Mahdia
Tunisia · 5 m
Description
Mahdia (المهدية) sits on a narrow peninsula that the Fatimids chose in 921 precisely because a single wall across its neck defended the whole town, and that wall with its Skifa el Kahla gate still cuts the medina off from the mainland. The old town beyond it is quiet in a way Sousse and Hammamet are not, a grid of white lanes ending at a cemetery on the rocks and a lighthouse at the tip. The beach north of the peninsula is the best stretch of sand on the Tunisian mainland coast and carries far fewer hotels than it could.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 3 to 10 days (optimal 5 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Mahdia beach and its white sand
- Skifa el Kahla gate and the medina wall
- Cape Africa lighthouse and the sea cemetery
- Fatimid Great Mosque on the peninsula
- Silk weaving workshops of the medina
- Borj el Kebir Ottoman fort
- Fishing port and the morning catch
- Snorkelling and diving off the rocky point
- Quiet medina lanes and the courtyard cafes
- El Jem amphitheatre inland(Day trip)
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Mahdia