Month: October 2024 (Page 2 of 2)

We walk past the Monastir Ribat every time we walk into town to run errands or have a meal, each time saying that we really need to visit. Our time was running short before we were due to fly out, so we picked a sunny day and off we went.

A ribat is an Islamic defensive structure, or fortress, and this one is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved in the country. First built in 796AD during the Maghreb dynasty, it was expanded and modified over the centuries to incorporate military innovations, as well as for use as a monastery.

Inside the ribat is a museum with religious artifacts from all over the country.

We trekked up a narrow, claustrophobic set of stairs of the central tower, to be rewarded with a spectacular view of the waterfront.

We had known that the ribat was the set for the Monty Python movie Life of Brian, so we watched the movie the night before we went, and then again after our visit. It was fun to see how the entire fortress had been transformed for different scenes from the movie.

Following are some pictures of what we encounter on a daily basis in Monastir, Tunisia.

Welcome to Cap Marina in lovely Monastir, Tunisia. This is our berth for the winter season. It’s a huge change from the fancy mega-yacht marina of Porto Montenegro, but at 1/4 the price, it’s more our style. We were helped into our berth by one of the marineros, Mohannet, and went off to manage the clearing in process. Similar to Morocco, it’s a tedious process between the Garde Nationale (Coast Guard), Immigration, and Duane (Customs), that takes a few hours. It doesn’t help being sleep deprived, but you get it done.

We took a long nap to recover until the early afternoon. Then, when we were feeling refreshed, our friend, Janine, collected us and took us on a logistics tour of town. A new experience for us, we had met several cruisers in Malta and they were all wintering in Monastir. Normally we would have to figure everything out ourselves, but there’s nothing like having a friend to show you where the local cell phone store is for a SIM card, grocery store, ATMs, and most importantly where the best milk shakes are in town!

The walk to and from town takes you along some beautiful beaches, and right through local history, passing the ribat (fortress) and mausoleum of revered former leader Bourguiba.

The mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba