# Monastir

> Tunisian town

**Wikidata**: [Q208715](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q208715)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monastir,_Tunisia)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/monastir

## Summary
Monastir is a municipality and city located in Tunisia, serving as the capital of both the Monastir Governorate and the delegation of Monastir. Situated on the central coast of Tunisia, it is a large human settlement with a recorded population of 104,535. The city is distinguished by its historical ribat fortifications and operates within the UTC+01:00 time zone.

## Key Facts
- **Classification**: Monastir is an instance of both a "municipality of Tunisia" and a "city" (a large human settlement).
- **Location**: It is located in the Monastir Governorate, Tunisia, at coordinates 35.77799°N, 10.82617°E.
- **Population**: The city has a population of 104,535; a previous census recorded 93,306 inhabitants in 2014.
- **Capital Status**: It serves as the capital of the Monastir Governorate and the delegation of Monastir.
- **Time Zone**: The city observes UTC+01:00.
- **Postal Codes**: Postal codes for the area range from 5000 to 5079.
- **Local Dialing Code**: The local dialing code is 73.
- **UN/LOCODE**: Its United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations is TNMIR.
- **Sister Cities**: Monastir is twinned with five cities: Münster (since 1969), Manisa (since 1987), Dushanbe, Saint-Étienne (since 2012), and Timișoara (since 2017).

## FAQs

**What are the names and identifiers for Monastir?**
The city is known by several aliases including Mīstīr, Munastir, and the Arabic منستير (Al-Munastir). It holds the Library of Congress Authority ID n83043286 and the GeoNames ID 2473493.

**Where can official images of Monastir be found?**
Official media includes a coat of arms image (Armoiries_Monastir.svg), a page banner, and aerial or scenic views such as "View of Monastir from the ribat tower" and "Monastir from space," hosted on Wikimedia Commons.

**What international connections does Monastir have?**
Monastir maintains active sister-city relationships with five international municipalities: Dushanbe, Münster, Saint-Étienne, Timișoara, and Manisa.

**How is Monastir categorized in knowledge bases?**
It is categorized under "Category:Monastir" on Wikimedia Commons and is the main category for the topic. It is also listed in the Curlie directory under Regional/Africa/Tunisia/Localities/Monastir/.

**What bibliographic sources describe Monastir?**
The city is described by the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1926–1947), Meyers Konversations-Lexikon (4th edition, 1885–1890), the Encyclopaedia of Islam (Second Edition), and the Great Russian Encyclopedia (2017).

## Why It Matters
Monastir serves as a significant administrative and demographic hub within Tunisia, functioning as the capital of the Monastir Governorate. Its extensive network of international twin-town agreements—spanning Europe and Asia—highlights its role in cultural and diplomatic exchange. The city's documentation in major historical and contemporary encyclopedic works, ranging from Meyers Konversations-Lexikon in the 19th century to modern digital databases, underscores its enduring relevance as a subject of geographical and historical study.

## Notable For
- Being the capital of the Monastir Governorate and a delegation of Monastir.
- Maintaining a diverse network of five sister cities across Europe and Asia.
- Having a population that exceeds 100,000 residents (104,535).
- Being documented in major historical encyclopedias, including the Great Soviet Encyclopedia and Meyers Konversations-Lexikon.
- Having a unique "Ribat" tower, which serves as a prominent visual identifier for the city.

## Body

### Administrative and Demographic Profile
Monastir is classified as a municipality of Tunisia and a city, defined as a large human settlement. It acts as the administrative center for the Monastir Governorate and the local delegation of Monastir.

**Population Data:**
- **Current Population**: 104,535.
- **2014 Census**: Recorded a population of 93,306.

**Location and Infrastructure:**
- **Coordinates**: Latitude 35.77799, Longitude 10.82617.
- **Time Zone**: UTC+01:00.
- **Postal Codes**: 5000–5079.
- **Local Dialing Code**: 73.
- **UN/LOCODE**: TNMIR.

### International Relations
Monastir has established official twinning agreements with five cities, fostering international cooperation:
- **Münster, Germany**: Twinning established on March 11, 1969.
- **Manisa, Turkey**: Twinning established on July 27, 1987.
- **Saint-Étienne, France**: Twinning established in June 2012.
- **Timișoara, Romania**: Twinning established on August 8, 2017.
- **Dushanbe, Tajikistan**.

### Cultural and Historical Documentation
The entity is widely recognized and cataloged by numerous international identification systems and bibliographic sources.

**Encyclopedic References:**
- Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1926–1947)
- Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4th edition (1885–1890)
- Encyclopaedia of Islam (Second Edition) ID: SIM_5258
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam ID: munestir
- Great Russian Encyclopedia Online (2017) ID: 2226093

**Library and Authority IDs:**
- Library of Congress Authority ID: n83043286
- Bibliothèque nationale de France ID: 145388350
- National Library of Israel J9U ID: 987007536504105171
- GND ID: 4201910-2
- VIAF ID: 146247838
- IDREF ID: 060838892

### Digital and Semantic Presence
Monastir is represented across various digital platforms and semantic web databases, reflecting its global digital footprint.

**Digital Identifiers:**
- GeoNames ID: 2473493
- Freebase ID: /m/02_pwl
- Who's On First ID: 421174939
- iNaturalist Place ID: 46349
- Museum Digital Place ID: 4030
- RKD Thesaurus ID: 91821
- PACTOLS Thesaurus ID: pcrtoGRvFWEOvX

**Online Presence:**
- **Official Website**: https://www.commune-monastir.gov.tn/
- **BBC Things ID**: 4b530f9d-e5ee-4246-8193-e82d68e33a4c
- **Wikipedia**: The article "Monastir, Tunisia" exists in over 50 languages including English, French, Arabic, Russian, and Japanese.

### Visual and Categorization Data
**Images and Media:**
- **Coat of Arms**: Armoiries_Monastir.svg
- **Notable Photos**: "View of Monastir from the ribat tower" and "Monastir from space."
- **Page Banner**: Monastir_banner.jpg

**Categories:**
- **Main Category**: Category:Monastir
- **People**: Category:Births in Monastir, Category:Deaths in Monastir, Category:People of Monastir.
- **Views**: Category:Views of Monastir.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.stadt-muenster.de/international/staedtepartnerschaften/monastir)
2. [Source](https://www.saint-etienne.fr/entreprendre-projets/relations-internationales/coopérations-internationales/coopérations-internation)
3. [Source](http://www.commune-monastir.gov.tn/web/ar/relations)
4. Virtual International Authority File
5. BnF authorities
6. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
7. [Source](http://www.ins.tn/sites/default/files/2021-03/Population%2C%20m%C3%A9nages%20et%20logements%20par%20secteur%2003_27_2021%2000_44_11.xlsx)
8. GeoNames
9. BBC Things
10. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/tn.htm)
11. [Source](https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/munestir)
12. [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/places/inaturalist-places.csv.zip)
13. museum-digital