← Discover Sousse

Neighbourhood

The Medina

Enclosed in its ninth-century ramparts, Sousse’s old town slopes gently from the kasbah down to the harbour. You will get lost, and that is the point.

UNESCO World Heritage

A city within the city

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988, the medina of Sousse is one of the most complete examples of a coastal town from the first centuries of Islam. Its ramparts, raised in 859 and more than two kilometres long, enclose a maze of white-and-blue lanes, covered souks, mosques and caravanserais.

A simple route

  1. Enter through Bab el Bhar, the sea gate, and climb towards the Great Mosque square and the ribat.
  2. Follow Rue d’Angleterre and the souks: El Reba (fabrics), El Caïd, the jewellers.
  3. Stop at the Sidi Bouraoui café, under its blue chairs, in front of the zawiya.
  4. Climb to the kasbah for the archaeological museum and the view.
  5. Come back down through Bab el Finga and the western ramparts.

Tips

The souks close on Sunday afternoons. Before 10am, the medina still belongs to its residents.