Today we were in Monastir – a lovely city on Tunisian’s central coast set along a superb coastline with a blue sea and long golden sandy beaches. Monastir was founded on the ruins of the Punic–Roman city of Ruspina. The town has the oldest and the most important ribat (coastal fort housing religious military volunteers called murabitun) overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the finest examples of Islamic military architecture. This well-preserved fort was built in 797 AD and it has a seemingly chaotic design, with labyrinthine passageways and staircases. Other highlights are the imposing mausoleum, busy modern marina, and of course the town’s medina. Mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba has colorful cupolas and marble minarets, it is the final resting place of Monastir-born Habib Bourguiba, the first president of independent Tunisia. Once you are in town, we do recommend to take a break in the nice café Dar El Habib (tasty panini 5 TND, mineral water 1 l / 2,4 TND, cappuccino 3,8 TND, lemon juice 3,5 TND).
Parking location – Monastir: 35.778442N 10.831378E (🚻)