitable with many foreign nationals buying homes here, so foreigners are a daily presence in the Village. It is a great chance to see the young artists making their wares and purchase examples of their craft, explore the village and try your hand at making pottery!. There are different Pottery Shops and point out some of the spectacular and often rare plants, abundance of trees and shrubs including the ‘Bottle Brush tree’,Spikey Silk Cotton tree, rose bushes,pomegranate shrubs, Olive, Orange and Lemon trees and many arbours with various fruit and flowers budding from them.

Staying at a lodge in Tunis Village gives you the opportunity to enjoy a traditional Egyptian breakfast cooked and created in the Fayoum style. Also the quiet nature allows to relax and take a walk around the Village meeting the friendly locals and exploring the lovely designs of the Houses and Villas with a touch of Nubian and Tunisian design.

The small village of Tunis (‘izbat Tunis) is located in the oasis of Fayoum , on the way to Wadi Rayan. Located on a hill facing a large salt water lake, the village overlooks a stunning view of the edge of the desert on the other side of the lake. It is one of the most beautiful places in Egypt.

How to get to Fayoum from Cairo

First thing’s first – getting to Fayoum. Between an hour and two away from Cairo, depending on where you’re staying, Fayoum is best reached by road. Usually, your hotel will be able to organise a private car with a driver who can stay with you until your return – but that can be a little pricey. Renting a car is another option, and you’ll find all the well-known car rental services will have offices in Cairo. You can also try your luck with Uber – enter Tunis Village Fayoum, as your destination then use the app to call the driver you’ve been connected to and let them know where you’re going. Sometimes they’ll be okay with the longer-than-average drive, other times they’ll cancel the ride as they’re not certain they’ll find any rides once they get there.

The most fail-safe way to get there, however, is to visit the big transport hub at Remaya Square (Medan Al-Remaya), near the pyramids. There you’ll find microbus drivers yelling their destination so listen out for ‘Fayoum’ and tell the driver you’re headed for Tunis. Grab a seat, and ask the fare – it shouldn’t be more than 25 Egyptian Pounds (£1.36), which you’ll hand over to the driver. If the overwhelming experience of Egyptian pubic transport is too much to handle, you’ll find plenty of seven-seater station wagon cars in the same square. Approach a driver and tell them your destination before negotiating a fare.

The annual Tunis Pottery Festival

The annual “Tunis Pottery Festival” scheduled for the 3rd to 6th of December is a cultural highlight: Exhibits of ceramics, handicrafts and pottery works to bird watching, presentations of documentaries and recorded films as well as theatre and Bedouin group performances reflect the richness of Fayoum’s cultural heritage.