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Coffee isn’t as popular
in northern Africa
as it is in the Middle East.
In countries such as Morocco,
Algeria and Libya,
tea is the ritual beverage of choice.
The exception is Tunisia.
Here, coffee came to the fore
following the Ottoman domination
in the 16th century.
Compared to the Turks,
Tunisians use different coffee-pots;
they toast the coffee powder
and add orange flowers to the brew.
In the 19th century,
following the French colonisation,
public places spread outside
the old city centres as well.
Cafés opened in squares and streets
featuring dehors, with chairs neatly lined up
so that customers could sit back
and watch the people bustle back and forth.
The public places in the old city centre
still survive, their elderly patrons
playing backgammon
while smoke swirls around them.
The oldest buildings date back to the 16th century
and usually consist of a large central hall
surrounded by alcoves and archways,
benches, wood-framed mirrors
and Andalusian china.
The coffee is made
in a corner of the building,
fitted out with a traditional coal cooker
and metal coffee-pots hanging from the wall.