Sousse and Monastir

Sousse and Monastir are neighbouring towns on the east coast that join beach resorts to history. The medina of Sousse has been on the UNESCO list since 1988, with its walls, Great Mosque and ribat, completed in the 9th century as a fortress for the guardians of the coast.

Monastir has one of the oldest ribats of the Islamic West, built at the end of the 8th century, its towers and walls facing the sea, and nearby the mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba with its golden dome. Monastir's airport makes the coast easy to reach.

From Sousse there are short trips to the Roman amphitheatre of El Jem, one of the largest in the Roman world, and to Kairouan, the first Islamic city of the Maghreb, with the Mosque of Uqba ibn Nafi. Port El Kantaoui, north of Sousse, gathers restaurants and promenades by the sea.