Sfax

Sfax is Tunisia's second-largest city and the commercial heart of the country's south, set on the Gulf of Gabès about 270 km south of Tunis. A major Mediterranean port and industrial centre, the city is known for olive oil, phosphate processing and a busy fishing harbour, while its compact walled medina remains the historic and cultural core.

The medina, founded in the 9th century, is among the best-preserved Arab-Muslim walled towns in Tunisia and is on the country's UNESCO tentative list. Its key landmarks include the monumental Bab Diwan gate, the Great Mosque of Sfax, the Kasbah and Dar Jellouli, a 17th-century palace now housing a museum of popular arts and traditions.

Around the medina, the French-built Ville Nouvelle stretches along Avenue Habib Bourguiba with cafés, shops and restaurants. The modern district of Sfax El Jadida, the corniche and the fishing port add a contemporary coastal edge, while the Roman site of Thaenae (Thyna) and the nearby Kerkennah Islands offer easy excursions.

Sfax is Tunisia's second-largest economic and industrial hub, with phosphate processing, chemicals, olive-oil export and fishing at the centre of its activity. The University of Sfax, a developing convention infrastructure and the A1 motorway link to Tunis strengthen its role as a business destination.

For leisure travellers, the city offers an authentic, less tourist-heavy Tunisia focused on medina life, markets and seafood. For business visitors, it provides direct access to southern Tunisia's industry, port and trade, making Sfax a practical gateway rather than a conventional resort town.