Tunis — Dubbed "Project Bardo," the program to upgrade the largest museum in the country is in full swing. "The project is proceeding in strict compliance with the contract and deadlines are being met. The project involves the building of nearly 8,000 m2 to accommodate educational and recreational activities such as cafes, restaurants, shops and bookstores. It was really crucial to make this museum a truly integrated cultural space." says Mr. Tahar Ghalia, Chief Curator of the "Le Bardo" Museum.

A cooperation agreement was recently signed between the "Louvre Museum" and the "Museum of Bardo". The agreement "seals the relationship between the two museums in the area of trade and professional resources, research and cooperation and provides exhibitions and cultural events of as well as the possibility to borrow collections from Louvre Museum".

The new part of the Museum will host six departments that will be dedicated to the prehistoric civilization Phoenician-Punic, Numidian, Islamic, and the famous underwater mosaic collection of Mahdia. A treasure composed of works of art from a boat that sank in 86 BC and consists of approximately thousands of works of art from Athens.

After completion, the project is expected to attract one million visitors per year.

The aim is to give more visibility to the "Le Bardo" Museum which has always been an accumulation of archaeologists' discoveries. For the record, we must remember that Kheireddine (former Prime Minister and reformer in the 19th Century) wanted a museum reflecting the concerns of the time" says Mr. Tahar Ghalia.