Beja's medina is a run-down place, but still one of Tunisia's most authentic. White houses and blue or green doors are matched by wooden canopies. The market is a lively affair, providing for Tunisian's own needs. Still, many shops do resemble what you'll see in tourist dominated towns. Like the spice shop, it has the very same sort of presentation of the spices: bags with the spice in a perfectly shaped cone. Most houses are simple, but generally I found it all quite attractive. Beja must have been an affluent place once, but there is apparently much less money available for maintenance today.
