One of the biggest souqs is the Grand Souq des Chechias, where dusty shopfronts are brimful with blood-red hats, and you can see them being shaped and hammered. In the 17th century, this was one of Tunisia's biggest industries. A million red-felt skullcaps, used originally as the basis for building a turban, were made annually by 15,000 craftsmen, and exported worldwide.
