Café in the Old town Photo

Photographer’s Note

Café in the Old town (Médina)

The Médina, built on a gentle hill slope on the way down to the Tunis Lake, is the historical heart of the city and home to many monuments, including palaces, such as the Dar Ben Abdallah and Dar Hussein, the mausoleum of Tourbet El Bey or many mosques such as Zitouna Mosque. Some of the fortifications have now largely disappeared around it, and it is flanked by the two suburbs of Bab Souika to the north and Bab El Jazira to the south.
But east of the original nucleus, first with the construction of the French Consulate, the modern city was built gradually with the introduction of the French protectorate at the end of the nineteenth century, on open land between the city and the lake. The axis to the structure of this part of the city is the Avenue Habib Bourguiba, designed to by the French to be a Tunisian form of Champs-Elysees in Paris with its cafes, major hotels, shops and cultural venues. On both sides of the tree lines avenue, north and south, the city was extended in various districts, with the northern end welcoming residential and business districts while the south receives industrial districts and poorer peoples.

The walls which once enclosed the Medina in Tunis long since disappeared, apart from a few town gates, and their place has been taken by a ring of streets around the old town, which is in the form of an oval measuring 1,500m/1,640yds from north to south by 800m/880yds from east to west. It is the largest Medina in Tunisia and the finest after the Medina of Kairouan. Originally going back to the ninth-11th centuries, it dates in its present form largely from the Hafsid (13th century) and Turkish (17th-18th century) periods. The French demolished its outer walls but left it otherwise unchanged.

Tunis

Tunis (Arabic: تونس‎, Tūnis) is the capital of the Tunisian Republic and also the Tunis Governorate, with a population of 1,200,000 in 2008. It is Tunisia's largest city.
Situated on a large Mediterranean gulf, (the Gulf of Tunis), behind the Lake of Tunis and the port of La Goulette (Halq al Wadi), the city extends along the coastal plain and the hills that surround it. At the centre of more modern development (colonial era and post) lies the old medina. Beyond this section lie the suburbs of Carthage, La Marsa, and Sidi Bou Said.
The medina is found at the centre of the city: a dense agglomeration of alleys and covered passages, full of intense scents and colours, boisterous and active trade, a surfeit of goods on offer ranging from leather to plastic, tin to the finest filigree, tourist souvenirs to the works of tiny crafts-shops. (Source: planetware & tunisguide & wikipedia)

besnard, danos, ChrisJ, asajernigan, vasilpro, paura, jlbrthnn, TopGeo, celmaleite, phwall, subhendu_bagchi, JCG, bona ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

besnard (30808) 2009-11-07 2:05

Bonjour Georg
Celà doit être sympa de s'arrêtér à la terrasse de ce café qui est un lieu de passage. J'aime les couleurs et la bonne profondeur de l'image.
Je te souhaite un bon week-end.
Nicole

snunney (34998) 2009-11-07 2:14

Hello George,
I like the calm and peaceful atmosphere that seems to reign here; a lovely place to stop a while away from the hustle and bustle of the market. The turquoise coloured doors make a good contrast with the light tones of the walls. The details are beautifully rendered and the colours natural. Thanks for sharing.

danos (32708) 2009-11-07 2:29

Good morning George,
very nice the native colour tints and the smell of the interior corridor of this cafe in Medina, with a lot of people to enjoy their caffee.I like the local colourful chairs as the little tables too.I like the perspective and depth of the scene.Well done.

Have a nice weekend,Danos

erhan1958 (4049) 2009-11-07 2:43

SELAM GEORGE
so stunning image.
so beatifully looking wall.
well capture.
symmetry looks very good 'n th's mess of autumn colours.

Greeetings
ERHAN

npecanhuk (14126) 2009-11-07 2:54

Hello George!
Another excellent photo job that really transports us into that place for so real it looks!
Sharpness, exposure, dof, vertical format, colors, pov and composition are all outstanding features in this picture!
TFS - congratulations!
Best regards,
Neyvan

mauro61 (15832) 2009-11-07 3:18

ciao George,
un altro scatto curato nei minimi dettagli con un'ottima luce.
Una scena di cui mi piacciono i colori e l'inquadratura.
saluti
maurizio

ChrisJ (70335) 2009-11-07 3:23

Hi George

Good colour & sharpness, with superb use of diminishing linear perspective & vanishing point. The people add scale. Tfs!

asajernigan (14200) 2009-11-07 3:50

George,
This is a nicely composed shot using the hall to lead the eye through the shot. The empty tables and chairs in the foreground make the shot inviting. The lighting and colors are fine and the photo has excellent sharpness and detail.
TFS,
Asa

vasilpro (8910) 2009-11-07 4:14

Hello George,
Very nice picture of this cafe in Medina, excellent daily life composition with very good DOF and light management.
Greetings from Greece, Vasilis.

paura (38626) 2009-11-07 5:05

George,
Absolutamente incomum essa imagem, mostrando de excelente ângulo o muito interessante bar. Legal você mostrar.

Abraço

Paulo

Buin (37834) 2009-11-07 5:09

Hallo George!
That's interesting! These little tables really are cute and it must be great to sit here, have a chat and look people passing by. You managed the difficult light skillfully and I think the atmosphere of this place is transmitted very well. A place to feel good ...
Greetings from grey and wet Germany!
Frank

carper (65106) 2009-11-07 5:12

very nice inside shot George,
good composition, fine details, very good sharpnes, a good photo job here, have a good weekend my friend.
regard jaap

jlbrthnn (38233) 2009-11-07 5:12

Hello George,
It is a superb place, undoubtedly safe from heat. Architecture and typical furniture sound emphasized well and are pleasant to look at. Excellent management of the exposure. Cheer.
Have a nice day
Cordially
Joël

francio64 (11250) 2009-11-07 5:37

Ciao George,
credo che una strada simile c'è anche in Turchia ad Istambul, ma li non ci sta un caffè, ma un vero e proprio mercatino.

Ottime prospettive, resa cromatica e sharp.
Well done!

Have a nice WE!
Francesco

JT50 (857) 2009-11-07 7:47

Hi George,
The image gives a good insight
of the Tunisian architecture.
A fine capture of the daily life.
It must be lovely to relax in this
atmosphere with a cup of Qahwah.
Have a nice weekend.
Janak

jjcordier (24808) 2009-11-07 8:09

George
Tu as parfaitement restitué l'ambiance de ces cafés de Tunis dans cette très belle photo. Belle maitrise de la luminosité.
Amicalement
JJ

TopGeo (21905) 2009-11-07 8:23

Hello George,
I like the perspective atmosphere with romantic colours and coffee shop here; a lovely place to stop a while away from the hustle and bustle of the market. The combinations coloured doors make a good contrast with the light tones of the walls. The details are beautifully rendered and the colours natural and good frame gave a composition perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Georgios

celmaleite (2754) 2009-11-07 11:14

Olá, George!
Que beleza de foto, amigo. Ótimas cores, nitidez e enquadramento. Belo registro. Parabéns!

phwall (5644) 2009-11-07 12:53

Hi George,
I like this shot, it tells me a lot about how people live and go about their daily lives in a country so different to mine.
The vertical is good, the warm tones are appealing but at 1600 ISO, where is the noise, I can't see any at all.
Exposure balance is excellent, I'm assuming that in the far background that area is sunlit but still very good detail, well done.

Good work.
Regards
Peter

ymrk (8839) 2009-11-07 12:59

look as the Kapali Carsi of Istanbul :) good perspective and DOF!Congratulations dear George!

Yağmur

amaryllis (17565) 2009-11-07 13:18

bonjour Georg
quelle belle photo de cette médina avec ce café aux tables et chaises colorées, une bonne perspective qui nous permet d'en apprécier d'autant plus cette belle architecture
a bientôt
juliette

Morac (20557) 2009-11-07 13:56

Bonsoir George
Que ces café sont beaux !
Ils témoignent d'un passé tout en agrémentant le présent
Amicalement
Marc

subhendu_bagchi (3209) 2009-11-07 18:29

Hi George,
beautiful perspective. Nice arches. Nice to see those colourful people. Great and interesting centre tables beside the lane. Use of light is fine. DOF is outstanding. Very well composed shot.
Congrats.
Subhendu

TGULUMSER (12514) 2009-11-08 2:37

Hello George,
A great light management, congratulations. The details of this authentic place are great. You reflected these beauties with a well-chosen POV,
Best regards,
Have a nice sunday,
Tulay

JCG (25469) 2009-11-08 4:29

Hello George,

It is not yet the hour of the, the still empty chairs in the foreground but which give a good depth to this pretty covered street. Beautiful management of the light which restores the atmosphere of the moment agreeably. Interesting glance just like your note, thank you George.

With all my friendships and very good Sunday,

Jean-Charles

bona (2365) 2009-11-08 18:52

It sounds a good place for a coofe time. I like it.
The warm tones invite us to this place.
Thanks my friend.
Andre

Graal (58169) 2009-11-08 23:47

Jó napot George,
an interesting interior and presentation. Good composition and colours. I like the perspective also. Good photojob.
Gr., Aleksander

ls7902 (6228) 2009-11-09 6:28

Hello Georg,
Looks like a nice & rustic place to have a cup of coffee or tea. Very laid back atmosphere. Regards. Latiff.