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Mahdia is a beautiful seaside town, not far from Monastir (to the south). It was built by Obeid Allah El Mahdia, and was consequently named after him. After it was finished in 921 it became the new capital. In those days the town was of course much smaller, and the thick walls protecting it surround the old medina to this day. The medina was where people would retreat whenever they were attacked from the sea. Getting past the thick walls with the only entrance being Skiffa El Kahla (the dark passage) was however not an easy task.

Mahdia has a musueum with beatiful mosaics and statues, like so many other places in Tunisia. Silk weaving and fishing are important to the area, as are of course tourists. Many beautiful hotels with private beaches can be found here and it's easy to take trips to other parts of Tunisia, maybe for just a few hours to see El Jem, Sousse or Kairouan, or maybe an overnight trip to experience the Sahara and see Chott El Jerid, the great salt lake, among other things.

I really recommend Mahdia! If you want to see something outside of the biggest cities, but still have easy access to all that Tunisia has to offer, this is the place to try!



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