English: PLEASE, no multi invitations, glitters or self promotion in your comments, THEY WILL BE DELETED. My photos are FREE for anyone to use, just give me credit and it would be nice if you let me know, thanks - NONE OF MY PICTURES ARE HDR.

Ran inside and grabbed these shots as we were not suppose to be there and the bus was waiting.

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Monastir was founded on the ruins of the Punic–Roman city of Ruspia. This well preserved ribat was used to scan the sea for hostile ships. The Ribat of Monastir is an imposing fortress located along the Mediterranean Sea .

This is the oldest and most important defensive work to have been built along the North African coastline by the Arab conquerors in the early days of Islam.

Founded in 796, this building underwent several modifications during the medieval period. Initially, it formed a quadrilateral and then was composed of four buildings giving onto two inner courtyards.

A spiral stair of about a hundred steps leads to the watchtower form the top of which visual messages were exchanged at night with the towers of neighbouring Ribats

An imposing gateway on the west side of the Ribat leads into the inner courtyard, surrounded on three sides by buildings several storeys high containing the monks' cells, store-rooms and casemates. The monks' quarters were separated by another gateway from other buildings (perhaps women's quarters) probably added in the ninth century.

In and around the Ribat are film sets and studios. Franco Zeffirelli shot scenes from his film "Jesus of Nazareth" here in 1976.