Ribat (Arabic for "hotel") - a fortress built in the VIII century. Once she defended the inhabitants of the city of Monastir from attacks by Christians. By the fortress was built a lighthouse and a high watchtower, where the monks were on duty soldiers. Ribat was built over many centuries, constantly nadstraivayas and strengthened. After one of these extensions, the area of ​​the monastery was about 4000 square meters. m. The main part of buildings erected from VIII to XIX century.

In the middle of the fortress is a small courtyard where the soldiers could go out of their rooms. Through a huge number of transitions and passages in the walls that have arisen because of the constant rearrangements of Ribat and maze-like, you can go to the watchtower, built like the rest of the bastions in the XVII-XVIII centuries, offering beautiful views of the sea and Monastir.

  In the oldest part of the fortress, in the former premises of prayer, opened Islamic Museum, established in 1958, which has manuscripts, pottery and glass items made by the monks. One of the most interesting exhibits is the astrolabe made in 927.

The fortress was repeatedly filmed feature films on historical themes.