Stand at the top of a Kasbah tower in the southwest corner of the Medina and the whole city opens out below you: the flat roofs, the sea, and the long line of the walls that still ring the old town. Sfax is a working port and market city, and its pleasures are the kind you find by walking rather than by queueing.
It suits travellers who are happy to wander without a fixed itinerary, who like mosaics, courtyard houses and the sound of a souk going about its business. Tourists here are few and far between, so you will often have a site to yourself.
This guide covers the sights inside the Medina and the museum and ferry trips that are worth building a day around, followed by a one-day plan and answers to the questions visitors ask most.
Top things to do in Sfax
1. Wander the Medina
The Medina is the historic quarter of the city, built by the Aghlabid prince Abu Abbass Muhammad between 849 and 851, and it remains the heart of Sfax. Its layout is logical and easily mastered, so you can put the map away after an hour and simply follow the streets. Life and business go on much as they have for years, and while tourists are welcome, you will not be tripping over them.
Give it at least half a day, and wear shoes you can walk in for hours. The walls that enclose it still follow their original architecture, and the gates are the natural places to start and finish.
2. Kasbah
The Kasbah sits in the southwest corner of the Medina. It served as a military garrison before and during the French Protectorate, and the French additions have since been removed. It now holds rooms of displays on the industries for which Sfax is known: construction, metalwork, and the Bourj and Djenes of Sfax each have their own room, alongside a display of religious architecture and documents in another. There is also an underground mosque area worth a visit.
The highlight is the view from the top of either of the towers that form part of the Kasbah. Combine it with the rest of your Medina walk rather than treating it as a separate trip, since it is inside the walls.
3. Dar Djellouli
Dar Djellouli, also called the Governor's Mansion, is an example of traditional Medina architecture. The Djellouli family provided Sfax with a number of its governors over the years, particularly during the 1700s and 1800s. The house is built around a courtyard open to the sky, with two floors of balconies on four sides looking down on it, and the rooms opening onto those balconies hold cultural items from the 1800s and earlier.
Look for the costumes of the period, and the examples of cooking, calligraphy, embroidery, perfume distillation and furniture. It pairs naturally with the Kasbah, both being inside the Medina.
4. Archaeological Museum of Sfax
The museum occupies the ground floor of the city hall on 9 Ave Habib Bourguiba. It hosts an impressive collection of mosaics from the region, in particular from the Roman towns of Taparura, where Sfax now stands, and Thaenae, now Thyna. Note that it was closed for renovation as of January 2023, so check before you go.
Entry is 3 DT. If it is open, it makes a good indoor stop in the middle of the day.
5. Walls and gates of the Medina
Apart from Borj Ennar and three other towers that have disappeared, the walls of the Medina have kept the same original architecture since 1306. They run 2,750 metres and have 34 dungeons, standing between seven and eleven metres high. Originally there were only two doors, Bab Jebli, also known as Bab Dhahraoui, the northern door, and Bab Diwan or Bab Bahr, the sea door.
In the 20th century new doors were created to ease the flow through the two main ones, including Bab El Ksar and Bab Jebli Jedid. Walking the line of the walls is a good way to orient yourself before going inside.
6. Blacksmith's Souk
The Blacksmith's Souk, or Souq des Forgerons, is inside the Medina near Bab Jebli. It is a location for the film The English Patient: inside this souk is where Almasy gave Katherine a silver thimble of saffron. It no longer houses the blacksmiths and has been remodelled around retail.
Go in knowing that the trade has moved on, and treat it as a piece of film history and a corner of the Medina rather than a working forge. It sits close to Bab Jebli, so fold it into your walk through the northern part of the old town.
7. Dar Siala and Maison de la photographie (Dar Kammoun)
Dar Siala and the Maison de la photographie, also known as Dar Kammoun, are cultural centres and art galleries. They give you a change of pace from the historic houses and religious buildings, and a look at what artists and photographers are doing in the city now.
These are good stops to slot between the larger sights in the Medina when you want to sit down for a while.
8. Ferry to Kerkenna
You can ride to Kerkenna on the ferry, which makes eight trips a day and costs about 800 millimes each way. Once on Kerkenna, take a taxi to the Hotel Cercina, where you can walk the beach or sit on their patio and enjoy tea looking over the bay.
Check the times of the ferry's return and make sure you get a taxi back in time. This is the one item on the list that takes a full day of its own, so plan it as such.
9. The beach and the old Bourj
From the Grand Hotel you can walk the beach with the old Bourj visible in the distance. It is about 1½ km each way, so give yourselves time to enjoy it rather than treating it as a quick stroll. The Roman ruins beside the Bourj are open to the public as well.
This is an easy, flat walk and a good way to end a day, with the ruins giving you something to look at once you arrive.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the walls and gates of the Medina, entering by Bab Jebli on the northern side, and walk the Blacksmith's Souk nearby while the old town is waking up. Continue into the Medina proper and spend the rest of the morning wandering its streets.
Afternoon: Visit the Kasbah in the southwest corner of the Medina, including the underground mosque area and the displays on construction, metalwork and the Bourj and Djenes of Sfax, and go up one of the towers for the view. Then walk to Dar Djellouli for the courtyard, balconies and the collections from the 1800s. If the Archaeological Museum of Sfax is open again, fit it in on 9 Ave Habib Bourguiba.
Evening: Take the beach walk from the Grand Hotel towards the old Bourj, about 1½ km each way, and look at the Roman ruins beside it before heading back.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Archaeological Museum of Sfax open?
It was closed for renovation as of January 2023, so check before making the trip. When open, it is on the ground floor of the city hall at 9 Ave Habib Bourguiba.
How much do the sights cost?
The Kasbah, Dar Djellouli and the Archaeological Museum of Sfax are each 3 DT. The ferry to Kerkenna costs about 800 millimes each way.
How do I get to Kerkenna?
Take the ferry, which makes eight trips a day. Once there, get a taxi to the Hotel Cercina, and check the return ferry times so you can get a taxi back in time.
What is the best time of year to visit?
Summers are hot and almost rainless, while winters are very pleasant with usually only light rain. Sfax receives half the rainfall of Tunis, so plan your walking for the cooler months.
Work out which of these fits your days, check the museum's status before you travel, and you have everything you need to start planning a trip to Sfax.