Important medieval city on the east coast of Tunisia.
At present Monastir is on the coast, but in early Islamic times it was probably a peninsula or island. Monastir was one of the coastal cities developed by the Aghlabids during the ninth century. The city contains the remains of three ribats or fortified monasteries the earliest of which is the great ribat of Harthma ibn A'iyan founded in 796. The Great Mosque of the city was built in the ninth century although most of the structure dates to the tenth century or later. It was a very important town in the 11th century when Kairouan lost it's status as a capital.
It is the birthplace of Bourgiba and the film "The Life of Brian" was made here (the wall of the castle was the famous graffiti-wall).