Monastir, Tunisia

Monastir
المـنسـتير

Monastir from the Ribat tower

Seal

Monastir from space
Monastir

Location in Tunisia

Coordinates: 35°47′N 10°50′E / 35.783°N 10.833°E
Country Tunisia
Governorate Monastir
Population (2014)
 • Total 104,535
Time zone CET (UTC1)
ZIP code 5000
Area code(s) 73

Monastir (Arabic: المـنسـتير‎ Al-Munastîr, from the Greek μοναστήριον "Hermit's Cell, monastery", called [lmiˈstiːr] in Tunisian Arabic), is a city on the central coast of Tunisia, in the Sahel area, (20 km south of Sousse and 162 km south of Tunis). Traditionally a fishing port, Monastir is now a major tourist resort. Its population is about 104,535. It is the capital of Monastir Governorate.

History

The Ribat in Monastir

Monastir was founded on the ruins of the Punic–Roman city of Ruspina. The city features a well preserved Ribat that was used to scan the sea for hostile ships as a defence against the attacks of the Byzantine fleet. Several ulema came to stay in the Ribat of this peaceful city for contemplation. The Ribat was also one of the filming locations for both the miniseries Jesus of Nazareth and Monty Python's Life Of Brian.

Transportation

The city is on the electrified, metre-gauge Sahel Metro line with trains serving Sousse and Mahdia. Other services run to Tunis.

Monastir – Habib Bourguiba International Airport has flights from most Western European countries. It is run by Tepe Akfen Ventures Airport Holding (TAV).

Climate

Monastir enjoys a dry Mediterranean climate with hot summers, extremely mild winters, lots of sunshine and low rainfall year round. The city sits in the northeast of Tunisia, on its central coast. It is milder than inland areas of Tunisia, forty percent of which is part of the Sahara. In the summer, while humidity is low, the soaring heat can still be hard to handle. The average high temperature of 29°C in June skips past the 30°C mark in the middle of the month and climbs up to 33°C in July and August.

Economy

Nouvelair has its head office in Monastir in the Dkhila Tourist Zone,[1][2] near the Hôtel Sahara Beach.[3]

Notable people

Tunisian ex-president Habib Bourguiba was born in Monastir, and his mausoleum is located in the city.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Monastir is twinned with:

and cooperates with

Gallery

Great mosque Monastir 
Al-Qurayyah beach Monastir 
Habib Bourguiba Mausoleum 
Cemetery Sidi el-Mézeri 
Streets in the old city 
Street shops 

Climate

Climate data for Monastir
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 15.8
(60.4)		 15.9
(60.6)		 17.3
(63.1)		 19.5
(67.1)		 22.9
(73.2)		 26.6
(79.9)		 30.5
(86.9)		 30.6
(87.1)		 29.5
(85.1)		 24.9
(76.8)		 20.5
(68.9)		 16.6
(61.9)		 22.55
(72.58)
Daily mean °C (°F) 11.6
(52.9)		 11.6
(52.9)		 13.1
(55.6)		 15.2
(59.4)		 18.6
(65.5)		 22.2
(72)		 25.4
(77.7)		 25.8
(78.4)		 24.9
(76.8)		 20.6
(69.1)		 16.1
(61)		 12.5
(54.5)		 18.13
(64.65)
Average low °C (°F) 7.4
(45.3)		 7.3
(45.1)		 9
(48)		 11
(52)		 14.3
(57.7)		 17.9
(64.2)		 20.4
(68.7)		 21
(70)		 20.3
(68.5)		 16.4
(61.5)		 11.7
(53.1)		 8.4
(47.1)		 13.76
(56.77)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 44
(1.73)		 41
(1.61)		 33
(1.3)		 27
(1.06)		 15
(0.59)		 8
(0.31)		 3
(0.12)		 6
(0.24)		 33
(1.3)		 42
(1.65)		 34
(1.34)		 42
(1.65)		 328
(12.9)
Avg. precipitation days 6 5 7 6 4 2 1 2 4 6 5 5 53
Mean monthly sunshine hours 167 179 208 228 276 303 338 304 240 211 189 164 2,807
Source #1: Climate-Data.org,[5]
Source #2: Voodoo Skies for record temperatures[6]

Areas within Monastir

Monastir's north-eastern territories lead into a place called Route de la Falaise, through which you will reach its most notable suburb, Skanes, which is 6 miles from Monastir's town centre. Hugging Tunisia's coastline, Skanes is a holiday resort known mostly for its professional golf courses, never-ending strips of white, sandy beaches, clear blue sea and hotels that fuse Moorish architecture with modern designs, and is frequented throughout the Summer by tourists from around the World. As well as the relaxation and sports on offer they also come for the medina, where it is possible to sample fresh Tunisian cooking as well as bargaining for local goods.

References

  1. ↑ "Réclamations, Suggestions." Nouvelair. Retrieved on 1 July 2010. "Nos Coordonnées Adresse : Zone Touristique Dkhila – 5065 – Monastir – Tunisie."
  2. ↑ "Après le vol." Nouvelair. Retrieved on 1 July 2010.
  3. ↑ Jacobs, Daniel and Peter Morris. The Rough Guide to Tunisia. Rough Guides, 2001. 215. Retrieved from Google Books on 1 July 2010. ISBN 1-85828-748-0, ISBN 978-1-85828-748-5.
  4. ↑ "Portrait of Münster: Die Partnerstädte". Stadt Münster. Archived from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
  5. ↑ "Climate: Monastir – Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Monastir, Tunisia". Voodoo Skies. Retrieved 19 July 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monastir.

Coordinates: 35°47′N 10°50′E / 35.783°N 10.833°E