The hometown of the first Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba, the cozy and intimate Monastir managed to preserve a traditional way of life of the coastal port city, despite a series of strung out towards Skanes modern hotels and neighborhood International Airport . Monastir - primarily a resort for a relaxing family holiday in the vicinity not find noisy entertainment (for them you need to go to the neighboring Sousse) . But there are enough sights in Monastir with interest - this is the ancient Arab medina behind the fortress wall, the military fort-ri It is with a magnificent museum of Islamic traditions and lookout tower, a picturesque marina and the magnificent mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba with a precious golden sarcophagus inside .
History ...
The history of Monastir, like many other coastal cities of Tunisia, begins long before the arrival of Arabs here - in the first years of our era, when the strategically advantageous e future Monastir drew attention to the Romans and founded a colony ruspina. From those times in Monastir almost nothing left - replaced them by vandals tried to glory, except that the columns from the ruins of ancient ruspina, which can be seen today in the courtyard of the Grand Mosque
Most of the attractions of Monastir refers to the Arab period -. Islamic the conquerors sought to subjugate the lands of North Africa and erected the military camps in the way of the troops - "caravans" . The Arab city began with the mosque - and Monastir was no exception: its main architectural monument tnik - The Great Mosque of the 9th century . Another sure thing is to go inside the Arab military fortress of the ribat - there lived and guarded the coast militant martinite monks . From the watch tower of the rybat offers a breathtaking view of the picturesque coast, and in the interior there are samples of Islamic art, including the magnificent Quran written in gold ink on dark blue paper .
and modernity
evidence of recent, but no less glorious history of Tunisia - pompous mosque and the mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba . first Pres Tunisian candidate preferred to rest in his native city, for which he carefully planned the "afterlife" . Mausoleum is not only the actual tomb of the president himself and his family members (in a separate hall; headstone topped by marble copies of favorite headdress - fez, sheshy, skufia ...), but also a museum where you can see . Bourguiba suits for formal receptions, he documents, archival photographs, a reed pen, and so forth . .
Nature Nature central Tunisian coast -. It is not only the endless olive groves, but also salt lakes that surround Monastir airport, and lush thickets of evergreen bushes and coniferous trees. Walking in the fresh air in the bosom of Mediterranean nature is most pleasant in the park of Falaise - here there are pedestrian paths, and in the most picturesque places benches from which you can enjoy a sea view are located.