Monastir, Tunisia
| Monastir مـنسـتير | ||
|---|---|---|
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Monastir from the Ribat tower | ||
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 Monastir from space | ||
  Monastir Location in Tunisia | ||
| Coordinates: 35°47′N 10°50′E / 35.783°N 10.833°ECoordinates: 35°47′N 10°50′E / 35.783°N 10.833°E | ||
| Country |
 Tunisia | |
| Governorate | Monastir | |
| Population (2014) | ||
| • Total | 104,535 | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC1) | |
| ZIP code | 5000 | |
| Area code(s) | 73 | |
Monastir also called Mīstīr (Arabic: مـنسـتير 
Monāstīr / Mīstīr, from the Greek μοναστήριον "Hermit's Cell, monastery"), is a city on the central coast of Tunisia, in the Sahel area, (20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Sousse and 162 kilometres (101 miles) south of Tunis). Traditionally a fishing port, Monastir is now a major tourist resort. Its population is about 104,535. It is the capital of Monastir Governorate.
History
Monastir was founded on the ruins of the Punic–Roman city of Ruspina. The city features a well preserved Ribat that was used to scan the sea for hostile ships as a defence against the attacks of the Byzantine fleet. Several ulema came to stay in the Ribat of this peaceful city for contemplation. The Ribat was also one of the filming locations for both the miniseries Jesus of Nazareth and Monty Python's Life Of Brian.
Transportation
The city is on the electrified, metre-gauge Sahel Metro line with trains serving Sousse and Mahdia. Other services run to Tunis.
Monastir – Habib Bourguiba International Airport has flights from most Western European countries. It is run by Tepe Akfen Ventures Airport Holding (TAV).
Climate
Monastir enjoys a dry Mediterranean climate with hot summers, extremely mild winters, lots of sunshine and low rainfall year-round. The city sits in the northeast of Tunisia, on its central coast. It is milder than inland areas of Tunisia, forty percent of which is part of the Sahara. In the summer, while humidity is low, the soaring heat can still be hard to handle. The average high temperature of 29 °C (84 °F) in June skips past the 30 °C (86 °F) mark in the middle of the month and climbs up to 33 °C (91 °F) in July and August.
Economy
Nouvelair has its head office in Monastir in the Dkhila Tourist Zone,[1][2] near the Hôtel Sahara Beach.[3]
Notable people
Tunisian ex-president Habib Bourguiba was born in Monastir, and his mausoleum is located in the city. Many other famous politicians are also from Monastir :
- Mohamed Mzali : Prime Minister of Tunisia from 1980–1986
- Hedi Amara Nouira : Prime Minister of Tunisia from 1970–1980
Among other notable people :
- Jawhar Mnari : Tunisian football player born in Monastir and winner of DFB-Pokal (2006/2007).
- Hamza Younés, footballer
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Monastir is twinned with:
and cooperates with
Saint-Étienne, France
Gallery
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Climate
| Climate data for Monastir | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 15.8 (60.4) |
15.9 (60.6) |
17.3 (63.1) |
19.5 (67.1) |
22.9 (73.2) |
26.6 (79.9) |
30.5 (86.9) |
30.6 (87.1) |
29.5 (85.1) |
24.9 (76.8) |
20.5 (68.9) |
16.6 (61.9) |
22.55 (72.58) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 11.6 (52.9) |
11.6 (52.9) |
13.1 (55.6) |
15.2 (59.4) |
18.6 (65.5) |
22.2 (72) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.8 (78.4) |
24.9 (76.8) |
20.6 (69.1) |
16.1 (61) |
12.5 (54.5) |
18.13 (64.65) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 7.4 (45.3) |
7.3 (45.1) |
9 (48) |
11 (52) |
14.3 (57.7) |
17.9 (64.2) |
20.4 (68.7) |
21 (70) |
20.3 (68.5) |
16.4 (61.5) |
11.7 (53.1) |
8.4 (47.1) |
13.76 (56.77) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 44 (1.73) |
41 (1.61) |
33 (1.3) |
27 (1.06) |
15 (0.59) |
8 (0.31) |
3 (0.12) |
6 (0.24) |
33 (1.3) |
42 (1.65) |
34 (1.34) |
42 (1.65) |
328 (12.9) |
| Average precipitation days | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 53 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 167 | 179 | 208 | 228 | 276 | 303 | 338 | 304 | 240 | 211 | 189 | 164 | 2,807 |
| Source #1: Climate-Data.org,[5] | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: Voodoo Skies for record temperatures[6] | |||||||||||||
Neighboring area
Monastir's northeastern territories lead into a place called Route de la Falaise, through which one can reach its most notable suburb, Skanes, which is 6 miles (9.7 kilometres) from Monastir's town centre. Hugging Tunisia's coastline, Skanes is a holiday resort known mostly for its professional golf courses; white, sandy beaches; clear blue sea; and hotels that fuse Moorish architecture with modern designs. It is frequented throughout the summer by tourists from around the world. They also come for the medina, where it is possible to sample fresh Tunisian cooking and bargain for local goods.
References
- ↑ "Réclamations, Suggestions." Nouvelair. Retrieved on 1 July 2010. "Nos Coordonnées Adresse : Zone Touristique Dkhila – 5065 – Monastir – Tunisie."
- ↑ "Après le vol." Nouvelair. Retrieved on 1 July 2010.
- ↑ Jacobs, Daniel and Peter Morris. The Rough Guide to Tunisia. Rough Guides, 2001. 215. Retrieved from Google Books on 1 July 2010. ISBN 1-85828-748-0, ISBN 978-1-85828-748-5.
- ↑ "Portrait of Münster: Die Partnerstädte". Stadt Münster. Archived from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
- ↑ "Climate: Monastir – Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
- ↑ "Monastir, Tunisia". Voodoo Skies. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
External links
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Monastir. |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monastir. |
- (French) USMonastir.com, official web site of the local multi-sports team