In the eastern center of Tunisia lies a region with such a soft air, a pure sky, and a blue sea. The name of Monastir is derived from a monastery of the Byzantine period. The spiritual aspect of the place was behind the establishment of a community of Muslim ascetics there. The city was built within a Ribat, a small fortress constructed in the 8th century to protect this community. The building was then extended by the Sultans of Tunis and then by the Ottomans. Its ancient center has now been transformed into a museum where one can see rare objects, such as a magnificent astrolabe made in Cordoba in the 10th century. The other famous monument of Monastir is the golden-domed mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba. Bourguiba, the father of independence, was born in Monastir, and he has deeply marked modern Tunisia thanks to his policies of education, social development and women’s emancipation. One can visit his mausoleum-museum as well as his former summer residence, a futuristic palace from the 1960s.
Travelers discovering the city of Monastir for the first time are often impressed by the rich legacy of its history and the timelessness of its traditions.