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Mahdia

Tunisian town

42km

35.511.066667

Monastir

city in Tunisia

43km

35.766710.8167

Sousse

Tunisian town

49km

35.833310.6333

Sfax

Tunisian town

51km

34.733310.7667

Djerba

island in Tunisia

140km

33.7833333310.88333333

Tunis

capital city of Tunisia

147km

36.810.1833
Sights (13)

Amphitheatre of El Jem

The amphitheater dominates the modern town, and was also featured in several scenes of the film Gladiator. The amphitheater is best seen at dawn or sunset, and this is also the best time for taking photographs. While the grounds may be closed during sunrise or sunset, photographs of the site from the surrounding streets are certainly possible.

1.1km

35.2963888910.70694444

El Djem Archaeological Museum

It has a large selection of mosaics and one restored Roman Villa, which has all the mosaics in place and gives a real feel for their style of living. Adjoining this is the rest of this area of Roman Thysdrus, with the streets and floor plans laid out over a large area showing the variations to the house and villa plan.

1.6km

35.2897222210.70472222

Lamta Archaeological Museum

The ancient city of Leptiminus is located about 10 km south of Monastir. It was founded by Phoenician sailors around the 12th century BC. The modern city of Lamta was built on top of this ancient city, thus leaving almost nothing of it. Although some remnants from the times of Leptiminus can still be found in this museum.

38km

35.6769444410.87722222

Great Mosque of Monastir

Built in the 9th century and then enlarged over the centuries. It now includes a prayer room and a minaret, and doesn't have a courtyard inside. Off-limits to non-Muslims.

38km

35.6710.8925

Great Mosque of Mahdiya

Located on the southern side of the peninsula on which the old city was located; built in 916 CE, after the founding of the city within the walls built by the Caliphate on an artificial platform reclaimed from the sea.

43km

35.50389611.072054

Ribat of Monastir

This fortified monastery is located next to the sea and provides a great visit with most of the ruins open to clamber over. It may be familiar as it has been used in several films as a stand in for Jerusalem, most notably Monty Python's Life of Brian. You can climb the tower and have a nice view over the coastline and city.

44km

35.776110.8329

Great Mosque of Sousse

A surprisingly tranquil place despite its location in the middle of the city. Built c. 850 AD, this mosque is simple and austere in the Aghlabite style, no decoration whatsoever aside from a string of angular Arabic and curved arches. Even the prayer room is covered in reed mats instead of the usual carpet. You must be properly dressed to enter, but green wraps can be rented for a token fee to cover up.

48km

35.8269444410.63972222

Ribat of Sousse

Whilst not as impressive or extensive as the Ribat in Monastir this fortified holy site is a worthwhile visit and served as home to a branch of Islamic warriors very similar in nature and creed as the Hospitaller Knights that lived in Rhodes. Climbing to the top of the watch tower affords you fantastic views over the Medina.

48km

35.827710.6388

Port El Kantaoui

seaside resort in Tunisia

55km

35.89410.598

Mosque of Three Doors

mosque in Tunisia

73km

35.403710.061

Great Mosque of Kairouan

One of the finest Islamic buildings in North Africa and rewards closer inspection. Non Muslims are not permitted into the prayer hall, but the doors are open to allow you to view inside. Access to the main courtyard is available to all. The columns throughout the complex were taken from Carthage, the wooden ceiling from Lebanese cedar wood. In the courtyard, there are indents into the floor with varying sizes for camel or dromedary hoofs, or human feet, for washing before prayers. On the tiny platform in the middle of the courtyard, there is also four black pins on a board that tells the prayer times by the sun. Facing the prayer room, on one of the left columns is also a last black pin marking the night prayer by moonlight.

76km

35.6813888910.10388889

Raqqada

Raqqāda is the site of the second capital of the 9th-century dynasty of Aghlabids, located about ten kilometers southwest of Kairouan. The site now houses the National Museum of Islamic Art. Which specializes in medieval Islamic art and includes works from Kairouan, Raqqada and Al-Mansuriya, a former princely city built in the Fatimid period.

78km

35.59624310.0569

Houmt El Souk

Tunisian town

132km

33.8666666710.85
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El Jem

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Someday we will visit El Jem or begin to dream about going there! However, for now its not on our radar. Let us know in the comments if you think that should change!

El Jem

El Jem is a small town in the east of Tunisia that holds the remains of a UNESCO World Heritage listed Roman amphitheater.

The Roman city of Thysdrus was built, like almost all Roman settlements in ancient Tunisia, on former Punic settlements. In a less arid climate than today's, Thysdrus prospered as an important center of olive oil production and export. It was the seat of a Christian bishopric, which is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees. By the early 3rd century, when the amphitheater was built, Thysdrus rivaled Hadrumetum (modern Sousse) as the second city of Roman North Africa after Carthage. However, following the abortive revolt that began there in AD 238 and Gordian's suicide in his villa near Carthage, Roman troops loyal to the emperor Maximinus Thrax sacked the city. The town is shown on the 4th-century Peutinger Map.

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