The watchtower
Spiral stairs and a view.
Christian Manhart — CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Fehmi bouguezzi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fehmi bouguezzi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Yamen — CC BY-SA 4.0
A square fortress at the edge of Sousse's medina and the best-preserved ribat on the North African coast. It was most likely founded in the eighth century, then rebuilt or completed in its present form under the Aghlabids in the early ninth. Ribats were coastal forts manned by volunteers who combined guarding the frontier against sea raids with prayer and study. That is why the ground floor has small cells around a courtyard, and the upper floor holds a prayer hall that is the oldest surviving Muslim prayer hall in North Africa. In the south-east corner rises the round watchtower, reached by a narrow spiral staircase, and its top gives a superb view over the Great Mosque, the medina's rooftops, the port and the sea. The visit is short and good for families, though the stairs are narrow and steep. It opens every day, so pair it with the Great Mosque next door, whose visiting hours end around midday.
Spiral stairs and a view.
The oldest surviving one.
Around the courtyard.
North-east of the medina, Sousse, beside the Great Mosque
Great Mosque of SousseAn Aghlabid mosque dating from 851, commissioned by the emir Abu al-Abbas Muhamm2 minutes walk4.6
Medina of SousseA fortified Arab-Islamic town dating from the ninth century, ringed by walls mor4 minutes walk4.3
Sousse Archaeological MuseumA museum inside the Kasbah of Sousse, the citadel that has guarded the highest p8 minutes walk4.5Yes, by a narrow spiral staircase, with a view from the top over the medina, the port and the sea.