Discover
The identity of the nation
Tunisia is a small country in territory but with an enormous history. It was in ancient Carthage, whose ruins still stand near the current capital, that some of the greatest names in early Christianity were born, such as Tertullian and Cyprian, theologians who helped shape the Christian faith in Latin long before Rome itself became Christian. That memory, however, has nearly faded with time: today more than 99% of the population is Muslim, and Christianity is seen by many as something foreign, despite its deeply African and Tunisian roots.
After the Arab conquest in the 7th century, the territory that is now Tunisia became one of the centers of Islamic culture and faith in North Africa, with the city of Kairouan becoming a spiritual reference point for the entire Muslim world. Centuries of Ottoman rule and, later, the French protectorate, between 1881 and 1956, left marks on the language, architecture and customs, but did not change the country’s predominant religious identity.
In 2011, Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring, the wave of protests that toppled governments in several countries across the region. Since then, the country has followed a path of greater political openness than many of its neighbors, but economic instability and uncertainty about the future of the system of government continue to weigh on families, especially the young.
Today, the Tunisian Christian church is small and discreet. It is estimated that a few thousand Tunisians have decided to follow Jesus, most of them coming from Muslim families. They tend to gather in small groups in homes, avoiding drawing attention, since conversion is still seen by many families as a betrayal of honor and tradition. Even so, these Christians have persevered and grown slowly over the last two decades.
Tunisia is a place of contrasts: a territory that was once one of the greatest Christian centers of the ancient world and today is among the least reached peoples by the gospel in the Arab world. Praying for this people is a reminder that God’s story with Tunisia has not ended, and that the same land that shaped great thinkers of the Christian faith can once again become a beacon of hope for North Africa.
- 814 BC Founding of Carthage by Phoenician colonizers from present-day Lebanon
- 146 BC Rome destroys Carthage in the Third Punic War and takes control of the region
- 2nd-3rd centuries Carthage becomes one of the greatest centers of Christianity in the ancient world, with famous theologians and martyrs
- 698 Arab Muslim armies conquer the region, beginning its Islamization and the spread of Arabic
- 1574 The territory becomes part of the Ottoman Empire
- 1881 Start of the French protectorate over Tunisia
- 1956 Tunisia gains independence from France
- 2011 A popular revolution topples the government and sparks the Arab Spring across the Arab world
- 2014 The country adopts a new Constitution, seen at the time as one of the most progressive in the Arab world on rights
- Today Power is concentrated in the hands of the president after constitutional changes in 2022, and the country seeks political and economic stability
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ArabicOfficial language, spoken by nearly the entire population, in the Tunisian dialect used daily
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FrenchWidely used in commerce, higher education and public administration, a legacy of the colonial period
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Tamazight (Berber)Spoken by small Berber communities in villages in the south and on some islands, as local languages
Tunisia is the smallest country in the Maghreb, the region that spans North Africa between the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast, and has a Mediterranean coastline of more than a thousand kilometers. The terrain changes greatly from north to south: green mountains linked to the Atlas range in the north, a dry central plain, and the Sahara Desert covering much of the territory in the south of the country.
Major cities
- TunisCapital and largest city, home to the medina (historic walled quarter) alongside modern districts, the country's political and economic center
- SfaxSecond largest city, an important port and industrial hub on the eastern coast
- SousseHistoric coastal city, with a medina recognized by Unesco and strong beach tourism
- KairouanConsidered the spiritual center of Islam in the country, home to one of the oldest mosques in the Muslim world
- BizertePort city in the far north, the closest to Europe
Climate and temperature
Tunisian couscous
Considered the country's most traditional dish, made with steamed semolina wheat and served with vegetables, meat or fish and a spicy touch of harissa
Brik
Thin, crispy fried pastry filled with tuna, egg and parsley, very popular as street food
Lablabi
Hot chickpea soup with bread, egg, cumin and harissa, traditional on cold winter days
Harissa
Spicy paste made from chili peppers, garlic and olive oil, used to flavor almost every Tunisian dish, recognized by Unesco as cultural heritage
Mechouia
Salad of grilled peppers and tomatoes, served as a starter with almost every meal
Honey and nut sweets
Sweets made of layers of thin pastry, nuts and honey syrup, common at festivals and weddings
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
El Jem Amphitheatre
One of the largest Roman amphitheaters in the world, still standing after nearly 1,800 years, recognized as a Unesco World Heritage Site
Medina of Tunis
The historic walled quarter of the capital, with narrow streets, markets called souks and the Zitouna Great Mosque, also a World Heritage Site
Great Mosque of Kairouan
One of the oldest mosques in the Muslim world, a spiritual and architectural landmark of the country
Djerba Island
Island in the south recognized by Unesco in 2023, home to mosques, a historic synagogue and an ancient church side by side
Carthage Sites
Ruins of the ancient Phoenician and later Roman capital, today one of the greatest symbols of Tunisia's history
- Eating, drinking or smoking in public during Ramadan It is prohibited by law and considered disrespectful to those who are fasting
- Wearing very short clothing outside beach tourist areas Most of the population is more conservative outside the resorts, and this can cause discomfort
- Photographing people, especially women, without asking permission It is seen as an invasion of privacy and can provoke strong reactions
- Openly criticizing the government or discussing politics with strangers The topic is sensitive and can bring trouble with the authorities
- Public displays of affection between couples This is not well regarded socially, even though the country is more open than many neighbors
- Using the left hand to eat or hand over objects It is considered less appropriate in traditional settings
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Islam is the official religion of the State and shapes laws, culture and national identity in nearly every aspect of life
Conversion to another faith is seen as a betrayal of family and community, generating strong rejection
Beliefs in amulets, the evil eye and folk healers still influence the daily life of many families
Arab Muslim identity is used to reinforce national unity and resist influences seen as foreign
The climate of distrust and surveillance keeps people from having open conversations about faith
In the big cities, consumerism and the pursuit of status compete with God's place in people's lives
Years of instability have left many young people skeptical of any promise of change, including spiritual change
The popular idea that everything is already written and decided can generate passivity toward one's own life
Many talented young people leave the country in search of opportunities, draining potential leadership
Practices from Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, mix with beliefs in saints and sacred tombs
Being a Christian in Tunisia, especially for those born Muslim who decide to follow Jesus, means living out their faith in silence. Conversion is seen by many families as a betrayal of the household’s identity and honor, and those who become Christians risk rejection by parents, threats from relatives or being expelled from home.
In recent years, authorities have increased surveillance of the few groups of Tunisian Christians, and there are reports of house churches (small groups that meet in homes, since there is no freedom to openly build places of worship) being closely monitored. Foreign Christians have also been arrested and had their homes searched, often under accusations that in practice serve to suppress the faith.
Most Tunisian Christians prefer to meet in small, discreet groups, avoiding drawing attention. Even so, the number of people from Muslim families who decide to follow Jesus has grown slowly over the last two decades, a sign of hope amid the pressure.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Tunisia has 19 catalogued ethnic groups, and the vast majority live without any active Christian community. Tunisian Arabs, the largest group with more than 11 million people, are among the peoples most closed to the gospel in the Arab world, with less than 0.1% evangelicals. Alongside them, the country is home to small communities of Libyan, Algerian and Syrian origin, as well as a small Maltese group. Practically the entire population of Tunisia, more than 99%, is among the unreached or least reached peoples by the gospel.
- 12.3M Unreached 99.2%
- 93K Minimally reached 0.8%
- 4K Superficially reached 0%
- 0 Partially reached 0%
- 0 Significantly reached 0%
- 17 Unreached 89.5%
- 1 Minimally reached 5.3%
- 1 Superficially reached 5.3%
- 0 Partially reached 0%
- 0 Significantly reached 0%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Tunisian Arab
Algerian Arabic Frontier
Berbere de Tataouine Frontier
Tuaregue argelino Frontier
Berber, Zaghouan Frontier
Judeus Tunisianos Frontier
Berbere de Siliana Frontier
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Source: Joshua Project and Progress.Bible. Estimates, may vary.
Arabic, Standard Official
Arabic, Tunisian
Arabic, Libyan
Arabic, Algerian
Arabic, Algerian Saharan
Arabic, Levantine
Nafusi
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
Equivalent to about 3 to 4 US dollars
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Ramadan changes the rhythm of life in the country: shops and restaurants shorten their daytime hours and operate at night
- The local currency is the Tunisian dinar, and it cannot be bought or sold outside the country
- French is widely used in commerce and business, alongside Arabic
- On beaches and tourist resorts, customs are more liberal than in the rest of the country
- Friday is the Muslim day of prayer, and shops may have reduced hours
- Avoid openly discussing politics or religion with strangers