THE MEDINA OF SOUSSE
14 Sep 2023 || TUNISIA
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Tunisia’s towns and cities are bursting with charismatic markets and bazaars; their ever-present buzz is pervasive. Packed with twisting, cobbled alleyways, perfumed souqs, nomadic felines and bold political street art, these medinas boast the ubiquitous blue and white, picturesque architecture seen in magazines. Interspersed with Mediterranean tiles and European window shutters, they deliver truly multicultural characteristics, unique to northern Africa.
Medina, literally meaning ‘city’ in Arabic, is a term used across Maghreb countries to denote the ancient Arabic quarter of a city or town. Conventionally a compact, walled area, they contained markets, housing, mosques, plus local services like blacksmiths and other specialist trades.
Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, hosts the country’s legendary and most eminent historic quarter. This medina gets all the glory; however, the real praise belongs to the Medina of Sousse, 145 kilometres south of Tunis which is, without a doubt, the star of the show (in our opinion).
This post is just a little (unpoetic) love-letter to the Medina of Sousse; justifying why we favour it, accompanied by some slightly less-than-traditional photos and list of a few lovely things to do when visiting.
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IN THIS GUIDE //
The Medina of Sousse
WHY VISIT THE MEDINA OF SOUSSE?
– WHY WE LOVED THE MEDINA OF SOUSSE
MAP OF THE MEDINA
MINI HISTORY OF SOUsse
THINGS TO SEE IN THE MEDINA OF SOUSSE
GETTING TO THE MEDINA OF SOUSSe
WHERE TO STAY IN SOUSSE
TOURS TO THE MEDINA OF SOUSSE
BONUS SECOND PLACE – THE KAIROUAN MEDINA
FINAL THOUGHTS
WHY VISIT THE MEDINA OF SOUSSE?
Lots of tourists visit Sousse (it’s a popular beach destination for European visitors). Despite this, few people venture out to experience day-to-day life in the city’s cultural heart – the medina.
The Medina of Sousse is one of eight UNESCO designated sites in Tunisia. It is a historically significant, exemplary regional example of a seaward-facing military fortification. Inscribed by UNESCO in 1988, the medina dates to the 9th century CE. It’s bounded by colossal, 2.5 kilometre-long, eight-metre-high sandstone walls, complete with ramparts and square battlements. Sitting in the shadow of the crenelated walls, a tight-knit tangle of streets, punctuated by dead ends, slope towards the large contemporary Mediterranean port.
The modern-day medina still houses around 35 thousand permanent residents, which is a huge number considering the age of the structures and the relatively compact area it occupies. Despite being a place where 21st century people live and work every day, it has retained its practical and structural authenticity, still giving off vibes of a bygone time.
I read that the medina area is home to 24 mosques – 12 for men and 12 for women. I didn’t spot 24 during our visit though!
⋅ WHY WE LOVED THE MEDINA OF SOUSSE ⋅
We arrived at the medina by car, parking (for free) adjacent to five other cars in the vast, empty car park at the Museum of Archaeology, in the kasbah. This is one of the wonders of Tunisia: most places, even within major cities, have abundant free-of-charge spaces for cars.
We ambled along the main street parallel to the kasbah, passing official-looking UNESCO signs for the medina and dipping under the trees for shade as we headed towards the large walled gate.
On entering, we were met with some intensely powerful graffiti that was situated, ironically, next to a small police station. Furrowed older men sat smoking on the curbs or leaning on cars while cats darted between our feet. Nobody appeared to notice us as we walked down the narrow steps that led into the heart of the old quarter.
The subsequent hours spent wandering around the Medina of Sousse were magical. I’m not going to list off why the famous buildings are incredible; this is common knowledge which can be read on any blog (or the UNESCO site!). Despite everything being (predictably) beautiful, it was really the residents, a lack of tourists and the low-key chill that were the highlight.
There were the typical shadowy, claustrophobic, shoulder-to-shoulder sensations of a traditional medina, but without so much of the sensory exhaustion mixed in. The Medina of Sousse had all the riotous charm and colourful personalities we had hoped for, with none of the hassle. Nobody barked prices at us and there were no attempts to grab me. It was all welcoming smiles and waves. We could stop and look at the wares and chat with vendors without expectation of a purchase. Avoid the carpet/textile shops though if you’re not looking to buy – it’s the one (very friendly) tourist trap we found here!
REASONS TO LOVE THE MEDINA OF SOUSSE
« No hassle from any vendors »
« The most smiley people in Tunisia »
« Quiet, completely empty areas where you can just wander around alone »
« Incredible Ribat and Mosque architecture »
« Substantial, world class museum, worth visiting »
« Easy to navigate without a guide – you won’t get lost »
« It felt very safe, both on a personal level and as a woman »
« One of the most ‘genuine’ places we visited in Tunisia »
« Minimal tourist souvenir tat »
« People actually live there »
« Utterly non-stressful – even for the uninitiated »
« Zero tourists, literally (that we saw) »
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BACKPACKING TUNISIA GUIDE | TUNISIA ITINERARY
MAP OF THE MEDINA OF SOUSSE
Below is a saveable Google Map of everything mentioned in this Sousse Medina post.
♦ To save the map to your Google Maps, click on the star icon by the title.
MINI-HISTORY OF SOUSSE
Sousse, dubbed the ‘pearl of the Sahel’, was founded by the Tyrians around the 11th century BCE and was originally named Hadrumetum.
This ancient city was conquered and razed by Arab armies during the Islamic conquests of the Mahgreb in the 7th century CE. It was then repopulated as a small outpost of the Islamic Mahgrebi capital of Kairouan.
The city proper was rebuilt by the Islamic Aghlabid Dynasty in 859 CE, subsequently retitling the city ‘Susa’. It then became their prosperous naval capital.
A large coastal fort (the ribat) was built at the end of the 8th century CE to protect the outpost from marauding Byzantines, pirates and other seafaring invaders.
The city was subject to various conquerings and conquests over the following millennia; it changed between Norman, Spanish and Ottoman control. In 1881, it was finally colonised by the French and renamed ‘Sousse’.
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RELATED POST | EXPLORING DJERBAHOOD
THINGS TO DO SEE THE MEDINA OF SOUSSE
♦ Sousse Archaeological Museum – the most important museum in Tunisia after the Bardo Museum in Tunis, containing a significant collection of antiquities.
♦ Bab II Gharbi – the western gate of the Medina of Sousse, noted for its use of machicolation (a way for defenders to fire directly down at the foot of the structure).
♦ Ribat of Sousse – a 38 square meter, 8th century fort that contains an impressive a 35-metre-high watchtower. Featuring a square courtyard, multiple towers and a prayer hall which remains in its original form. 7 TND entry for adults.
♦ Sousse Kasbah – a medieval, 11th century Arabic fortress in the south-west corner of the medina with a 30 metre lighthouse that’s not home to the archaeological Museum of Sousse.
♦ Market Bab Jadid – a large market selling a wide-ranging variety of good including fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, ceramics and the other usual market odds and ends.
♦ Have some mint tea at one of the numerous cosy tea rooms and cafes.
♦ Musee El Kobba – a cute little museum using life size dolls to show off traditional clothing and life – 2 TND entry fee for adults.
♦ Sample some souqs – located within the 9th century Medina of Sousse, Souq El Ribba and the more westerly Souq El Kayed are great, busy markets for exploring. You’ll find dried fruits, vegetables, piles of vibrantly coloured spices, gold, leather and crockery quarters, shoes, carpets and more.
♦ Bu Fatata and the Great Mosque – two 9th century mosques built within 20 years of each other. The Grand Mosque, built adjacent to the ribat by the Aghlabids in 851 CE, has an austere design. The Bu Fatata Mosque is much smaller in comparison and both are adorned with bevelled Kufic inscriptions on their facades.
♦ Zaouia Zakkah – a 17th century distinctive octagonal tower, with blue and green tiles on its facade, exhibits traditional Ottoman design. Below the tower lies a mosque and a mausoleum with over 15,000 graves.
GETTING TO THE MEDINA OF SOUSSE
The city of Sousse is very simple to reach, either by plane, rental car, train or minibus/louage.
By air – the nearest airport to Sousse is Monastir’s Habib Bourguiba International Airport, just a 20-minute drive to Sousse’s centre. We book all our flights across the world on Skyscanner – a flight aggregate company that lists every route, even on budget airlines.
By louage – louages are a kind of public minibus service that can zip you all across Tunisia in a matter of hours and for only a few pounds! Enquire about where your local louage station is from your accommodation choice.
Car rental – if you choose to rent a car in Tunisia (this is our recommendation), the roads are straightforward to drive. If travelling from Tunis, the route is obvious and in great condition. For the Medina of Sousse, we parked at the Archaeological Museum (parking was super easy there).
We rented a car for a month in Tunisia and found driving to be a pleasure. We hire all our cars, including our several rentals in Tunisia, through Discover Cars. We highly recommend them – their insurance is top-notch and reliable (from personal experience!).
By train – trains run from Tunis, Sfax and, indirectly, further afield from Gabes, Gafsa, El Kef and more. The train in Sousse stops right outside the medina at Sousse Bab Jadid station.
CAR HIRE FOR YOUR TUNISIA TRIP
We always rent our vehicles all over the world, including our recent trips in Tunisia, Oman, Saudi Arabia and more with Discover Cars. They’re often the most afforda
