North Africa Morocco Tunisia Tour (25) World Heritage Site - Sousse Medina

North Africa Morocco Tunisia Tour (25) World Heritage Site - Sousse Medina Sousse - Hammamet December 27, 2024 Weather: Sunny to cloudy, with occasional light rain turning to overcast, 11-16°C. In the afternoon, we passed through the ninth stop, Sousse, and visited the Medina here. The word "Medina" means "town" or "city" in modern Arabic and is often used to refer to the old city. The old city of Sousse is famous for its ancient castle (Figure 1) and the Great Mosque (Figure 2), which have been listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The castle was built in 821 AD and was historically used as a lighthouse and a beacon tower, and was an important part of the coastal defense system. In the old city, the same dense houses, narrow streets, and numerous shops, daily food, and handicrafts (Figure 3) are all available and dazzling, full of fireworks (Figure 4). Not only tourists will come, but also local people from the surrounding area will often come to shop and treasure hunt, which is a living reflection of the social norm. In a renovated old building, we found this "heart-shaped" spiral staircase (Figure 5). In the evening, we arrived at the tenth stop, Hammamet, the third largest city in Tunisia and a tourist city, and stayed at a resort hotel by the Mediterranean Sea (Figure 6). The hotel is located in a coastal tourist area, and the surrounding area is almost entirely occupied by various hotels. The hotel has a large area, with several outdoor swimming pools, and a garden style (Figure 7). Across the street is the Mediterranean Sea, and the marina is full of yachts (Figure 8), with an antique pirate ship moored at the dock (Figure 9). The sky was overcast and the light was dim, so if the weather is good tomorrow morning, we will come out and have a look.