Susah

Su·sah or Su·sa (so͞oʹsə, -zə)

See Sousse.

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▪ Tunisia

also spelled  Sousse, or Sousa,  

 capital of Sūsah wilāyah (governorate), central east Tunisia. The town, an important port and commercial centre, originated as the Phoenician settlement of Hadrumetum. It declined under Arab control but was revived by the Aghlabid rulers of al-Qayrawān (Kairouan) in the 9th century, whose port it remained until the invasions of the Bedouin Arabs in the 11th century. Reestablished as a prominent port under the French protectorate (1881–1955), Sūsah is once again an important trade centre, although agricultural activity has fallen off in favour of fishing, and tourism is important. Major economic pursuits include canning of sardines, automotive parts manufacture and assembly, processing of olive oil, and cotton textile milling. The old town, enclosed by ramparts that date from the Byzantine period and from the Aghlabid dynasty, contains the Great Mosque and ribāṭ (monastery-fortress, dating from the 9th century), the sūqs (marketplaces), and some Muslim quarters. Sūsah is linked by road and rail to Tūnis, Ṣafāqis (Sfax), Qābis (Gabès), and Qafṣah (Gafsa).

      Sūsah wilāyah, encompassing a lightly undulating coastal plain where olive trees and esparto grass are cultivated, has an area of 1,012 sq mi (2,621 sq km). Its main centres, in addition to the capital, are al-Munastīr (Monastir) and al-Mahdīyah (Mahdia). Pop. (1975) town, 69,530; (1982 est.) wilāyah, 306,900.

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