Ribat (translated from Arabic as "inn") is a fortress built in the 8th century. It once protected the inhabitants of the city of Monastir from Christian attacks. A lighthouse and a high watchtower were attached to the fortress, on which monk-soldiers were on duty. The Ribat was built over many centuries, constantly being added to and strengthened. After one of these expansions, the area of the monastery was about 4,000 square metres. The main part of the buildings was erected from the 8 to 19th centuries.
In the middle of the fortress there is a small courtyard where the soldiers could go from their rooms. Through a huge number of passages and passages in the walls, resulting from the constant rebuilding of the Ribat, and similar to a labyrinth, you can pass to the watchtower, erected like all the other bastions in the 17-18th centuries, from where you can see a beautiful view of Monastir and the sea.
In the oldest part of the fortress, in the former prayer rooms, is the Islamic Museum, established in 1958, which contains manuscripts, pottery and glassware made by the monks. One of the most interesting exhibits of the museum is an astrolabe made in the year 927.
Feature films on historical themes have been filmed in the fortress on several occasions.
