Ribat

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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 .