Tunis et Kairouan
Paris: Librairie Renouard, 1908. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Hardcover. [2], 143, [1] pages. Footnotes. Illustrations. Five chapters on Tunis. One chapter on Kairouan. Text is in French. Ouvrage orne de 110 Gravures. This is one of Les Ville d'Art celebres series. Minor loss at lower corner of page 3 (text complete). Some endpaper browning. Decorative binding. Decorated endpapers. In 1879 Henri Saladin graduated with a degree in architecture from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In 1882 he was sent to Tunisia to conduct a survey of antiquities for the French Ministry of Public Education. There he also became interested in Islamic architecture, eventually returning to Tunisia to work as an architect. He designed the Post Office on Avenue d'Italie (now Avenue Charles de Gaulle) and established a workshop in the medina where he worked with local artisans in stucco, stone, and tile work. Other examples of his work can be found in France and Morocco. He worked tirelessly to promote the conservation of traditional architecture, and published numerous works on the subject, including Description des antiquités de la Regence de Tunis (1886-1893), Histoire de l'art musulman: L'Architecture (1907), and Tunis et Kairouan, les villes d'art célèbres (1908). L'étude de Tunis, comme ville d'art, présente le plus grand intérêt; tour a tour punique, romaine, vandale, byzantine, arabe, conquise et occupée pendant trente-trois ans par les Espagnols, soumise ensuite au protectorat ottoman, puis gouvernée par une dynastie indépendante, pour redevenir enfin sous le protectorat de la France une ville riche, d'une activité commerciale qui augmente tous les jours, et d'un caractère à moitié français et à moitié arabe qui en fait le plus grand charme, Tunis possède un attrait indicible pour tous ceux qui la connaissent. Elle a conservé tout le charme d'une ville d'Orient, en même temps qu'elle a vu ses anciens quartiers francs se modifier peu à peu, et une ville nouvelle, aux belles avenues et aux maisons élégantes s'élever autour de la vieille cité arabe. Translaton:
The study of Tunis, as a city of art, is of the greatest interest; Punic, Roman, Vandal, Byzantine, Arab, conquered and occupied for thirty-three years by the Spaniards, then submitted to the Ottoman protectorate, then ruled by an independent dynasty, to finally become again under the protectorate of France a rich city, of a commercial activity which increases every day, and of a character half French and half Arab which makes it the greatest charm, Tunis has an indescribable attraction for all those who know it. It has retained all the charm of an oriental town, at the same time as it has seen its old Frankish quarters gradually change, and a new town, with beautiful avenues and elegant houses rising around the city, old Arab city. Condition: Good.
Keywords: Tunis, Kairouan, Art, Architecture, Arab, Ottoman, Houses, Palaces, Mosques, Souks, Le Bardo, La Manouba, Sidi Bon Said, Cimetieres, Cemeteries, Bab-Menara
[Book #81936]
Price: $100.00