TUNISIA: Monastir's Ribat and Movie Sets

Monastir sits on the coast south of Tunis. 

Since the 8th century, this ribat guarded the city. 

North African ribats are an Islamic defensive structure. 

They were built when the inhabitants were threatened by invading European armies. 

They were used to scan the sea for hostile ships and as a defence against  attacks.

They served not only a military purpose as fortresses, but also a religious purpose as a place of prayer and study for devout soldiers. 

In a way, they were kind of a fortified Islamic monastery,

TUNISIA: The Roman Coliseum in El Jem

The Roman amphitheatre of El Jem is one of Tunisia's treasures. 

It was built around 238 AD and is one of the best preserved Roman stone ruins in the world. 

Like other amphitheatres in the Roman Empire, it was built for spectator events.

The colosseum is rivalled only by the one in Rome.  

The massive Roman Amphitheatre had a capacity of 30,000 spectators over its 3 stories.

TUNISIA: Deserts, Mountains, Oasis' and Movie Sets

This is a sign we don't often see back home in North American. 

Come to think of it, I'm not sure I have ever seen a sign like this before.

As we continued south the topography changed to be more arid.  

Within the desert and mountains there were mirages in the distance. 

And there were also real oasis's with palm trees. 

TUNISIA: Ancient Ruins of Bulla Regia, Dougga, Kairouan, Sufeitual

Tunisia is a small country with natural beauty and a unique history combined with many well preserved cultural sites. 

The country is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, seven of which are cultural attractions.

Many of these sites are incredibly well preserved and offer a glimpse into what daily life might have been like hundreds or even thousands of years ago in North Africa.

We did a counter clockwise route of the country, starting north and west from Tunis to visit many of the ancient cultural sites. 

TUNISIA: Sidi Bou Said

Approximately 12 miles (20 kilometers) north of Tunis lies the idyllic seaside town of Sidi Bou Said. 

It is perched on top of a steep cliff and is surrounded by beautiful Mediterranean views.

The town's cobbled streets are lined with art shops, souvenir stalls, and quaint cafés. 

Brilliant blue-painted doors and trellises contrast with the pure white of Sidi Bou Said's Grecian buildings.

It’s a town known to have attracted artists, musicians, writers, and the bourgeoisies. 

TUNISIA: Carthage

Carthage, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was founded by the Phoenicians in the middle of the 9th century BC. 

From 650 B.C. to 146 B.C., Carthage was the most powerful trading and commercial city in the Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classical world. 

It had a sophisticated 200-dock harbour, a wealthy population and was  a sprawling metropolis of temples, markets and estates. 

The city was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean 

It is now a residential suburb of the city of Tunis. 

TUNISIA: Tunis

From the 12th to the 16th century, Tunis was considered one of the greatest and wealthiest cities in the Islamic world. 

Today, Tunis is the capital of the country and is home to about 2 million people, which is about one-sixth of the country’s population, 

Situated in the Gulf of Tunis on the Mediterranean Sea, the modern city extends along the coastal plains and to the surrounding hills. 

It is a city with many contrasts, with modern office buildings, shopping malls, European cafes, the colonial French style of the Ville Nouvelle, and Arab souks in the old Medina.

Thinking back to modern history, in 2011, Tunisia was the start for the Arab Spring, a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world.