history

Tunisia is home to over 3,000 years of history ranging from the Phoenicians, who founded the ancient city of Carthage to the French in more recent times.

The biggest name in Tunisian history is Carthage – arch rival of Rome in the second and third centuries BC and a Phoenician trading post founded at the end of the 9th Century, that developed into one of the most prosperous and powerful cities in the western Mediterranean. By the end of the 6th Century BC it was one of the main powers of the Mediterranean.

During the second and third centuries BC Carthage came to blows with Rome, one of the other great powers of the Mediterranean, in the infamous Punic Wars. Despite successful battles waged by Hannibal, the Punic general who had lead his army, backed by elephants over the Alps into Italy, Carthage suffered in the last war, when the city was destroyed by the Romans, and its people sold into slavery.

The Romans colonized most of Tunisia, building magnificent towns, such as Dougga and Sbeitla along the way.

In AD 436 Tunisia was invaded by the Spanish Vandals, who ruled until the Arabs arrived in AD 670 and spread their power across North Africa. The Arabs were later followed by the Ottoman Turks and then the French in the 19th century. Tunisia was granted independence from the French on 20th March 1956 and Habib Bourguiba became Tunisia’s first President.

Despite completely destroying Carthage, the Romans left some amazing sites in Tunisia:

Tunis Medina
Bardo Museum
Carthage
Dougga
Sbeitla
Ksours
Bulla Regia
El Djem


Tunis Medina Tunis Medina, the 12th Century old town, is a site not to be missed. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and home to bustling souks, a maze of colourful streets, as well as the revered Zitouna Mosque, where worshippers have been called to prayer for more than one thousand years. The town is enclosed by ramparts, with gates for communication with the outside. It is entirely self-sufficient, with its own houses, palaces, cemeteries, hammams, schools, bakeries, handicraft workshops, courtyards and gardens. Each street in the Medina represents a different trade. The noble trades such as jewelers, silk-merchants, perfumers and book-sellers are located around the central mosque and the less refined trades are pushed towards the outskirts of the city.

Bardo Museum Housed within a magnificent 13th century building the Bardo museum contains one of the world’s largest collections of mosaics. These mosaics, gathered from throughout Tunisia, have been ordered into the various periods of Tunisia’s history: prehistoric, Carthaginian, Roman, Christian and Islamic.

Carthage Carthage was one of the great cities of the ancient world and was added to the World Heritage List in 1981. The hill of Bysra, where in the 8th century Princess Elissa-Dido founded the city, carries a wealth of history. In 202 BC Carthage fell to the Romans after the second hard fought Punic War against Hannibal. Little remains of Phoenician Carthage, however there are still many Roman sites to be seen including baths, villas and an amphitheatre which houses the Carthage International Summer Festival.

Dougga Dougga is Tunisia’s largest archaeological site, as well as one of it’s most impressive. Grandiose temples, forums and theatres stand in remarkable repair on a mountain stretching over 65 hectares, overlooking wheat fields and the valley below. Some 20 – 30,000 people lived in Dougga and their lives almost come alive whilst wandering through the remains of this remarkable site.

Sbeitla Emperor Vespasien and his sons began to develop Sbeitla after the Third Augustan Legion established a garrison at Ammaedara. The town found success in the olive industry during the 2nd century BC and continued to be prosperous through to the 3rd and 4th centuries despite the decline of the Roman Empire in many other provinces. During this time many churches were built in Sbeitla, some belonging to Rome and other to the Donatist sect. Many of these churches still stand and are viewed as some of the most impressive monuments left by the Roman Empire.

Ksours The Ksour district is a rugged terrain that begins south of Gabes. The area is known for its Ksour. Ksour are unique Berber architecture. A single ksar is made up of several ghorfas, which are narrow rooms made from mud and stone. These ghorfas were built several stories high around a central area – creating a powerful defensive structure, they are cave like with a small door opening onto a main courtyard. The design of these buildings helped to store grain, keeping it cool in an otherwise arid region.

Bulla Regia Bulla Regia is another remarkable site, home to underground villas and priceless mosaics. The villas were part-constructed underground to keep the villas cool during the heat of the summer months.

El Djem El Djem represents the glory of the Roman Empire. It is the third largest colosseum in the Roman world, dominating the local town and nearby countryside. The construction of this building was an amazing feat, particularly considering there was no stone to build it in the immediate vicinity, as the nearest quarries were more than 30 kilometres away! During the third century gladiators fought their bitter contests in this magnificent amphitheatre, which is better preserved than the one in Rome.
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