Editing Sousse

{{about|a city in Tunisia||Sousa (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage-->
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|official_name          =Sousse
|other_name             =Sūsah
|native_name            = {{lang|ar|سوسة}}
|nickname               = "The pearl of [[Sahel, Tunisia|the Sahel]]"
|settlement_type        = [[List of cities in Tunisia|City]]
|motto                  = 
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
|image_skyline          = {{Photomontage
| photo1a = Tunezja, Sousse - panoramio (3).jpg
| photo2a = Grande_Mosquée_sousah.jpg
| photo2b = Entrance of the Port El Kantaoui.jpg
| photo3a = Finga over looking the future.jpg
| photo3b = Medina_of_Sousse-130323.jpg
| photo4a = Port El Kantaoui - panoramio (19).jpg
| size = 250
| spacing = 2
| color = transparent
| border = 0
}}
|imagesize              = 
|image_caption          = Counter-clockwise from top:<br>Centre Ville of Sousse, aerial view of Sousse, [[Great Mosque of Sousse]], [[Port El Kantaoui]], El Finga, Medina of Sousse
|image_flag             = Flag commune Sousse.svg
|flag_size              =
|image_seal             = Logo commune Sousse.svg
|seal_size              = 
|image_shield           = 
|shield_size            =
|image_blank_emblem     =
|blank_emblem_type      =
|blank_emblem_size      =
|image_map              = 
|mapsize                = 
|map_caption            = 
|image_map1             = 
|mapsize1               = 
|map_caption1           = 
|image_dot_map          =
|dot_mapsize            =
|dot_map_caption        =
|dot_x =  |dot_y =
|pushpin_map            = Tunisia<!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
|pushpin_label_position =bottom
|pushpin_map_caption    =Location in Tunisia
<!-- Location ------------------>
|subdivision_type       = Country
|subdivision_name       = {{TUN}}
|subdivision_type1      = [[Governorates of Tunisia|Governorate]]
|subdivision_name1      = [[Sousse Governorate]]
|subdivision_type2      = [[Delegations of Tunisia|Delegation(s)]]
|subdivision_name2      = Sousse Jawhara, Sousse Medina, Sousse Riadh, Sousse Sidi Abdelhamid
|subdivision_type3      = 
|subdivision_name3      = 
|subdivision_type4      = 
|subdivision_name4      =
<!-- Politics ----------------->
|government_footnotes   =
|government_type        =
|leader_title           =
|leader_name            =
|leader_party           = 
|leader_title1          = [[Mayor]] 
|leader_name1           = [[Mohamed Ikbel Khaled]] <small> ([[Independent politician|Independent]]) </small> 
|leader_title2          =
|leader_name2           =
|leader_title3          =
|leader_name3           =
|leader_title4          =
|leader_name4           =
|established_title      =  <!-- Settled -->
|established_date       = 
|established_title2     =  <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
|established_date2      = 
|established_title3     =  <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
|established_date3      =
<!-- Area    --------------------->
|area_magnitude         = 
|unit_pref                =Imperial <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired-->
|area_footnotes           =
|area_total_km2           = <!-- ALL fields dealing with a measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion-->
|area_land_km2            = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion-->
|area_water_km2           =
|area_total_sq_mi         =
|area_land_sq_mi          =
|area_water_sq_mi         =
|area_water_percent       =
|area_urban_km2           =
|area_urban_sq_mi         =
|area_metro_km2           =
|area_metro_sq_mi         =
|area_blank1_title        =
|area_blank1_km2          =
|area_blank1_sq_mi        =
<!-- Population   ----------------------->
|population_as_of               =2022
|population_footnotes           =
|population_note                =
|population_total               =314071
|population_density_km2         =246/km<sup>2</sup>
|population_density_sq_mi       =
|population_metro               =753670
|population_density_metro_km2   =
|population_density_metro_sq_mi =
|population_urban               =
|population_density_urban_km2   =
|population_density_urban_sq_mi =
|population_blank1_title        =Ethnicities
|population_blank1              =
|population_blank2_title        =Religions
|population_blank2              =
|population_density_blank1_km2 =   
|population_density_blank1_sq_mi =
<!-- General information  --------------->
|timezone               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
|utc_offset             = +1
|timezone_DST           = [[Central European Time|CET]]
|utc_offset_DST         = +1
|coordinates            = {{coord|35|50|N|10|38|E|region:TN|display=inline}}
|elevation_footnotes    =  <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
|elevation_m            = 
|elevation_ft           =
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type       =  <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
|postal_code            =
|area_code              =
|blank_name             =
|blank_info             =
|blank1_name            =
|blank1_info            =
|website                = {{URL|www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/fr}}
|footnotes              = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| child         = yes
| official_name = [[Medina of Sousse]]
| criteria      = {{UNESCO WHS type|(iii)(iv)(v)}}(iii)(iv)(v)
| ID            = 498bis
| year          = 1988
| extension     = 2010
| area          = {{convert|31.68|ha|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| buffer_zone   = {{convert|60.99|ha|sqmi|abbr=on}}
}}
}}
'''Sousse''', ''' Sūsah ''', or '''Soussa''' ({{langx|ar|سوسة}}, {{IPA|ar|ˈsuːsa|IPA}}), is a city in [[Tunisia]], capital of the [[Sousse Governorate]]. Located {{convert|140|km|0|abbr=on|sp=us}} south of the capital [[Tunis]], the city has 271,428 inhabitants <small>(2014)</small>. Sousse is in the central-east of the country, on the [[Gulf of Hammamet]], which is a part of the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. Its economy is based on transport equipment, processed food, [[olive oil]], textiles, and tourism. It is home to the [[Université de Sousse]].

{{anchor|Etymology|Toponymy|Names}}

==Toponymy==
''Sousse'' and ''Soussa'' are both French spellings of the [[Arabic]] name ''Sūsa''. The present city has also grown to include the ruins of '''[[Hadrumetum]]''', which had [[Hadrumetum#Names|many names]] in several languages during [[classical antiquity|antiquity]].<ref name=Sousse-Barrington>Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, Gazeteer, page 511, Map 33 Theveste-Hadrumetum, Compiled by R.B. Hitchner, 1997, in file BATL033_.PDF in [http://press.princeton.edu/B_ATLAS.ZIP B_ATLAS.ZIP]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507083500/http://press.princeton.edu/B_ATLAS.ZIP |date=7 May 2013 }} from [http://press.princeton.edu/ Princeton University Press | Subjects] | [http://press.princeton.edu/subjects.html Browse Princeton Catalog by Subject | Archaeology and Ancient History] | [http://press.princeton.edu/catalogs/subjects/arc.html Archaeology and Ancient History | Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. R.J.A. Talbert, ed.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326070859/http://press.princeton.edu/catalogs/subjects/arc.html |date=26 March 2012 }} | [http://press.princeton.edu/titles/6773.html Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, Edited by Richard J. A. Talbert | Map-by-Map Directory].
</ref><ref name=Sousse-ICOMOS>[http://www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/upload/patrimoine.pdf ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) Report – The Medina of Sousse]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713072130/http://www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/upload/patrimoine.pdf |date=13 July 2015 }} from [http://www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/fr/actualite.php Site Officiel de la Ville de Sousse | Découvrir Sousse]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110003434/http://www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/fr/actualite.php |date=10 January 2012 }} | [http://www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/fr/histoirepatrimoine.php Histoire et Patrimoine | Sousse Patrimoine Mondial de l'humanité] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827132309/http://www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/fr/histoirepatrimoine.php |date=27 August 2011 }}.</ref><ref name=Sousse-INP-Sousse_Archaeological_Bulletin>
[http://www.inp.rnrt.tn/periodiques/bultin_archeo_sousse.pdf Sousse Archaeological Bulletin] "SOCIÉTÉ ARCHÉOLOGIQUE DE SOUSSE, Assemblée générale du 29 Février 1903, Extraits des procès-verbaux des réunions." etc., from [http://www.inp.rnrt.tn/ ''Institut National du Patrimoine Tunisie'' / National Heritage Institute (INP) | Digital Library | Sousse Archaeological Bulletin] (near bottom of page).
</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Circonscription de Sousse.png|thumb|left|Sousse district|180px]]
Sousse is in eastern [[Tunisia]], on the [[Tunisian Sahel]] coast bordering the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. The city covers 45 km<sup>2</sup> and is 25 meters above sea level.<ref>[http://dateandtime.info/citycoordinates.php?id=2464915 Geographic : coordinates of Sousse, Tunisia]</ref>

Sousse is between two [[wadi]]s: the Wadi Bliban (and its tributary the Wadi al-Kharrub) to the north and northwest and the Wadi al-Halluf to the southeast.<ref name="Jedidi 1997">{{cite book |last1=Jedidi |first1=Mohamed |editor1-last=Bosworth |editor1-first=C.E. |editor2-last=van Donzel |editor2-first=E. |editor3-last=Heinrichs |editor3-first=W.P. |editor4-last=Lecomte |editor4-first=G. |title=The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Vol. IX (SAN-SZE) |date=1997 |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden |isbn=90-04-10422-4 |pages=901–2 |url=https://ia600603.us.archive.org/14/items/EncyclopaediaDictionaryIslamMuslimWorldEtcGibbKramerScholars.13/09.EncycIslam.NewEdPrepNumLeadOrient.EdEdComCon.BosDonHeinLec.etc.UndPatIUA.v9.San-Sze.Leid.EJBrill.1997..pdf |access-date=18 May 2022 |chapter=SŪSA}}</ref> The subsoil is mostly sedimentary with some deep alluvial deposits, which are more recent closer to the coast.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> Winters are generally mild, there is an average of 69 days of rainfall per year, and there is a lot of sunshine year-round with relatively few cloudy days.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/>

=== Administration ===
The Municipality of Sousse is the capital of a [[Governorates of Tunisia|governorate]] that extends over 2669 km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name = ": 0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.populationdata.net/pays/tunisie/|title = Tunisie • Fiche pays • PopulationData.net| date=11 March 2020 }}</ref> It is divided into four municipal districts:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/fr/arrondissement.php |title=Arrondissements |website=www.commune-sousse.gov.tn |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100514144902/http://www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/fr/arrondissement.php |archive-date=2010-05-14}}</ref> ''Sousse Nord'', ''Sousse Sud'', ''Sousse Médina'' and ''Sousse Riadh''. The first two were created on 11 February 1976 and the last two on 19 February 1982. Its main constituencies and [[Delegation]] are four in number: Sousse Sidi Abdelhamid, Sousse Médina, Sousse Jawhara and Sousse Riadh. Its geographic code is 31.

==History==
[[File:Meduse sousse.jpg|thumb|150px|A mosaic depicting [[Medusa]] in the Museum of Sousse.]]

===Hadrumetum===
{{main|Hadrumetum}}
In the 11th century{{nbsp}}BC,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Medina of Sousse|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/498/|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|language=en|access-date=29 May 2020}}</ref>{{dubious|reason=[[Hadrumetum]] gives the (also unsourced) date 9th century BC|date=December 2018}} [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyrians]] established [[Hadrumetum]]{{sfnp|Babelon|1911|p=802}} as a trading post and waypoint along their trade routes to [[Iron Age Italy|Italy]] and the [[Strait of Gibraltar]]. Its establishment (at a river mouth about {{convert|6|mi|order=flip|disp=or|abbr=on|sp=us}} north of old Sousse)<ref name=NCD>{{harvp|''New Class. Dict.''|1860|loc=s.v. [https://archive.org/details/newclassicaldict00anthiala/page/338 "Hadrūmētum"]}}.</ref><ref name=nori>{{harvp|Norie|1831|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=0ipFAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA348 348]}}.</ref> preceded [[Carthage]]'s<ref>[[Sallust]], ''Jug.'', 19.</ref> but, like other western [[Phoenician colonies]], it became part of the [[Carthaginian Empire]]{{sfnp|Babelon|1911|p=802}} following {{nowrap|[[Nebuchadnezzar II]]}}'s [[Siege of Tyre (586–573 BC)|long siege of Tyre]] in the 580s and 570s{{nbsp}}BC.

The city featured in the [[Third Sicilian War]], the [[Second Punic War|Second]] and [[Third Punic War]]s (in the latter of which it secured additional territory and special privileges by aiding [[Roman Republic|Rome]] against what was left of the Carthaginians), and [[Caesar's Civil War]], when it was the scene of Caesar's famously deft recovery: upon tripping while coming ashore, he dealt with the poor [[omen]] this threatened to become by grabbing handfuls of dirt and proclaiming "I have you now, Africa!" ({{langx|la|Teneo te Africa!}})<ref>[[Suetonius]], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius.html ''Div. Jul.''], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius.html#59 §59.] {{in lang|la}}{{nbsp}}& {{in lang|en}}</ref> The second city in [[Africa (Roman province)|Roman Africa]] after Carthage, it became the capital of the [[Roman province|province]] of [[Byzacena]] during the [[Diocletianic Reforms]]. Its native sons included the jurist [[Salvius Julianus]], the emperor [[Clodius Albinus]], and numerous [[Early Christianity|Christian]] [[Christian saint|saints]]. The Roman and Byzantine [[catacombs]] beneath the city are extensive: they were mainly investigated in 1913-1927 by French missionaries and soldiers. <ref>A. F. Leynaud, Les catacombes africaines. Sousse-Hadrumète, 3e éd., Algeri, 1937 and https://www.sousse1881-1956.com/culture/catacombes.html (both sources in French).</ref>

The [[Vandals]] sacked Hadrumetum in 434 but it remained a place of importance within [[Vandal Kingdom|their kingdom]]; [[Felix of Hadrumetum|a bishop]] and [[Victorian, Frumentius and Companions|proconsul]] were martyred there during the Vandals' periodic [[forced conversion]]s of their subjects to [[Arianism]]. The [[Byzantine Empire]] reconquered the town in 534 during the [[Vandalic War|Vandal War]] and engaged in a public works program that included new fortifications and churches. The town was sacked during the [[Umayyad Caliphate]]'s 7th-century [[Islamic conquest of the Maghreb|conquest of North Africa]]. According to a 1987 [[ICOMOS]] report, [[Uqba ibn Nafi]]'s siege and capture of the city resulted in its almost complete destruction, such that no monument of Hadrumetum "subsists in situ".<ref name=Sousse-ICOMOS/>

===Medieval Susa===
Muslim Arab armies rapidly spread [[Arab culture]] across what had been a thoroughly Romanized and Christianized landscape. Under the [[Aghlabids]], Susa was established near the ruins of Hadrumetum and served as their main port. Their [[Muslim conquest of Sicily|827 invasion of Sicily]] was mainly launched from the town's harbor. After the Byzantine city of [[Melite (ancient city)|Melite]] (modern [[Mdina]] on [[Malta]]) was [[Siege of Melite (870)|captured by the Aghlabids in 870]], [[marble]] from its churches was used to build the [[Ribat of Sousse|Ribat]].<ref name=al-himayri>{{cite web |last1=Brincat |first1=Joseph M. |title=New Light on the Darkest Age in Malta's History |url=http://melitensiawth.com/incoming/Index/The%20Arabs%20in%20Malta/1995proc%20Malta%20870-1054%20by%20J.M.%20Brincat.pdf |website=melitensiawth.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304095600/http://melitensiawth.com/incoming/Index/The%20Arabs%20in%20Malta/1995proc%20Malta%20870-1054%20by%20J.M.%20Brincat.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A soaring structure that combined the purposes of a minaret and a watch tower, it remains in outstanding condition and draws visitors from around the world. [[Great Mosque of Sousse|Its mosque]] is sometimes accounted the oldest surviving in the region and the town's main mosque, also built during the 9th century, has a similarly fortress-like appearance.

Susa was briefly occupied by [[Kingdom of Sicily|Norman Sicily]] in the 12th century; it fell to the [[Ottoman Empire]] in the 16th; and it was bombarded by a [[Kingdom of France|French]] and [[Republic of Venice|Venetian]] fleet in the 18th.

Medieval Susa was known for its textile industries, producing silk and [[flax]] fabrics called ''Sūsī''. Especially renowned were its robes called {{transliteration|ar|shuqqas}}, some of which were mass-produced and sold [[ready-to-wear]] throughout the Mediterranean.<ref name="Mediterranean Society">{{cite book |last1=Goitein |first1=Shelomo Dov |last2=Sanders |first2=Paula |title=A Mediterranean Society: Daily life |date=1967 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=0520048695 |pages=180, 402 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UzOvJHFTTeUC |access-date=22 June 2020}}</ref>

After the decline of [[Mahdia]] in the 15th and 16th centuries, Susa remained as the most important town in the Sahel region, with a population of about 15,000.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/>

===Colonial Sousse===
[[File:The Tunisian Port of Sousse After Allied Bombing, 4 June 1943 TR1007.jpg|thumb|Damage to the port of Sousse after an Allied bombing raid, June 1943]]
Tunisia became a [[French Tunisia|French protectorate]] in 1881. Around the end of the 19th century, Sousse had a population of 7,000 and was the second-most-important city in Tunisia after Tunis itself.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> At this point, the entire population of Sousse lived in the walled ''medina''.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> The medina was surrounded by agricultural settlements, two of which - [[Kala Kebira]] and [[Msaken]] - were more densely populated than the city itself.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> The French Protectorate reinforced Sousse's role as a commercial and administrative center by establishing public buildings, enlarging the city's port, and building railways.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> Between 1896 and 1911, railways were built connecting Sousse with Tunis, Kairouan, Sfax, Mahdia, [[Moknin]], and [[Henshir Suwatir]].<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> Food industries were also established in the city.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/>

Before the [[First World War]], Sousse had about 25,000 inhabitants, including around 10,000 French and roughly 5,000 other Europeans, mostly Italians and Maltese. The port was the garrison of the 4th Tunisian Rifle Regiment.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

The first developments outside the ''medina'' walls were begun during this period, but they were home to a relatively small number of people until after the [[Second World War]].<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> Sousse was devastated by the war and suffered 39 bombardments between December 1942 and May 1943.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> In 1946, after the war was over, the authorities decided to give a high priority to reconstruction efforts in Sousse.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/>

===Modern Sousse===
When Tunisia became independent in 1956, Sousse was made a ''wileya'' capital and it continued to expand in all directions.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> Over the course of the 20th century, its growth was explosive: from just 8,577 residents in 1885, it had grown to 134,835 residents in 1994.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> Its physical area had also increased massively, from a compact 29 [[hectare]]s in 1881 to 3,100 hectares in 1992.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> The [[secondary sector|secondary]] and [[tertiary sector|tertiary]] sectors of the economy also grew accordingly.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/>

Sousse has retained the Arabian look and feel it assumed in the centuries after its initial conquest. Today it is considered one of the best examples of seaward-facing fortifications built by the Arabs. With a population of about 200,000, Sousse retains a medieval heart of narrow, twisted streets, a [[kasbah]] and [[medina quarter|medina]], its ''ribat'' fortress and long wall on the [[Mediterranean]]. Surrounding it is a modern city of long, straight roads and more widely spaced buildings.

Sousse was the site of the [[interzonal|chess interzonal]] in 1967, made famous when American [[Grandmaster (chess)|Grandmaster]] [[Bobby Fischer]] withdrew from the tournament even though he was in first place at the time.<ref>[https://archive.today/20121203000714/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1080581/index.htm The Further Adventures Of Terrible-tempered Bobby]</ref>

On 26 June 2015, a lone gunman, Seifeddine Rezgui Yacoubi, [[2015 Sousse attacks|opened fire on tourists sunbathing on a beach]] near the Riu Imperial Marhaba and Soviva hotels, killing 38 and wounding 39, before being shot dead by the police.

== Cityscape ==
{{wide image|Sousse-360---25-03-2017.jpg|1200px|Panorama of Sousse |alt=Sousse City}}

== Demography ==
{{historical populations 
|1993|421800
|2006|568200
|2007|579000
|2008|590100
|2009|608600
|2010|621758
|2011|635122
|2012|648695
|2013|662481
|2014|677500
|2015|690700
|2016|703600
|2017|716600
|2019|737027
| align = right
}}

As of 2019, Sousse's population was 737,027.<ref>[https://knoema.com/atlas/Tunisia/Sousse/Total-Population : Sousse – Total Population]</ref> Males represent 50.1% of the population structure (with a population of 509,456) against 49.9% by females (with a population of 507,426) in 2014.<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/tunisia/sousse/admin/ : Sousse Agglomeration]</ref>

==Public services==
[[File:Tunisie Université de Sousse.jpg|thumb|left|University of Sousse|180px]]
The city contains the University of Sousse, formerly known as the University of the Center, including its Ibn El Jazzar, Faculty of Medicine, the Sousse National School of Engineers, and the Higher Institute of Music of Sousse, founded in 1999.

There are a number of high schools, such as the pilot high school of Sousse, the boys' high school, the Tahar-Sfar high school (formerly the young girls' high school), the 20 – March 1934 high school (technical high school), the Abdelaziz-El-Bahi high school or the Jawhara high school, and colleges, such as the Pilot College of Sousse, the Mohamed El Aroui College and the Constantine College.

Sousse is served by a hospital, the Hospital of Sahloul, the largest in the region.

<gallery mode="packed" caption"pictures="" of="" sahloul="" hospital="">
Hôpital Sahloul Sousse, juin 2013.jpg
CHU Sahloul, Sousse Tunisie 2013.JPG
CHU Sahloul, Sousse 13 avril 2016.jpg
</gallery>

==Economy==
[[File:Tunezja,panorama Sousse - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Sousse industrial zone]]

Sousse's most important economic activity takes place in the [[tertiary sector]], which employs over 50% of the city's workforce and includes administration, education, healthcare, trade, communications, and banking.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> Not far behind is the [[secondary sector]], which employs another 45% of the city's workers and includes industries like textiles and leather, construction, chemicals, electronics, and mechanical and electrical components.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> The small remainder is engaged in the [[primary sector]], mainly fishing.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/> Although smaller than the port in Sfax, Sousse has a port that serves an important commercial outlet for central Tunisia, particularly for the regions around Kairouan and Kasserine.<ref name="Jedidi 1997"/>

Sousse is the third largest city in Tunisia after [[Tunis]] and [[Sfax]]. Although it is associated with [[olive oil]] manufacture and has other industries, tourism predominates today. An [[olive]] grove covering more than {{convert|2500|km2|0|abbr=on|sp=us}} constitutes one of its main riches since [[Classical antiquity|antiquity]]. The busy port near downtown adds a touch of liveliness to its activity. Sousse also had many [[oil well]]s in the area during its colonial period.

===Tourism===
Sousse is an important tourist resort. It has a [[hot semi-arid climate]], with the seaside location moderating the climate, making it an all-season resort with hot, dry summers and warm, mild, wet winters. The fine sandy beaches are backed by [[orchards]] and [[olive]] groves.

Only {{convert|20|km|0|abbr=on}} from [[Monastir, Tunisia|Monastir]] and [[Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport]], hotel complexes with a capacity of 40,000 beds extend {{convert|20|km|0|abbr=on}} from the old city ([[Medina quarter|medina]]) north along the seafront to [[Port El Kantaoui]]. Some 1,200,000 visitors come every year to enjoy its hotels and restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, beaches, and sports facilities.

Sousse is considered a popular tourist destination, especially due to its nightlife. Well-known nightclubs include Bora Bora, Living, Rediguana, Platinum, and The Saloon. The top producers and DJs in dance come to play at the various clubs. The season traditionally begins at the start of June and finishes on the first weekend of October with the closing parties.

<gallery mode="packed" caption="Beaches and some hotels in Sousse">
Beach in Sousse.jpg
ElHana Beach 3* Sousse - вид с крыши на территорию отеля - panoramio.jpg
Hôtel Riadh Palm Sousse, 4 mars 2017.jpg
Windy w hotelu Royal Salem - panoramio.jpg
Muraille Sousse du côté du Ribat.JPG
Plage boujafar sousse.JPG
Zjeżdżalnie w hotelu Marhaba Royal Salem - panoramio.jpg
Riadh Palm Sousse.jpg
Отель Марабу, Тунис - panoramio.jpg
Sun set BOUJAAFAR3.jpg
Sus more.jpg
</gallery>

{{wide image|Пляж города Сус. 01.2011 - panoramio.jpg|1200px|Paranoma of Sousse beach}}

==Transport==
[[File:Train electrique, SNCFT, Sousse 2012.JPG|thumb|left|[[Sahel Metro]] train in Sousse]]
[[File:Sousse Bab Jedid train station.JPG|thumb|right|Sousse-Bab Jedid station.]]
Sousse is well-connected with the main [[Tunisian Railways]] network, having non-electrified lines to [[Tunis]] (since 1899), [[Sfax]] (since 1911), and [[Kasserine]] (since 2004) with [[diesel multiple unit]] and [[locomotive]]-driven trains. The main [[Gare Sousse]] terminus is in the city center, while Gare [[Kalaa Seghira]] serves a bypass route.

Since 2010 the electrified [[Sahel Metro]] line goes south to [[Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport]], [[Monastir, Tunisia|Monastir]], and [[Mahdia]]. This line has the [[Sousse - Bab Jadid]] station as its northern terminus in Sousse's city center, and 4 additional stations in the city.

Intercity buses and red-strip microbuses (so-called ''[[louage]]s'') connect Sousse with many cities in Tunisia. Urban transit in Sousse is served by routes of articulated and conventional buses, blue-strip louages, and cheap taxis. The {{track gauge|600 mm}} [[Sousse–Kairouan Decauville railway]] operated from 1882 to 1996, before it was regauged to {{track gauge|1000 mm}} gauge.

==Sights==
=== Medina ===
{{see also|Medina of Sousse, Tunisia}}
[[File:Medina of Sousse-130327.jpg|thumb|The ribat castle, in the Medina of Sousse]]
A [[medina quarter|medina]], surrounded by its city walls and fortifications, is of historical interest. The medina includes open and covered bazaars (souks). Buildings of historical interest include the ''ribat'' castle, the central mosque, and a historical museum in the [[Casbah]] with mosaics from the area's many Roman villas. The [[Carthage|Carthaginian]] [[catacombs]] can be visited.

[[UNESCO]] declared the [[Medina quarter|medina]] of Sousse a [[World Heritage Site]] in 1988, citing among various things its preservation from modern development.

=== Port Kantaoui ===
{{see also|Port El Kantaoui}}
The Kantaoui Port, is a touristic station in the form of a Port. It was built in 1979 specifically as a tourist center.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.planetware.com/sousse/port-el-kantaoui-tun-so-spek.htm | title=Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia | work = PlanetWare – Your Unlimited Travel Guide to the World | access-date=20 March 2006}}</ref>

The architecture, although modern and dazzlingly white, has been modeled on the more traditional buildings in Tunisia, complete with narrow streets and arches. The hotels that line the beachfront extend from Sousse itself along miles of sparkling clean sea to the harbor of Port El Kantaoui and to the north of the harbor.

<gallery mode="packed">
DevantEntreePortEl-Kantaoui.JPG
Entrance of the Port El Kantaoui.jpg
Port El Kantaoui - panoramio (34).jpg
Port El Kantaoui - panoramio (35).jpg
Dock of Port El Kantaoui.JPG
El Kantaaoui marina from the tower - panoramio.jpg
</gallery>

=== Religious buildings ===
==== Great Mosque ====
{{see also|Great Mosque of Sousse}}
[[File:Sousse Grosse Moschee.JPG|thumb|Grande Mosquée of Sousse]]
Located at the entrance to the medina, it was erected by the Aghlabid sovereign Aboul Abbas I (841–856) in 850–851, almost thirty years after the construction of the Ribat of Sousse. This mosque is the most emblematic of a city that became a few years after the reign of Ziadet-Allah I (817–838), the second city of Ifriqiya and the Sahel. Subsequently, the building is enlarged during the reign of Ibrahim II (875–902).

==== Other religious sights ====
* Bou Ftetah Mosque
* Médersa El Zaqqaq
* Église Saint-Félix

<gallery mode="packed" heights="200px">
Mosquée Bou Ftetah, medina de Sousse, 30 septembre 2013 (04).jpg|Mosquée Bou Fetatah
Zouia Al Zouqaq, Sousse, 30 septembre 2013 (06).jpg|Minaret Al Zaqqaq
Église Saint Félix Sousse, Tunisie 2013.JPG|Saint Félix Cathedral
</gallery>

== Sport ==
[[File:Stade olympique de Sousse, vue panoramique, 1 Mars 2025.jpg|thumb|Stade Olympique de Sousse]]
Sousse is represented by [[Étoile Sportive du Sahel]], a large multisport club. [[Association football|Football]] is the city's most popular sport, and ES Sahel has won the [[Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1|Tunisian football championship]] ten times and the [[Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1|Tunisian Cup]] ten times. The team's home ground is [[Stade Olympique de Sousse]]. [[Handball]], [[basketball]], and [[volleyball]] are also popular.

==Climate==
[[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system]] classifies Sousse's climate as [[semi-arid climate#Hot semi-arid climates|hot semi-arid]] (''BSh'')<ref name="Climate-Data.org">{{Cite web |url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/3548/ |title=Climate: Sousse – Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table |publisher=Climate-Data.org |access-date=30 October 2013 }}</ref> bordering with [[hot-summer Mediterranean climate|hot-summer Mediterranean]] (''Csa'') and [[semi-arid climate#Cold semi-arid climates|cool semi-arid]] (''BSk'').

The highest recorded temperature was {{convert|48|C}} on 28 August 2007, while the lowest recorded temperature was {{convert|4.5|C}} on 27 December 1993.<ref name="Voodoo Skies">{{Cite web |url=http://voodooskies.com/weather/tunisia/sousse |title=Sousse, Tunisia |publisher=Voodoo Skies |access-date=30 October 2013 }}</ref>

{{Weather box
|metric first=yes
|single line=yes
|width=auto
|location=Sousse
|Jan record high C=27
|Feb record high C=30
|Mar record high C=37
|Apr record high C=36
|May record high C=43
|Jun record high C=47
|Jul record high C=47
|Aug record high C=48
|Sep record high C=42
|Oct record high C=40
|Nov record high C=31
|Dec record high C=30

|Jan high C=15.8
|Feb high C=16.3
|Mar high C=17.8
|Apr high C=20.2
|May high C=23.4
|Jun high C=27.1
|Jul high C=30.7
|Aug high C=31.5
|Sep high C=30.2
|Oct high C=25.6
|Nov high C=20.8
|Dec high C=16.7

|Jan mean C=11.4
|Feb mean C=11.7
|Mar mean C=13.3
|Apr mean C=15.6
|May mean C=18.7
|Jun mean C=22.4
|Jul mean C=25.6
|Aug mean C=26.2
|Sep mean C=25.0
|Oct mean C=20.9
|Nov mean C=16.1
|Dec mean C=12.4

|Jan low C=7.2
|Feb low C=7.4
|Mar low C=8.9
|Apr low C=11.0
|May low C=14.1
|Jun low C=17.8
|Jul low C=20.6
|Aug low C=20.9
|Sep low C=19.9
|Oct low C=16.3
|Nov low C=11.5
|Dec low C=8.1

|Jan record low C=4.8
|Feb record low C=5
|Mar record low C=5.5
|Apr record low C=5.5
|May record low C=9
|Jun record low C=13
|Jul record low C=14
|Aug record low C=16
|Sep record low C=15
|Oct record low C=7
|Nov record low C=5.5
|Dec record low C=4.5

|rain colour=green
|Jan rain mm=43
|Feb rain mm=48
|Mar rain mm=35
|Apr rain mm=28
|May rain mm=15
|Jun rain mm=9
|Jul rain mm=2
|Aug rain mm=7
|Sep rain mm=35
|Oct rain mm=44
|Nov rain mm=35
|Dec rain mm=53

|Jan rain days=7
|Feb rain days=6
|Mar rain days=7
|Apr rain days=6
|May rain days=5
|Jun rain days=2
|Jul rain days=1
|Aug rain days=2
|Sep rain days=4
|Oct rain days=6
|Nov rain days=6
|Dec rain days=7

|Jand sun=6
|Febd sun=7
|Mard sun=7
|Aprd sun=8
|Mayd sun=10
|Jund sun=11
|Juld sun=12
|Augd sun=11
|Sepd sun=9
|Octd sun=7
|Novd sun=7
|Decd sun=6

|source 1= ''Climate-Data.org'',<ref name="Climate-Data.org"/> ''Weather2Travel'' for rainy days and sunshine<ref name="Weather2Travel">{{Cite web |url=http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/tunisia/sousse.php |title=Sousse Climate and Weather Averages, Tunisia |publisher=Weather2Travel |access-date=30 October 2013 }}</ref>

|source 2= ''Voodoo Skies'' for record temperatures<ref name="Voodoo Skies"/>

}}

{|class="wikitable"
|+Sousse mean sea temperature<ref name="Weather2Travel"/>
|-
!'''Jan'''
!'''Feb'''
!'''Mar'''
!'''Apr'''
!'''May'''
!'''Jun'''
!'''Jul'''
!'''Aug'''
!'''Sep'''
!'''Oct'''
!'''Nov'''
!'''Dec'''
|-
|{{convert|16|°C}}
|{{convert|16|°C}}
|{{convert|16|°C}}
|{{convert|16|°C}}
|{{convert|18|°C}}
|{{convert|21|°C}}
|{{convert|24|°C}}
|{{convert|26|°C}}
|{{convert|25|°C}}
|{{convert|23|°C}}
|{{convert|21|°C}}
|{{convert|18|°C}}
|}

==Notable people==
*[[Ons Jabeur]], professional tennis player
* [[Salvius Julianus]] or Julian the Jurist, a master jurist, public official, and politician who served in the Roman imperial state under four successive emperors.
* [[Primasius of Hadrumetum]], Roman bishop and exegete, noted for his Commentary on the Apocalypse
* [[Mohamed Ghannouchi]], former prime minister
* [[Hamadi Jebali]], former prime minister
* [[Aymen Abdennour]], footballer
* [[Makrem Ben Romdhane]], basketball player
* [[Dov Alfon]], author and journalist
* [[Marcel Dadi]], guitarist who died in the TWA accident of 1996.
* [[Zine El Abidine Ben Ali]] former President
* [[Sleim Ammar]], neuropsychiatrist and poet.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Tunisia}}
Sousse is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Boulogne-Billancourt]], France<ref>{{cite web |title=Jumelages|url=https://www.boulognebillancourt.com/ma-ville/histoire-et-patrimoine/les-villes-jumelees-a-boulogne-billancourt|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024115315/https://www.boulognebillancourt.com/ma-ville/histoire-et-patrimoine/les-villes-jumelees-a-boulogne-billancourt|archive-date=2020-10-24|website=boulognebillancourt.com|publisher=Boulogne-Billancourt|language=fr|access-date=3 November 2020}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Braunschweig]], Germany<ref>{{cite web |title=Braunschweigs Partner- und Freundschaftsstädte|url=https://www.braunschweig.de/leben/stadtportraet/partnerstaedte/|website=braunschweig.de|publisher=Braunschweig|language=de|access-date=3 November 2020}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|ALG}} [[Constantine, Algeria|Constantine]], Algeria<ref>{{cite web |title=Le printemps de Sousse est de retour|url=http://www.letemps.com.tn/article/90206/le-printemps-de-sousse-est-de-retour|website=letemps.com.tn|publisher=Le Temps|language=fr|access-date=3 November 2020}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|TUR}} [[İzmir]], Turkey<ref>{{cite web |title=Kardeş Kentler|url=https://www.izmir.bel.tr/tr/KardesKentler/62|website=izmir.bel.tr|publisher=İzmir|language=tr|access-date=3 November 2020}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|SYR}} [[Latakia]], Syria{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
*{{flagicon|SLO}} [[Ljubljana]], Slovenia<ref>{{cite web |title=Intercity cooperation|url=https://www.ljubljana.si/en/about-ljubljana/international-cooperation/intercity-cooperation/|website=ljubljana.si|publisher=Mestna občina Ljubljana|access-date=3 November 2020}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|MAR}} [[Marrakesh]], Morocco<ref>{{cite web |title=Investissement à Marrakech|url=https://www.amde.ma/creation-dentreprise/investissement-a-marrakech/|website=amde.ma|publisher=Agence Marocaine pour le Développement de l'Entreprise|language=fr|date=5 September 2016|access-date=3 November 2020}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Nice]], France<ref>{{cite web |title=Tunisie: Jumelage entre les villes de Sousse et Nice|url=https://www.tunisienumerique.com/tunisie-jumelage-entre-les-villes-de-sousse-et-nice/|website=tunisienumerique.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921142533/https://www.tunisienumerique.com/tunisie-jumelage-entre-les-villes-de-sousse-et-nice/|archive-date=2021-09-21|publisher=Tunisie Numerique|language=fr|date=15 March 2012|access-date=3 November 2020}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|SEN}} [[Thiès]], Senegal<ref>{{cite web |title=Hommage à Sembene Ousmane|url=https://www.seneplus.com/culture/hommage-sembene-ousmane-0|website=seneplus.com|publisher=Seneplus|language=fr|date=16 June 2019|access-date=3 November 2020}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Weihai]], China<ref>{{cite web |title=友好城市|url=http://wb.weihai.gov.cn/col/col13548/index.html|website=weihai.gov.cn|publisher=Weihai|language=zh|access-date=3 November 2020}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed">
Av. Hedi Chaker, Sousse, Tunisia.JPG
Вечерний Сусс - вид из номера 750 ElHana Beach 3* - panoramio.jpg
Sousse1.jpg
Тунис-2011. отдых начался... - panoramio (2).jpg
كرنيش بوجعفر سوسة - panoramio.jpg
Fete de la republique & l'ntree du mois d'awessou.jpg
Port of sousse 2.jpg
Sousse Ribat Aussicht.JPG 
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*{{citation |ref={{harvid|''New Class. Dict.''|1860}} |url=https://archive.org/details/newclassicaldict00anthiala/page/n7 |title=A New Classical Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, Mythology, and Geography |editor=William Smith |editor2=Charles Anthon |display-editors=0 |location=New York |publisher=Harper & Bros |date=1860}}.
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Hadrumetum |volume= 12 |last= Babelon |first= Ernest Charles François | pages = 802&ndash;803 }}
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Susa (Tunisia) |volume= 26 | page= 162 }}
*{{citation |last=Norie |first=J.W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0ipFAQAAMAAJ |title=New Piloting Directions for the Mediterranean Sea... |publisher=J.W. Norie & Co |location=London |date=1831}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sousse}}
'''Official''':
*{{cite web|url=http://www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/fr/actualite.php|title=Portail officiel de la municipalité de Sousse|author=Sousse (Municipalité)|language=fr|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110003434/http://www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/fr/actualite.php|archive-date=10 January 2012}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/fr/histoirepatrimoine.php|title=Portail officiel de la municipalité de Sousse > Découvrir Sousse > Histoire et Patrimoine|author=Sousse (Municipalité)|language=fr|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827132309/http://www.commune-sousse.gov.tn/fr/histoirepatrimoine.php|archive-date=27 August 2011}} > 'Sousse Patrimoine Mondial de l'humanité' and 'Sousse dans l'histoire'
*{{cite web |url=http://www.ommp.nat.tn/sousse.php |title=Port de Sousse |author=Office de la marine marchande et des ports (Tunisia) |language=fr |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604015419/http://www.ommp.nat.tn/sousse.php |archive-date=4 June 2008 }}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.opensousse.net |title=Portail de la ville de Sousse |author=Cultural portal|language=fr}}
'''General references and travel guides''':
*{{Wikivoyage inline|Sousse}}
*[http://www.360travelguide.com/travelpack/resort.asp?Resort=Tunisia&Code=624svr53 Interactive Virtual Tour of Sousse]
*{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Susa (Tunisia)|volume=26|short=1}}
'''Photographs''':
*{{cite web|url=http://www.heini.de/sousse.htm  |title=Pictures of Sousse (fifty-one pictures)| author=Heini}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110128145133/http://www.dariointernet.com/tr_inx_sousse.html  Photo Gallery of Sousse by a Tourist 2010 Winter]

{{Coord|35|50|N|10|38|E|region:TN_type:city|display=title}}

{{Sousse Governorate}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Tunisia]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Tunisia]]
[[Category:Communes of Tunisia]]
[[Category:Seaside resorts in Tunisia]]
[[Category:Mediterranean port cities and towns in Tunisia]]
[[Category:Ports and harbours of the Arab League]]
[[Category:Transport in the Arab League]]
[[Category:Populated places in Sousse Governorate]]