Medina

Tunisia


Mahdia’s medina is more residential than others in Tunisia, especially the closer you get to the lighthouse at Cap d’Afrique, where the peninsula narrows and the sea is only steps away. Here, the narrow, cobblestone streets are lined by whitewashed houses and the occasional corner shop. Most of the mercantile and entertainment action occurs in the tangle of laneways and shady plazas running between the Great Mosque and the Skifa El Kahla; Rue Oubeld Allah is the main thoroughfare.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Tunisia attractions

1. Great Mosque

0.15 MILES

Mahdia's fortress-like Great Mosque is a modern replica of the Fatimid original built by Obeid Allah in AD 921, which was destroyed when retreating…

2. Borj El Kebir

0.15 MILES

This large fortress stands on the highest point of the peninsula, rising above Mahdia's medina with a brooding and unadorned severity. It was built in the…

3. Place du Caire

0.17 MILES

Outdoor cafes shaded by trees and vines offer the perfect places to relax and contemplate the ornate arched doorway and octagonal minaret of the Mosque of…

4. Musée de Mahdia

0.3 MILES

The ground floor of this small museum is home to three superb mosaics: an amazingly lifelike face of a Gorgon (3rd century AD), a delightful depiction of…

5. Skifa El Kahla

0.31 MILES

This massive fortified gate, one of Tunisia’s finest, is all that survives of the original Fatimid city. Entry is through a narrow, vaulted passageway,…

6. Mahdia Main Beach

1.69 MILES

Stretching from Ave Taïeb Mihiri in Centre Ville to the Zone Touristique, Mahdia's long sandy beach is a drawcard for locals and tourists alike. Whether…

7. Great Mosque

23 MILES

Built in the 9th century, this Aghlabid building is a severe, fortress-like structure whose facade is only enlivened by graceful horseshoe arches at the…

8. Costume Museum

23.01 MILES

Desperately in need of a refresh, this small museum offers dusty, ill-lit exhibits of traditional costumes, with a focus on female attire. The wedding…