Ribat

The oldest monument in the medina, the ribat was built in the final years of the 8th century AD. It was originally built to be a fort in which Muslim troops trained in fighting and studied Islamic and other various sciences. Archers used the ribat's fortified windows in their training. At the entrance, there is a narrow arched doorway with Roman columns. The interior courtyard is surrounded by porticos. The ribat contains small cell-like rooms built into the walls. A small flight of stairs takes you to the first floor where you can find a vaulted prayer hall which has a simple mihrab. This mihrab is said to be the oldest one in all North Africa. There is a watch tower built by the Aghlabids in AD 821.