Long before Tunisia’s 2011 revolution, which ousted dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, ushered in a period of ongoing democratic transition and arguably launched the wave of protests that continue to rock the Arab world, the North African country, then under Ottoman rule, saw another popular uprising: the 1864 revolt instigated by tribal leaders angry with forward-thinking judicial and financial legislation.
Legal documents — including one that abolishes slavery and a new constitution affording equal rights to all Tunisians — are now on public display for the first time ever along with 300 Ottoman-era paintings, costumes, religious objects and furniture. The exhibit, aptly titled “The Rise of a Nation,” is not afraid to explore periods of historical tension — in fact, that’s the goal.
