| The Bourguiba Mausoleum in Monastir was an impressive monument to view and visit. Inside were housed the tombs of the Bourguiba family and also a small display of items that had once belonged to Bourguiba. Habib Bourguiba, a native of Monastir, had led his country to independence from France in 1956 and afterwards had become its first president. He ruled for 30 years and set Tunisia on the path of becoming a westernized secular nation. He�s best remembered for his broad legal and social changes, especially in regards to women�s rights. He died in 2000 but, unlike Ataturk in Turkey, is not revered in Tunisia. Adjacent to the mausoleum was an Islamic cemetery. |
