There are several notable areas in the Medina, or Old City, at Sousse which are worth a visit. A small charge is made for a visit to the Great Mosque which is just a short distance southeast of the Ribat. The area here is full of cobbled streets and open squares and is usually bustling with locals. 

Interestingly most of the men wear Levis and trainers rather than the djellabas of Morocco and other Arabic cultures. 

The women wear western clothing and headscarves rather than the traditional Muslim hijab.

The Great Mosque at Sousse was built by Abou el Abbas Mohammed, an Aghlabid Emir back in AD850. Originally modelled on the Great Mosque in Kairouan, it was built as a fortress although more modern additions have made the Mosque more aesthetically pleasing. Nonetheless the walls are incredibly thick, built of light coloured local stone with decorated crenellated tops. Compared with the surrounding modern, somewhat ramshackle architecture the Grand Mosque is very attractive.

On entering the courtyard you will see the typical paving set in a rectangular pattern. Normal slabs are interspersed with stone fragments set in purple mortar. The floor is designed to slope towards the central drain which collects precious rainfall into underground tanks for later use.  Explore the surrounding colonnade which runs around three sides of the courtyard, with its unusual square columns and attractive horseshoe shaped arches. Above the arches is an elaborate frieze of Koranic script. In the corner are the worn stone steps leading up to the ramparts, but these are usually roped off and out of bounds. There is an octagonal sundial on the ramparts and squat domed minarets which were added in the 11^thcentury. 

On the fourth side of the courtyard, behind a series of wooden doors is the main prayer hall which is only accessible to practising Muslims. After looking around, visit the ‘Ribat Drink’ café for local refreshments before exploring more of the historic Medina in Sousse.