Ancient Roman, Turkish, Arabic, French -- all influences that can still be seen in the harbor town of Hammamet. Located on the Cap Bon peninsula of Tunisia in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Hammamet is considered by many to be the center of the Tunisian Rivieria, a beach resort both sophisticated and sleepy.

Its beaches are well-known and popular, as are its ancient (and still operating) healing baths -- the town name is literally Arabic for "the baths." Population in the city and its surrounding area can vary from 20,000 to 70,000 to 200,000 in the high summer season.

The ancient Roman ruins can be found nearby in Pupput and Siagum, but most of the city dates from the 15th century. Opposite the healing baths are the Great Mosque, built in 1450, and the Mosque of Sidi Abdul-Qader al-Gailani, built in 1798.

The old part of the town, called the medina, faces the beach on one side, and the shopping bazaar, called the suk, on the other (foot traffic only). In the bazaar, jasmine is one of the big sellers, as a perfume, oil, or tea, or simply as a souvenir; you can also bargain for brass ware, leather goods, ceramics, and carpets. French touches can still be found throughout the city from the colonial era

American and European artists discovered Hammamet in the 1920s, and built or renovated huge white-walled coastal villas, building up the walled gardens, and adding swimming pools. Fishing boats still line the harbor, and head out to sea every day to bring back the fish and other marine life back to shore for the meals of the many tourists at the resort hotels. The smell of jasmine and many other spices fill the sea air, along with the aroma of Turkish coffee served at outdoor cafes all across the city.