Today we will talk about the once powerful and richest city - Carthage. Now, only picturesque ruins are left of it. Today, Carthage is also a revered city, for example, the residence of the President of Tunisia is located here. However, from its former greatness only memories remained. Today a photo of Carthage in Tunisia is available in all travel brochures of this country. Therefore, we offer a closer look at this ancient city, its history, culture and location.
Carthage (Tunisia): History
According to legend, this city was founded by the Tyr princess Elissa, who was forced to flee her native places after the palace coup. It happened in 814 BC. Elissa and her supporters sailed the sea for a long time until they reached the African coast, where they landed on land in the Gulf of Tunisia. The locals were very happy about the strangers who brought with them a lot of amazing goods. The runaway queen wished to buy a plot of land, equal in size to the size of the cowhide. The local leader was very surprised at such a proposal and made fun of Elissa for a long time. He was sure that all her people would never be able to fit in such a small space, but nevertheless agreed to a deal. The next night, Elissa ordered to cut the skin of an ox into thin strips and enclose a rather large area of land with them, thus marking her new possessions. This is how the city of Carthage in Tunisia was founded. It is no accident that the citadel built in its center is called Birsa, which means “skin” in translation.
By the III century BC, Carthage (Tunisia) became the largest state in the western part of the Mediterranean. Its geographical position made it possible to control all the ships passing by. The Carthaginians were very businesslike, inventive and warlike. They surrounded themselves with a high fortress wall, and along with the merchant, they created their own navy, numbering more than two hundred ships. Thus, Carthage was impregnable both from land and from the sea.
It was not the Senate that governed Carthage, where the best people of its time were elected, as in Rome. Here all decisions were made by the plebs, that is, the people. However, some scholars are sure that in fact, oligarchy (a group of the richest citizens) ruled everything in Carthage. Be that as it may, along with Rome, this city was the most cultural and developed at that time.
The Carthaginians swam actively to other countries and subjugated a number of lands in southern Spain, North Africa, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. At first they were on good terms with Rome. Both states supported each other in hostilities. Soon, however, friction arose between them over the ownership of Sicily, as a result of which the First Punic War began in 264 BC. Military operations came with varying success. However, in the end, the Carthaginians were defeated. However, they were a stubborn people and were able to recover. Then two more Punic wars followed , which eventually ended in the complete victory of the Romans. So the call of a Roman statesman by the name of Mark Porcius Caton came true, who ended his every speech with a phrase that later became a winged phrase: “Carthage must be destroyed!” The wars of the Roman Empire defeated a half-million city. The survivors were sold into slavery, and the ruins of Carthage were sprinkled with salt so that no one would want to settle here. However, after some time, the Romans regretted the complete destruction of the city, because you could only do with the liquidation of his army. As a result, they began to restore and re-inhabit Carthage. The city after some time became the main center of Africa.
In the II century AD, the Carthaginians converted to Christianity. In the VI century, along with the collapse of the Roman Empire, this once majestic city fell into decay. After only a hundred years, he was captured by the Arabs. The new rulers of Carthage used the remains of local structures for the construction of a new city - Tunisia. Today, Carthage is a suburb of Tunisia. And due to its greatest historical value, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Carthage (Tunisia): description and geographical location
So, today this city is one of the main attractions of Africa. Few tourists who find themselves in this region deprive themselves of the opportunity to touch the ancient history of the once great empires. Carthage on the map of Tunisia is not difficult to find. It is located in the northern part of this state on the shores of the Gulf of Tunisia, which is part of the Mediterranean Sea.
Carthage Hotels
The room stock of this settlement can be called modest. This is due to the fact that Carthage is a unique place, there is no possibility of building hotels. The only option for travelers who want to definitely stay here is the five-star Villa Didon Hotel with 20 rooms. If you are looking for a more affordable option, then it makes sense to choose a hotel in the city of Tunisia or Gammarth.
Excursions
One of the must-see places in Carthage are the baths of Antoninus. By their sizes they were second only to the Roman counterpart. Today, little is left of the past greatness, however, you can evaluate the scale of the building by looking at their layout erected here. Not one excursion to Carthage (Tunisia), as a rule, can do without a visit to Tophet, which is an altar-burial in the open. Here the Phoenicians sacrificed their first-born in order to appease the gods. In addition, it is worth taking a look at the Roman amphitheater, which accommodated 36 thousand spectators, the remains of a huge aqueduct, as well as the Maalga water tank.
Shopping
In addition to the standard souvenirs in any country in the form of magnets, trinkets, postcards, etc., here traders offer tourists and objects that supposedly have historical value: coins, mosaics, pieces of stellas and columns, etc. Do not fall for this fishing rod. You can buy such things only as a souvenir, while do not hesitate to bargain.
Cafes and restaurants
On both sides of Habib Bourguiba Avenue, which runs along the coastline, there is a whole mass of cafes where you can quench your thirst with cool juice or have lunch. If you want to pamper both your stomach and your eyes, then visit the restaurant in the five-star hotel Villa Didon, which offers stunning views of the whole of Carthage.
Tourists reviews
As a rule, the reviews of people who visited Carthage (Tunisia) are mostly positive. Even a list of five things that must be done, being here:
- Visit the world famous baths of Anthony Pius.
- Standing among the funeral stellas of the Tofet burial site, recite a couple of pages from Flaubert's Salambo.
- Dine in the chic restaurant at Villa Didon overlooking Carthage.
- Take a couple of photos on the background of the facade of the Cathedral.
- To bargain with sellers in numerous trays for "the real Phoenician coin."