TUNISIEAt the heart of the medina you will find a city centre full of life and entertainment with its traditional souks and cafes, the Rhaba. The surrounding buildings are inspired by Italian, Tunisian, Moroccan or oriental architecture.
The Medina is full of reproductions of symbolic monuments related to the different eras and civilizations of Arab history. The Skia al kahla gate for example is representative of Fatimid architecture. The Red Dome is as a jewel of Arabic architecture in Sicily and the Golden Tower, recently transformed into a marine museum is one of the most beautiful testimonies of the Muslim civilization of Seville. You may also admire the Blue Tower, a tribute to the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech.
Further away stand the ancient walls of the city of Mahdia dating from the 10th century, as well as the ruins of the ramparts of the city of Sfax. Theses incredible memorial sites are will allow you to dive into Tunisia’s legends and history and legends.
The unfinished ramparts, giving the impression of being demolished, which we observe on the eastern side of the Medina Méditerranea recall an important and painful historical episode in the history of Tunisia at the end of the nineteenth century. The French colonization in 1881. This protectorate is established on May 12, the day of the signing of the treaty of Ksar Al Said, or treaty of the Bardo. Sfax is an important city with a population of 20,000 and a flourishing economy. The kid Ali Ben Khalifa, of the tribe of the Effect, rejects the authority of the French and takes to the head of the revolt, soon joined by the population. The Bey tries in vain to calm the spirits but the contest does not weaken.
Tensions escalated when the French Consul, General Rostand, dispatched warships to protect the 800 Europeans who lived there. On 28 June, clashes took place, resulting in the death of a Maltese and the wound of the Vice Consul. France then decided to react. On July 14, 1881, the French fleet, strong of 50,000 soldiers, led the assault against Sfax. A fierce urban guerrilla is opposed to the French army, but can do nothing. In two days, the city is taken by assault, the maritime ramparts heavily bombed. These ramparts thus symbolize the heroism of the martyrs, who died for their city and for Tunisia.