‘This is where the cultural, creative, and enterprising urban district Sphinx will arise.’ So reads the ambition behind the plans for the development of the Sphinx area. Plans focus on the place where Maastricht’s industrial revolution began. It was here that Petrus Regout built his ‘Sphinx Factory,’ the start of what grew into an enormous industry, producing bathroom fixtures, tiles, and the products that made Maastricht great. The factory operated until 2006, and since then efforts have been under way to redevelop this area as a district that fits in with the city, but as something Maastricht does not already have. That’s why this district is being designed to attract creative types, young residents, national and international students, and expatriates. It will be internationally oriented, with room for flexible space and temporary functions. Where this area is going is becoming clearer and clearer, in things like the arrival of the pop music stage in a former sawmill, and the newly opened Brandweer(kantine), with workspaces and meeting places for creative entrepreneurs. But not everything in this part of the city is new and different. The historic and picturesque river harbour ‘t Bassin, adjacent to the Sphinx area, makes a perfect buffer for the transition from the more familiar and better known Maastricht to this new part of town.

Tourbet el Bey stands as the most significant royal mausoleum in Tunisia. The monument serves as the final resting place for the Husainid dynasty rulers who governed from 1705 to 1957. Its distinctive green fish-scale domes crown an imposing quadrangular structure, blending Ottoman grandeur with Italianate stucco work and Andalusian tile motifs. Built during Ali Pasha II’s reign (1758–82), the interior reveals a spatial homage to Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, where vaulted ceilings display intricate polychrome stucco arabesques. The tombs tell silent stories: male rulers are marked by marble carvings of their headgear (turbans or chechia caps), with tassel counts denoting rank, while women’s graves bear simple plaques. A courtyard paved with memorial slabs connects the chambers, their walls shimmering with historic ceramic tiles.

To take a canal and river cruise can be a very relaxing and a fun way to explore Doncaster, spending approximately 3 hours. At this tour you will get the chance to see beautiful sites, view the locks, swing bridges and aqueducts!