After the Arab conquest, Sfax developed as an Islamic
trading center serving the Berber nomads. Its ramparts,
originally erected in the ninth century, were maintained
and improved by the Sicilian Normans in the 12 th century,
by the Spanish in 16 th as well as by Barbary Coast pirates
in 17 th and 18 th .
Sfax is now Tunisia 's second-largest city. The Medina's
ramparts have been carefully restored though the focus
here is on exporting phosphates, Olives ,
olive oil, almonds and
canned fish.
Sfax is a fishing port-Mediterranean climate with warm sunny days. It is one
of the most inexpensive parts of Tunisia offering beautiful beaches and historical
treasures .
Bab Diwan is the main door of the Medina, it’s beginning of the surrounding wall of the Médina
on a length of 2 km. Bab Diwan was built by the Aghlabites
in the Ixth century, restored and strengthened during
these last years.
•Souks
They are situated in the
Medina, between the Big Mosque and Bab Jebli.
The souk el-Jema
is specialized in cloths, but also in hangingses, herbs
and spices.
At the Blacksmiths souk, you will find many
things made by craftsmens. At the outside of Bab Jebli,
you will find also too many small and lovely markets.
At
the el-attarine souk, you will find the souk of traditional
clothes(jebba, chachia...)
Situated in the heart of the Medina, in a middle-classy
house of the 17th century. This museum offers to their visitors a big
collection of many domestic things (antiquity)
Archaeological museum of Sfax
Administrative timetables
Closed Sundays
Sfax Municipality
Archaeological museum,. it presents Collections of
Roman and Islamic of the prehistoric time.
Kerkennah islands
Situated in the Gulf of Gabes off the eastern coast of
Tunisia, Kerkennah still remains one of the mediterraneans
secret gems, made up of two main islands, Chergui(in the
north) and Gharbi (in the south), Kerkennah is reached by
ferries during the summer season from the port at Sfax.
The islands were originally called “Cercina” because the
with-godess Circe is supposed to have imprisoned Odysseus,
believing him too handsome to let go. Kerkennah is quiet,
calm, tranquil and lovely place.
“Don’t go there unless you want to fall in love”, but do so, and return year
after year. Encircled by Cire’s magic, this place can be hard to leave, and visitors
who arrive for days can often stay for weeks.
The Eljem colosseum
Built around the year
200, it was the scene of those games and circuses, often
cruel and bloody , provided by ancient Rome . Today,
the cries of martyrs and beasts have been replaced by
the haunting strains of a concerto or the precise beauty
of a fugue as world famous orchestras and artists perform
at the classical music
festival held at the colosseum each summer.
El Jem has
opened workshops where artists are re-discovering the
art of mosaics and
their creations are truly worthy of this site and its history. You can compare
these artworks with those in the
museum by the colosseum.
