Monastir

Overview

Monastir is an important holiday resort on the Tunisian coast. The main attraction in town -not counting the beach- is an old fortress that is right on the waterfront. It was built by an Islamic religious order in 797 to defend the town from roaming nomadic tribes and Byzantine warships. The fortress houses a lovely museum of Islamic art and artifacts.

Other things to see include the 9-th century city walls and a marina.

Monastir is an excellent base for a beach holiday with the possibilities to make it a really active one. Water sports, excursions ( Kairouan is only 80 km) and golf are on offer.

History