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The Burgiba family's mausoleum was started to be built in 1963. It is lined by two minaret towers both 25 metres high, with an amazing golden top. These two minarets mark the entrance to the whole complex.
Sandy beach is extending kilometres long. Cleaness of the beach depends od the nearest hotel. Knee-deep water with sandy bottom is nice for walking but not for swimming. I prefer swimming pools - each hotel has a swimming pool.
Green grass, date palms, deck chairs and a waiter circling around all the time. Our hotel was about five kilometres faraway from the nearist town Monastir and none shops to buy bottled water were in the surroundings. Bdw, hotel's price for bottled water was three times more expensive than in the shops in the town.
This photo was taken from hotel room. Parallel with the street , there is a railway line. You can take a train to Monastir, and I think it was the cheapest alternative, among taxi, and bus. In the background, there used to be a saltpans. Some of them are still at work.
Our one week stay, enabled us to visit a few Tunisian cities. Once we hired a taxi to visit the Berberian village. It was a sort of open air museum, where you can see the houses like they used to be. A lady in a village showed us a tehnics of making carpets, and they prepared an exebition (with tea) of carpets for us. After a talkactive persuading, each of us bought a small carpet. My advice: Arrange the price with taxi driver before you seat into the car.
As you can notice on the photo, it wasn't a sunny day. So we decided to visit the town of Monastir. We were told, that a street train's tour is a good choise to get an impression of the town. The tour lasted about half an hour or so, and the driver was also a tour guide. We were the only passengers at that time. We passed the main sights of the town, and I think , it is worth to take such a tour.
Almost each Arabic city has a medina - the old town. Medina of Monastir used to be different than nowadays. It was before they started to build Bourguiba's mausoleum. It still has an atmosphere of oriental bazaar. The area is crammed with souvenir shops and restaurants. The area of narrow streets is very noisy and busy, with non-stop movement and trade, where time has stood still, making you feel like you are in a different world. You can buy leather stuff, all sizes of camels jewellery, products carved from olive - wood, and more and more. And you can (must) mingle with the locals, to achieve reasonable price.
Monastir's probably the main attraction is its famous Ribat. By the way, i t has been used in a handful of quite famous films like Life of Brian. Ribat is set in a beautiful coastal location, surrounded by palm trees. Nowadays this imposing building houses an Islamic museum.If you climb up to the top of the tower, some of us did, you can enjoy a breathtaking wiew all around.
Some History DataIt was founded in 1st millennium BCE by Phoenicians. They called it Rous PennaWhen Romans took control in 146, they renames the town RuspinaLater, it serves as the headquater of Caesar.In 796 CE a ribat, a seaside fortress is established there.In 16th century, the Ottomans established a stronghold .In 1956 with the Tunisian independence and after leadership of the first presudent Bourguiba a town Monastir launched out a grand modernization program.
Nearby the Burgiba family's mausoleum is this little mosque, for women only. We wanted to look inside, but although properly dressed, we weren't allowed. They neither allowed us to take photos. I made this one before they showed us, by hands, not to take photos.
Iberostar Sahara Beach Monastir
2 Reviews and 1252 Opinions Being a 3*, so cheap and so big (more than 500 rooms, I think), we weren't expecting much, but we...
PrimaSol Golden Beach Club Monastir
1 Review and 19 Opinions The rooms are quite large as is the bathroom. There is plenty of wardrobe space. There is a TV but...
Skanes El Hana Monastir
1 Review and 78 Opinions We've been to this hotel last year (2006). It'a nice hotel, best fit for families with children. ...
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