In Tunis and in many Morisco towns, one can find a Rue des Andalous, or streets named for important families, such as Rue BenAicha in Soliman. It was very rare for Andalusians to marry 'outsiders,' that is, Arabs not of the same origin. The indefatigable professor is among the first Tunisian scholars to undertake a systematic study of the country's Andalusian traditions. Andalusian and Tunisian architecture share their basic cube- like shape and a fondness for whitewashed stucco and inner courtyards. At the same time the shady wooden grills ensure the occupants' privacy from curious passersby.
Local mosques are an easy way to track Andalusian influence in Tunisian towns.
In the last decade Soliman has completely restored its Moorish mosque, replacing crumbling tiles and sagging carvings with new materials in traditional designs. Tunisia's most popular decorative arts are ceramic tile, stone carving or pottery in bold colors and complex geometric patterns borrowed from old Andalusian designs. One of Tunisia's most prestigious and successful ceramic companies, Al Kharraz of Nabeul, is owned by descendants of an enterprising Andalusian craftsman who first fired his kiln three centuries ago. Outside Nabeul, Dar Chabaane's stone carvers still chisel much-prized honeycomb patterns in chalky limestone, an art form the Andalusians called naqsh hadida, or carving with chisel. Meanwhile, traditional Andalusian music, called ma'louf, has so deeply enriched Tunisian music that most of the country's non- Bedouin traditional songs today have Andalusian roots.