Tunisia 2
Monastir
The Bourguiba mausoleum is a monumental grave in Monastir, Tunisia, containing the remains of former president Habib Bourguiba, the father of Tunisian independence, who died on April 6, 2000.
The mausoleum was built while Bourguiba was still alive, in 1963, in the modern Arab-Muslim style. It is located in the western part of the Sidi El Mézeri cemetery, the main burial site in the city, at the end of the main alley which is about 200 m (660 ft) long and 30 m (98 ft) wide. The building is flanked by two 25-metre-high (82 ft) minarets and topped by a golden dome between two green domes. The mausoleum entrance gate and the gate that separates it from the rest of the cemetery are examples of Tunisian art.
In addition to the former president and his first wife, Mathilde, the mausoleum houses the bodies of his parents, his siblings, and other members of his family in two other halls. It was expanded in 1978.
Inside the mausoleum, there is a small museum housing some of president Bourguiba's personal belongings: his desk from the presidential palace of Carthage, his pens, passports and identity card, his glasses, and also his photos and his clothes (both Western and traditional: jebba, chéchia, and fez).
The Bourguiba mausoleum
The Ribat of Monastir is a ribat, an Islamic defensive structure, located in Monastir, Tunisia. It is the oldest ribat built by the Arab conquerors during the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb. It is also the most prominent monument of the city of Monastir.
The Ribat of Monastir
The outside
The museum inside (below)
The museum inside
Around the city
Paintings and the artist
