Mahdia

Built at rock level on a narrow peninsula, Mahdia is a traditional silk-weaving and fishing town with a glorious past (it was the first capital of the Fatimid Caliphs in the 10th century)

Whose charm comes from its sapphire sea, its magnificent beaches, its medina and its lively atmosphere.

Epic Mahdia

When, in 1912, Obeid Allah El Mahdia , decided to choose a capital for the new Fatimid dynasty as he moved away from Kairouan, he waited for his astrologists to read the stars and declare the predominance of the sign of the lion, a symbol of power , before deciding upon the site of Cap Africa – an old Carthaginian trading post forming an unassailable peninsula – and giving it the name: Mahdia, He had fortifications built around the town and at the narrowest point of the peninsula created an entrance guarded by an imposing gate called the “Skiffa El Kahla” ( “ The Dark Gate “) .Behind this gate stood the Fatimid prince’s private kingdom and palace , the Great Mosque, the Civil Authority and handicraft shops.

Craftsmen, including  weavers, ironmongers and jewellers, as well as all shop owners were forced to live in Zouila, a newly built town on the mainland, which grew up as a thriving intellectual and artistic centre.

Weakened by internal revolt and insurrection, however, the Fatimids chose to flee to Egypt, where they founded Cairo in 973.

Then ruled by the Zirids, Mahdia was subsequently the object of the covetous designs of the Normans of Sicily, the Genoese, the Cavaliers  of Malta until the Hafsid(1234), Mouradite (1612) , then Husseinite (1705) dynasties brought stability to the area and populated it with Andalusians and then Anatolians, thus making Mahdia a town with a wealth of culture and tradition.

TADITION

At the weekly market , which takes place every Friday, the Skiffa El Kahla  turns into an Ali Baba cave worthy of the Thousand  and one Nights, with the old Weavers, embroiderers and dress-makers selling beautiful traditional costumes, silk products and gold-decorated outfits. Alongside this there is also a lively gold jewellery market. This is the perfect opportunity to admire the brightly coloured silks and the meticulous gold-thread embroidery of the traditional attire of the women of Mahdia – which is without any doubt the most impressive of its kind in the whole of Tunisia.

In Mahdia, the decoration which adorns the interior of the houses has become almost a place of worship. The “Dar” or “House” is indeed an authentic work of art… In the most impressive dwellings, particularly in the rue des Hamza, on which a dozen beautiful houses, built during the last century by members of the same family, are clustered, the walls of the majiless (main room) are covered two-thirds of the way up with embroidered cloth, with the top part of the wall decorated with paintings. The brightly-coloured wooden shelves carry a multitude of fine potteries, subtly-coloured perfume bottles made from blown glass and old gold-framed mirrors. The cornice and ceiling are painted with floral designs.

Mahdia’s Treasure

In 1907, off the coast of Mahdia, a few Kilometres north of this prestigious town, sponge fisherman noted the presence of sunken artefacts. The seam contained columns, chapiteaux and further exploration revealed that it was in fact a boat full of objects d’art intended for the construction of a magnificent edifice.

Quite a cargo! Besides the columns, the chapiteaux and superb marble craters, several works of art cast in bronze were salvaged from the wreck, such as the Agar, the Eros Citharède, the Hermès of Dionysos, the  dancing Dwarf, the Satire Race…as well as marble sculptures such as the divinely beautiful bust of Aphrodite”.(Mohamed Fantar)

The Marine Cemetery

“Mahdia’s magic cemetery casts its immaculate whiteness from one shore of the headland to the other. Its bright yellow daisy fields, which lie in the long shadows of the surrounding ruins, together with the wreckage which lies on the ashen rock of the nearby inlet, make this marine cemetery the most soothing, relaxing and spiritual place in the whole of the country”.

At the heart of the Mediterranean

Mahdia also has all the charm of a maritime town: its fishing port is one of the larest in Tunisia and the local speciality is sardine caught by lamplight. The flicker of 1000 candles illuminating the sea is a remarkable sight on warm summer evenings.

“It is at the beginning of the summer season that the port comes alive:

With the shouting of fishmongers and the arrival, by the crate-load, of deep sea sardine, anchovies and saurel”.

The rich and varied ocean depths of Mahdia, once explored by the great Cousteau, are cherished by divers who can follow in his footsteps and take some of the fascinating tours offered by local dive centres (which also offer beginner courses).

Holidays in Mahdia

With its marina, its fishing harbour, its traditional atmosphere and its magnificent beaches, Mahdia is sure to make you succumb to its charm. For the holidaymaker, it recently became even more alluring, with the opening of several new hotels.

Not long ago Mahdia also became a thalassotherapy destination with the opening of two centres within 4 and 5 star hotels. Only 40km away, golf fanatics can take on the two 18-hole courses of Monastir: the Palm Links and the Flamingo Golf Course.

Travelling on from Mahdia

You can use Mahdia as a base from which to carry out other excursions. The main sites of northern Tunisia are only a few hours away, and those of the south can be explored during two-day trips concentrating either on the coastal areas or the inland regions.