Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis has witnessed the most important events in the country, beginning with the French colonization and ending with the demonstrations that overthrew the former President Ben Ali.
In the morning of 14 January 2011, the world woke up to the cry of the Tunisian people calling, “Dégagé”—leave in French— in Avenue Bourguiba. Thousands of people from various social categories and ideological backgrounds gathered in front of the Ministry of Interior— then the ultimate symbol of oppression—to oust the dictator and overthrow his corrupt regime.
Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis has witnessed the most important events in the country, beginning with the French colonization and ending with the demonstrations that overthrew the former President Ben Ali.
In the morning of 14 January 2011, the world woke up to the cry of the Tunisian people calling, “Dégagé”—leave in French— in Avenue Bourguiba. Thousands of people from various social categories and ideological backgrounds gathered in front of the Ministry of Interior— then the ultimate symbol of oppression—to oust the dictator and overthrow his corrupt regime.
Since that day, Avenue Bourguiba, or “l‘avenue” as Tunisians like to call it, has become a place for freedom activists. For Tunisians, the symbolic, strategic and historical value, even “holiness” of this place has increased.
Yet it was not long ago that this avenue was a symbol of repression, which started when the Ministry of Interior was established there as it contributed to the spread of fear and terror in the hearts of Tunisians.
History of Avenue Bourguiba
Since its establishment in the late nineteenth century, Avenue Bourguiba has witnessed historic events and major incidents, most importantly the entry of the French army on 8 April 1881 to colonize the country, the entry of the German army to hunt down Jews in Tunisia during World War II and the entry of the British Army to liberate the capital from Nazis.
During the reign of Habib Bourguiba, the first president of Tunisia, the avenue also witnessed other major events, notably the incidents of June 1967, when Tunisians demonstrated against Israel during the Six Day War, in addition to the Bread Uprising on 3 January 1984, when the Tunisian people revolted as a result of food price increases after issuing a decision to remove state subsidies.
Avenue Bourguiba has been not only the concern of politicians, but also the focus and source of inspiration for many artists, journalists and historians.
According to historians, the avenue existed before the French protectorate in 1881. It was named Marine Street or Sea Park, a resort running from “Bab Bahr” at the far end of the street to the House of France, the headquarters of the current French Embassy.
Historians note that the House of France was the first building built in the street, which was named later, with the entry of the French colonialism, Jules Ferry, the Vice Chairman of the French House of Representatives.
Since then, buildings, including a cathedral, shops, cafes, bars, theaters, cinemas, casinos and arts galleries, have spread along the street.
Up until 1956, the year of the nation’s independence, the avenue had reflected the modern face of the city with its cultural, recreational and commercial activities, so it was a part of France, similar to its major streets in their architecture style. After independence, the street name changed to Avenue Habib Bourguiba and became the main artery of the capital.
The culture of a street
Avenue Bourguiba is now one of the most famous squares that host open artistic and cultural events, perhaps the most facetious one is “Avenue Bourguiba Reads” on April 18, when Tunisians met to read only.
At the time of colonization, the avenue was a cultural space of artistic performances. It housed, along with cinema theatres, a literary salon for the French elite. After independence, this space witnessed the birth of the Carthage Film Festival, the first Arab and African film festival.
In the same Avenue, the municipal theater witnessed the birth of Carthage Theatre Festival, which is the most prestigious theater festival in Africa and the Arab world. The Avenue has become, thanks to these two events, one of the largest cultural streets in the Arab world.
What add to the brightness of this symbolic street are the many cafés that have turned into something like literary salons, such as Paris Café, where writers, intellectuals and innovators meet, and L’univers Café, where Tunisian left elites meet.
Built in 1897, the Cathedral of Tunis or the Church of St. Vincent de Paul is another feature that has made Avenue Bourguiba a symbol of tolerance and peaceful coexistence among all Tunisians since the colonial era.
Opposite to this religious and historical place, the late leader, Habib Bourguiba ordered to install the statue of the Tunisian scientist, Ibn Khaldun (the founder of sociology), which was sculptured by the Tunisian artist, Zubair Turki.
The cry heard down the road
Despite its deep-rootedness and active commercial and culture movement, Avenue Bourguiba was characterized by suppression of intellectual freedom during the reign of Ben Ali. The freedom of expression was however released on January 14 by the famous cry of lawyer Naceur Aouini and his urgent call to inhale the breeze of freedom.
During the era of Ben Ali, Avenue Bourguiba was a symbol of police repression in the presence of the Ministry of Interior in whose vestibules political prisoners and anybody daring to oppose him were tortured.
After the revolution, demonstrations recurred in the avenue that set a new record in demonstrations since its establishment, as most of the 106 demonstrations organized in the state of Tunis took place in Avenue Bourguiba. Since that date, the place became the center of all political, cultural and entertainment movements in the center of the capital.
The Arab revolutions have flourished along streets internationally known as places of freedom: Tahrir Square in Cairo, Bab Azizia in Tripoli and Avenue Bourguiba in Tunis. These roads are the exit paths for dictators and the entrance gates to freedom.
