Why visit the Middle East and North Africa?

Hospitality.

Eid Al-Adha is less than a week away and it brings back sweet memories of my travels in Tunisia two years ago.

It was late September 2015, only six months after the terror attack on the Bardo Museum and three months after Sousse. And there I was in Sousse, on the day of the Feast of the Sacrifice.

I went to the medina in the morning of Eid, hoping to see a religious ceremony that might be held in the Grand Mosque. But when I arrived at the mosque, there was nothing - no celebration, no ceremony. It was eerily quiet. There was barely a soul in the square in front of the mosque.

I asked a man who was walking nearby about this and I was told that Tunisians celebrate Eid in their homes. I sat there disappointed and wondered what I would be doing for the rest of the day. Thankfully, a boy who was playing football by himself overheard our conversation and approached me to invite me to his home to celebrate Eid. Tunisian hospitality at its finest!

His home was a stone’s throw away from the mosque in the medina. I met his siblings, cousins, mum, and aunts, as well as a very cute and friendly sheep that was tethered to a window grille in the courtyard.

After chatting with the youngsters (only they spoke some English) for about an hour, dad came home with the butcher. Within a few minutes, the sheep was slaughtered in commemoration of Eid. I’ve captured everything on video but I won’t be sharing it as I’m afraid that some people might find it too disturbing.

There were several interesting practices during the sacrifice that I didn’t understand and they were not able to explain to me in English.

Like when the dad dabbed the palm of his hand with the sheep’s blood and left his handprints on the wall…

Or when someone stuck this part of the sheep on the wall…

Later the whole family gathered around to barbecue the sacrificed sheep for lunch.

See how friendly the Tunisians are…

The lunch was delicious. There was the barbecued sheep along with salads and the famous Tunisian chilli paste, called the harissa.

And of course this beautiful fruit dessert…

After having my fill, I excused myself and thanked my Tunisian hosts for rendering such amazing hospitality to a stranger from halfway around the world.

BOTTOM LINE – The people of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are incredibly hospitable. Many people quite understandably avoid this region, but for those who do visit, they are richly rewarded with an unforgettable experience.