The Punic Port or Old Port of Mahdia

This port is located in a depression between the hills of Sidi Jabeur and the Borj El Kebir on
the south coast of the peninsula of Mahdia. So the site is protected from the north winds and it opens with
deep water.

Recent research has led to say that the old port is carved into the rock and date of the Punic period. 

It was used as a trading post and naval base until the Ottoman period (about the middle of the XVIIIth) surface is 8250m2. 

Its original depth exceeds 10m. It can hold 30 boats at a time. 

The trace of the walls that surround it is still visible to the naked eye and the two warriors who monitor its input. 

Mahdia was also equipped with maritime fortifications, small walls dotted with more than a hundred towers. 

Maritime door was locked with a chain stretched between two protruding iron, and linked the move to the sea. 

Fisherman door + 

Very little Remains of the original harbor since it Would Have beens Surrounded by huge walls as the rest of this portion of the peninsula Would Have beens Giving It the feeling of a castle fortress resting on the edge of the sea. 

On Both Sides of the entrance Were towers with a chain suspended between. The base of These are still there. Just behind this is Sailors' cemetery All which is laid out so That Almost Every serious can-have a seaview. 

Major occupations Would Have beens with fishing, piracy or the navy.

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The penthouse Kahla

The penthouse Kahla Mahdia of the most prominent historical landmarks in the capital of the Fatimids and back built to the early fourth century of migration and are believed to be constructed by order of the Mahdi, the founder of the city in the period ranging between 303 and 308, corresponding to the beginning of the tenth century AD which is between 916 and 921 AD They represent the main tower of the wall of the wild . 

It consists Penthouse Kahla or door Zewailah as also known among Mtsakna city of Mahdia Tower of measured height of 18.50 m, while the measured display about 12:00 and measured depth of 12.70 m ... by a covered walkway leads directly to the markets continue to at least 33 m and a width not exceed 5.10 meters and was this corridor contains a 6 iron gates before they enter this teacher many modulations after the demolition of the walls by the Spaniards who attacked Mahdia year 1555 and was the last modifications made ​​to the penthouse Kahla has been the year 1893. 

As stated in the book of one of the historians Spaniards the naming door Zewailah Balsagifah Kahla is due to the presence of a kiss Zlme within the corridor while dating others matter to the color black, which covers all the walls and still this teacher archeological after hundreds of years upright the city center and a magnet for foreign tourists who come to Mahdia for a long history of the Fatimid state.

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The wreck of Mahdia is an archaeological site underwater

discovered about five kilometers off the Tunisian city of Mahdia, midway archaeological sites Thapsus and Sullecthum. The site hosts a Greek merchant ship failed to following a major storm in Ie century av. J. C.

The latter contained a rich load of artwork and architectural elements which together have many questions for researchers since its découverte1: besides numerous columns and other construction elements, the load was very mixed, especially with many sculptures in marble and bronze.

If the discovery in the early twentieth century was more or less by chance, campaigns successive excavations took place in the middle and in the last decade of this century. Therefore, the site has been considered a witness to the evolution of underwater archeology techniques: if the first excavations used a material that had changed little since the mid-nineteenth century, the turn can be dated from the 1940s, with the invention of the aqualung makes much more freedivers of their movements. Excavations of the ship of Mahdia, with those of the Antikythera discovered in 19002, thus gave birth to discipline3.

In addition, the Antikythera ship, which sank in the second quarter of the first century BC. JC is quite similar to Mahdia ship with a cargo consisting of works of art but also other contemporary works of the sinking, all attesting to a change in the tastes of public4. Besides the fact that they are a "link of choice in the long chain of discoveries underwater," according Nayla Ouertani, excavations have unearthed an exceptional collection of artworks and facing specialists as technical issues related to the history of art with the problem of transition between artistic periods; the contents of the shipment also evokes the flow of art5.

Most of the discoveries is exposed to the Bardo Museum in the inner suburbs of Tunis; Museum of the nearest town site itself is home to only a few elements.

Ship
Bust of Hermes Photo credit: Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn, H. Lilienthal	Bust of Aphrodite Photo credit: Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn, H. Lilienthal

Archeology
Site
Name and / or number of the archaeological site:	Mahdia
Date of discovery of the site:	1907
Site location (Country):	Tunisia
Site Location (Zone):	Three miles off Mahdia
Latitude:	35 ° 30 '..
Longitude:	11 ° 04 '..
Geolocation
Depth:	39 m
Visible remains at baseline:	Marble columns.
Search
Nature and date of action:	1 - Discovered in 1907 2 - Archaeological excavation of 1907-1913. 3 - Excavation in 1948 4 - Excavation in 1953 and 1954 5 - Searching in 1993
Name:	1 - Greek sponge fishermen (looting and selling antiques in Tunisia) 2 - A. Merlin, Director of Antiquities in Tunisia. 3 - French Navy (Ph Tailliez J. Cousteau, F. Dumas.) 4 - G. Frondeville 5 - DEGUWA (German Society for Underwater Archaeology) and the Tunisian National Heritage Institute)
Site identification
Dating and means:	The second quarter of the first century BC, ceramics. The dating was complicated by the presence of a large number of works of art dating Hellenistic style which spans half a century. The study ceramics allowed dating.
Origin (cultural context):	Merchantman Greek or Roman, transportation of works of art of Greece to Italy (?)
Return of the vessel
Length preserved / restored from the keel:	26 m
Total length preserved / restored:	Length returned 40.6 m
Width preserved / restored:	Maximum width returned 13.8 m
Wood species identified:	Orme (keel and planking).
Design principle:	Wood freeboard assembly system tenons, tongues and ankles.
Short description of the structures:	Double planking, frames measuring 15 x 15 cm, shell lined lead.
Archaeological material
Inventory of items: fixed equipment for use:	A large number of nails bronze elements bilge pump.
Inventory of items: mobile equipment for use:	5 anchors Kapitan kind 3c Kedge lead with a total weight of 13 tons. Five wheels, two type Olynthe (mill lever) and three types of mill turn. Including full rotary grinder probably used on board and the other stones perhaps as ballast (poor), five tiles (teulae mammatae), 5 amphorae Kos, a Punic amphora, a Spanish amphora amphorae Dressel and two 1 / Will 4 and an amphora Dressel 1 / Will 4b, two cylindrical weights gray marble.
Inventory of items: artillery and heavy weapons:	Six bronze elements of a catapult
Inventory of items: personal items:	Four bronze coins, tableware including a dish of black patent Campana type and Pompeian red stove.
Inventory of items: cargo:	70 barrels marble columns (Hymettan and Pentelic), 3 Doric capitals, more than twenty Ionic, ionic bases, 18 capitals lion-headed griffin marble candelabra 5, 4 craters marble, ten statues or fragments of Parian marble statue (one Aphrodite), 5 Greek inscriptions from Athens, many bronzes including a bust of Hermes signed Boethos of Chalcedon and a statue of a child identified as Agon or Eros, two frames decoration depicting Dionysus and Ariadne, a statuette of Hermes 3 dwarfs dancing Eros (wheel) playing the harp, two candlesticks holders representing Eros, the other a Hermaphrodite, 2 small statuettes satyr, two figures of actors, 4 sconces and a bust of Athena with a winged victory, a series of wall, with two beds and numbered fulcra feet with identical to those found on the wreck of the Greek figures Fourmigue C, three chandeliers, lamps one, two or three burners, a basin coal rolling, 17 bronze vessels, 12 ingots of lead mines in the Iberian Peninsula including 3 producers are identified: Atellius Gnaeus, Marcus Planius, Lucius Planius .
Summary of the contributions of the search:	This is probably the transport of material from looting or commercial operation from Piraeus to 80-90 BC This operation occurring after the time of the barbarian conquest (86 BC) and the looting of Athens by Roman troops commanded by Sulla.

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Great Mosque

Mahdia Grand Mosque was built on a rocky outcrop. Has initiated 916 years built during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph al-Mahdi (ruled between 909 and 934). Was left from that era, only the entrance and the northern gallery in the courtyard. And built everything else during the restoration, which took place in the sixties.

Consists of a prominent entrance arch broken horseshoe document on Edadtin. The interface is designed and entrance of foreign bunk niches with arches separated by protruding decorations. Lower in the region came Niches taken while flat half a cylindrical shape at the top.

This entrance is the oldest example of the entrances prominent religious architecture in the Maghreb. It reminds us of the triumphal arches and entrances Romania Umayyad forts. It is redolent symbolic and spiritual values ​​of the Shiite sect. The emulated the example of this example in architecture in Fatimid Egypt and borrowed in a number of mosques built during the reign of the state combined. The use of decorative elements Niches He quoted from Alogalbah and Abbasid architecture. But it is used here for the first time in Tunisia African, to spread later in throughout the region. Also found on the facades of buildings, the city of Palermo in Sicily, which date back to the era of the Muslims and then the Normans. This decoration and moved from Sicily to the south of Italy to reach religious buildings in Pisa. For his part, took refuge in art Mudejar heir of Islamic Art in Spain to these niches to decorate buildings harmonious: the Church of Santiago del Arrabal de Toldeo (1245-1247) and the Church of Santiago de Talavera (fourteenth century) and the Tower of St. Lorenzo Sahagon (thirteenth century - the sixteenth century ).

There are two towers on the corners of the facade, used the Kkhozanin water and possibly appeal to the adhan. Like the early Fatimid mosques, not to Jamana minarets.

Great Mosque current scheme similar to the scheme in the tenth century. It is a form a rectangle, and consists of a prayer hall preceded by a long courtyard surrounded by four corridors. The original northern corridor alone, which consists of the pillars of stone sculpted assigned arcs broken surpassing topped domes cross joists. The corridors of the other three were built during the restoration campaigns between the years 1961 and 1965 and was in the middle of the yard, according to the excavations conducted during the sixties, Corridor is unique in the Tunisian religious architecture. This was a cross-aisle roofed domes tributaries based on the pillars with arches, has reached between the entrance and the prayer hall. The prayer hall is divided into three bays direction parallel with the wall and nine tiles. The roof is broken brackets surpassing based on double columns.

The wing, which is characterized by the pivotal Boamdth Quartet, with traces of the wall tribal T-shaped plot, which reminds us of the Great Mosque of Kairouan (836). Has been used subsequently to this arrangement in religious architecture in Fatimid Cairo. The intersection of these two Alderban Tatlah dome containing a mihrab style Zari. They were dug in the apse semi-circular grooves topped shells. The dome above is grounded in the half on a horseshoe arch is based on the two lateral

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Cultural climate

Such as the ancient city of Mahdia factor in the development of tourism in the region and to the richness of its stockpile heritage and historical and cultural heritage, along with the different activities of this city and the extent to keep pace with the development taking place in Mahdia in various stages, and their contribution in attracting immigrants to the city as a tack tourist unique. Fetra archaeological evidence of the succession of civilizations and diversity of the city, prompting the municipality to support the efforts of the restoration of monuments and maintenance, the city also features antique architectural character distinct in terms of the diversity of forms of traditional architecture and the reason for this is due to the difference in the old arrivals from various flung.
There is also the Great Mosque and the Casbah, which was built late sixteenth century. And between the mosque and the many ancient Casbah Atharromagnh.
Going through the South Mahdia across many farms are irrigated by Aquarius, which are animals running and extract water from the wells of the many in the region, which is usually an irrigation well known and widespread in all parts of Morocco, until you reach the road to failure Sava distance of 12 km south of Mahdia, a small town. Street to the east fork hand bridles,
And continue the road to the semi-Bmhamat coast above the beach, which ends in the sea (b Qbodih head) with a small port in it, and the tower of the Old Middle Ages. Then follow the road through the green hills around Jbnaana until it reaches south to the city of Sfax.
Mahdia is characterized as an active center for fishermen, so established the fish canning industry, in addition to handicrafts and traditional craftsmanship.
Ali Baba market turns gate to market Penthouse Kahla Ali Baba, like that contained in the stories of One Thousand and One Nights. During the weekly market held on Friday in the city, displays of women employed business for herself, embroidery, weaving, traditional clothing of their products end in beauty, made ​​of silk Minsojathen doctrine, Musogathen traditional designs are varied. The visit of this market opportunity to get acquainted with these traditional industries feminism, which represents one of the hallmarks of the traditional industries of Tunisia. Occupies decking procedure of the homes Tunisian prominent place in Mahdia, in particular, where it becomes a real masterpiece, and it seems so obvious in the homes of the wealthy, especially in the approach Alhamzoat which has many beautiful houses built in the early twentieth century AD by members of one family. Featuring Mahdia so pomp traditional characteristic of cities Navy, it includes the port Fishing is one of the most important ports in Tunisia, and specializes catch fish sardines, depending on the lights at night, making summer nights in this city turn when leaving the fishing vessels towards the sea, to the occasions of joy beautiful, Yanar where the sea port and thousands of light bulbs, and become a beach city replaced a large movement at the dawn filament in the first days of summer, and the screams pierce the flanks fishmongers, and the arrival of hundreds of boxes of sardines and anchovy fish, which was caught on the high seas.

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The activities Fishing Mahdia

The fishing industry provides a livelihood for many families mahdoises. Sardines, anchovies or mackerel caught on the high seas, the main products are often exposed here and there in the harbor, the best equipped of Tunisia.

Its infrastructure, its large fleet and its equipment for the freezing up as a true microcosm. Yet, many Mahdois still practicing traditional fishing. The governorate is offered, in fact, four fishing harbors. Mahdia with that of a productive average of 7.279 tons / year. Wearing Chebba with a production rate of 68 tonnes. Wearing Salakta producing 6,503 tonnes and that of Melloulech with an average production of 25 tonnes. The four ports are actively involved in boosting economic activity in the region, such as to improve the employability of the sector. They offer nearly 5,300 job positions and more than 25% of national output in blue fish. 

Fishing activities 

1 Fishing Port 
2 Fishing Net 
3 Fishing deLamparo (Blue Fish) 

The old port 

This port is located in a depression between the hills of Sidi Jabeur and the Borj El Kebir on the south coast of the peninsula of Mahdia. So the site is protected from the north winds and it opens with deep water. Recent research has led to say that the old port is carved into the rock and date of the Punic period. It was used as a trading post and naval base until the Ottoman period (about the middle of the XVIIIth) surface is 8250m2. Its original depth exceeds 10m. It can hold 30 boats at a time. The trace of the walls that surround it is still visible to the naked eye and the two warriors who monitor its input. 

Fish market 

The fish market of Mahdia is a lively place and worth a visit. It is open Every Day, goal MOST busy on Fridays. Local octopuses are sold here by the bunch. Boys wrestling thesis in mornings using spiked canes.

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Popular Festivals in the region of Mahdia are

The International Festival of Symphonic Music of El Jem which is held each summer in the town of El Jem since 1985, the Festival of the silk and the Festival of the Sea. 

El Jem Festival 




The International Festival of Symphonic Music of El Jem is a festival of symphonic music that is held every summer in the Tunisian city of El Jem in Tunisia since 1985, the city of El Jem is one of the Arab world to hold a truly international festival devoted to symphonic music. It is hosted by the El Jem amphitheater built in the third century and features a docking capacity of between 27,000 and 30,000 spectators. Since its inception, the festival attracts many orchestras who come here to play shows with the Orchestra of Opera Ball in Vienna, the National Symphony Orchestra of Algeria, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Rome Symphony Orchestra globalized Moscow or the Tunisian Symphony Orchestra.



Silk Festival in Mahdia

Mahdia silky claiming loudly its specificity: it is the undisputed capital of silk weaving. Nowhere weavers are as skilled, as attached to their ancient art, as creative too. Elsewhere, women are not as pretty, as faithful to their traditional costume, as inventive in the art of adornment. Unquestionably, the city of the two seas which resonates cornice clack of looms, which declines with as much charm the RDAs, chemlas, farmlas and other costume pieces, infinitely variable, but all silk, deserved the as Queen of silk. The second highlight of the festival will be an international symposium will bring together experts from around the world. Lovers silk, gathered around by this thread that runs the world, will talk about the history of silk in all civilizations. Thus, we will discuss the Silk Road in Uzbekistan, and the rebirth of the Ikat technique, silk Masride the kingdom of Granada and its relations with North Africa, the introduction of the industry in Mexico its use in the costumes of Palestine, weaving silk in Lyon and, of course, the history of silk in Mahdia, in the Fatimid era. Very membreux historians, experts, and artisans will participate in the symposium.



The Festival of the Sea of Mahdia

The Festival of the Sea of ​​Mahdia, under the auspices of the Ministries of Tourism, Culture and Heritage Preservation, organized by the Governorate of Mahdia Regional Council in collaboration with the Association of the festival has become a tradition entrenched in Mahdia. The organizing committee is seeking to create, through a rich and varied program, an animation "all-out" day and night, the corniche in Medina, port archaeological sites, and to top it all, a ride fragrant with the smell of "Méchoui Fish» Sea. The main objectives of this festival is to highlight the distinctive features of the city of Mahdia cultural, heritage and tourism level, but above all to worship this donor, sea beneficent source of life for many fishermen, source of relaxation and leisure for Tunisian and foreign holidaymakers and source of inspiration for artists.

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Tennis Mahdia is played in all the hotels

The entire structure tennis (indoor and outdoor) is open to all throughout the year for the lease of land, racquets and balls ...
Certain sites are lit at night for those who prefer to play at night.

It is strongly recommended to book courses with hotels.

Facilities

Facilities include dozens of outdoor courts (clay and synthetic clay) in all the hotels. These structures allow to practice recreational tennis or tennis competition.
Any kind of equipment is available. Racquets and balls can Erte rented at very reasonable prices.

Monitors 

Allowing practice of initiation to competition. You find through various formulas (discovery, lessons for children ...) ways to find the activity or improve yourself at any age.
Instructors are at your service.

Internships 

Some hotels offer internships "tennis multiactivities" for juniors.
The youth tennis sessions each day and the choice of another supervised activity among archery, catamaran sailing, water sports. They also participate in group games that take place in hotels (dodgeball ...).
For more information, or to enroll, please inquire with the hostesses in your hotel.

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Factory ships (or Dar al-Bahr)

Is the second factory ships Fatimid latest Mahdia, founded Muizz Fatimid, it contains marinas and stores covered. Continue the operation of this plant to the Hafsid era where it was considered during the sixth century AD of the most important factories in addition to manufacturers of Tunisia and Bejaia.

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The marine cemetery

A surprising place for its beauty. It is common to see Mahdeois walk in there, or swim at "El Hamra" ready the cemetery. This place is really relaxing ... Getting closer to the sea, you can perceive the ruins of "Sour", the wall by the Fatimid Battie and one of the doors is still in good condition.


The marine cemetery in Mahdia is located on the west side of the island near Mahdia which is now called "Borj Erras" the heart of a depression whose height does not exceed 1 m above sea level, it and is surrounded by other (North East side) by two mounds that can reach 15 m high.

The magic of Mahdia cemetery extends from one bank to another promontory, its whiteness. With its bright yellow field of daisies in spring, deep silhouettes of walls that surround it, and the wreck of a boat on the hoary rock from the nearby creek, which provides marine cemetery, as nowhere else, a calming, spiritual relaxation.

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