Mahdia

Mahdia is a Tunisian coastal city, located southeast of Sousse with about 46,000 inhabitants. The port town was established around AD 916, and it became the capital of one of the Muslim world’s most important line of rulers, the Fatimids. When the Fatimids conquer Cairo they abandoned Mahdia the inhabitants of Zawila moved in, and it became a wealthy town by trading. This is also what you experience when you visit the town.
Mahdia is blessed with a stunning setting, and charm spreading out across a small peninsula that juts out into the Mediterranean.

The medina offers up historic mosques and souks piled high with eye-catching Moorish keepsakes. The fishing port just outside supplies 70% of the country’s fish, plus many of the town’s better restaurants. Skifa El Kahla is a impressive massive gate dated back from the Fatimids. The gate has a narrow entry of about 45m long, and you go on top to have a excellent view over the medina. There are a few old Mahdia houses to admire at Place du Caire. It is up to a Turkish square when it was in 1772 the centre of the town. Musee De Mahdia, is a interesting archaeological museum with well-presented examples from the Punic, Roman, Islamic, and Christian periods. The big fortress standing on the highest point of the peninsula is called Borj el-Kebir. The fort was built in the 16th century on a ruin of a Fatimds structure.

The 10-kilometre with sand beaches run from the edge of the medina and well past the Zone Touristique. The central section of beach is backed by the Corniche, a promenade laced with cafés serving up fresh seafood. There are also possibilities for water activities such as; jet-skis, night diving, wreck diving.