by Donald Wood
Last updated: 5:00 PM ET, Mon March 30, 2015
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
For the first time since 22 people were murdered in a terrorist attack on March 18, the National Bardo Museum in Tunisia officially reopened to the public Monday.
According to The Associated Press, there was a steady amount of visitors on the first day the museum had reopened following the shootings. Those who made the journey to the Bardo saw flowers and flags placed in memoriam for the tourists and locals who lost their life during the terrorist attack.
While the attack on unarmed travelers was a major blow to Tunisia's efforts of building a democratic government and bustling tourist destination, the reopening of the National Bardo Museum is showing extremists that the nation will not live in fear.
The Bardo is Tunisia's largest museum and has over 8,000 artifacts and works of art. It has become one of the top destinations for European cruise travelers. According to the report from the AP, museum curator Moncef ben Moussa and a team of experts are working on repairs, including a sculpture and mosaic which suffered damage during the attack.
Tourism Minister Selma Elloumi Rekik told the AP about what the reopening means for the museum and for the country of Tunisia, "This museum will always hold the story and the passage of this terrible moment we lived, of the victims who fell during this terrorist attack. Now we want to see the positive - Tunisia is open to visitors."
In the report from the AP, the Tunisian government claims that who they called the "operational chief" of the extremist attack was killed Saturday in a raid. Two gunmen were also killed during the attack in Tunis.
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