Passion for purple revives ancient dye in Tunisia

A symbol of power and prestige, the celebrated purple colour was traditionally used for royal and imperial robes. Photos: AFP

A Tunisian man has pieced together bits of a local secret linked to ancient emperors: how to make a prized purple dye using the guts of a sea snail.

"At the beginning, I didn't know where to start," said Mohamed Ghassen Nouira, who heads a consulting firm.