'Classic Reloaded'

Museum is locate in the fortified military city of Bardo, centre of the Husseini power since 1705. The second sovereign, Ali Pacha, built a first palace with a monumental entrance staircase guarded by lion statues. Later Hussein Bey built the "Small Tunisian Palace" characterized by Moorish Andalousian style. Mhammed Bey built the harem called “Qasr Al-Badii” which was characterized by an Italianist style (1859/1864). These latter two residences remained the Bey’s residences until 1879. The French Protectorate which was established in 1881 undertook important works on all the Bardo palaces and transformed the interiors into exhibition halls intended to host historical, ethnologica and national archaeological, collections. Taher Ghalia is the chief curator of the National Bardo Museum.