Antique Tunisia / Tunisie Antique

At the beginning of recorded history, Tunisia was inhabited by Berber tribes. Its coast was settled by Phoenicians starting as early as the 10th century BC. The city of Carthage was founded in the 9th century B.C. by settlers from Tyre, now in modern day Lebanon. Legend says that Dido founded the city in 814 B.C., as retold in by the Greek writer Timaeus of Tauromenium. The settlers of Carthage brought their culture and religion from the Phoenicians and other Canaanites.

After a series of wars with Greek city-states of Sicily in the 5th century BC, Carthage rose to power and eventually became the dominant civilization in the Western Mediterranean. The people of Carthage worshipped a pantheon of Middle Eastern gods including Baal and Tanit. Tanit's symbol, a simple female figure with extended arms and long dress, is a popular icon found in ancient sites. The founders of Carthage also established a Tophet which was altered in Roman times.

Though the Romans referred to the new empire growing in the city of Carthage as Punic or Phoenician, the empire built around Carthage was an independent political entity from the other Phoenician settlements in the Western Mediterranean.


Tunis Zitouna Great MosqueA Carthaginian invasion of Italy led by Hannibal during the Second Punic War, one of a series of wars with Rome, nearly crippled the rise of the Roman Empire. Carthage was eventually conquered by Rome in the 2nd century BC, a turning point which led to ancient Mediterranean civilization having been influenced mainly by European instead of African cultures. After the Roman conquest, the region became one of the granaries of Rome, and was Latinized and Christianized. It was conquered by the Vandals in the 5th century AD and reconquered by the commander Belisarius in the 6th century during the rule of Byzantine emperor Justinian.

In the 7th century the region was conquered by Arab Muslims, who founded the city of Kairouan. Successive Muslim dynasties ruled, interrupted by Berber rebellions. The reigns of the Aghlabids (9th century) and of the Zirids (from 972), Berber followers of the Fatimids, were especially prosperous. When the Zirids angered the Fatimids in Cairo (1050), the latter sent in the Banu Hilal tribe to ravage Tunisia.
The coasts were held briefly by the Normans of Sicily in the 12th century and the following Arab reconquest made the last Christians in Tunisia disappear. In 1159, Tunisia was conquered by the Almohad caliphs. They were succeeded by the Berber Hafsids (c.1230 1574), under whom Tunisia prospered. In the late 16th century the coast became a pirate stronghold (see: Barbary States). In the last years of the Hafsids, Spain seized many of the coastal cities, but these were recovered by the Ottoman Empire. Under its Turkish governors, the Beys, Tunisia attained virtual independence. The Hussein dynasty of Beys, established in 1705, lasted until 1957.

In 1878, a secret deal was made between the United Kingdom and France that decided the fate of the North African country. Provided that the French accepted British control of Cyprus, recently given to the United Kingdom, the British would in turn accept French control of Tunisia. This satisfied the French and led to their assumption of control in 1880, anticipating the Italians. Tunisia was formally made a French protectorate on May 12, 1881.

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[ImazighenMaghreb]

Great video elvanino

[elvanino]

;-)

[GundisalusMenendiz]

Great video my friend I wish one day I could go to North Africa, there's so much to explore.

could someone tell what Island or piece of land thats across the other side? is that Sicily? 3:54

[elvanino]

Thanks for your nice post GundisalusMenendiz !

As far as the 3:54 question , these are the mountains of Boukernine , it's still Tunisia, facing the hills of Byrsa and Carthage from which the shot was taken ! the Italian islands can be seen from other cities but not from Carthage !

Hope i answered your question !

[elvanino]

My pleasure !

Vive la Tunisie !

[lefkoilykoi]

Thank you so much my friend !

Wondeful images , wonreful places ,

excellent music!!

My god how much i love TUNISIA!!!

وبفضل الكثير!! ليزا

[Laminhina]

Amazing insight!! Thanks for posting this remarkable video, I greatly appreciate it.

[theend1245]

@HERRARABIMPERIAL Berbers is a Branch of Caucasian race( related to egyptians) that thought to have come from the middleast, there were no sub saharan africans in north africa in Neolithic.

[LibranEsq]

awesome Tunisia

[Arabman666]

@HERRARABIMPERIAL

What? The Berbers are the original North African inhabitants of Tunis. They're not from SubSharan Africa, in fact, they're Caucasian. They look and have similar traditions to Northern Arabians. Arabs that came and blended in with the Berbers (Like Ibn Khaldun) typically trace their lineage to Yeman or Syria.

[mahaltony]

thanks for posting this

[HERRARABIMPERIAL]

"tunisia was inhabited by berber tribes"!!!!!! who has said that!!!! have you a proof!!!! did there archeological facts about it!!!!!listen ya ibn ammi

the berbers came from subsahara 2000 years ago and the arabs from syria irak 200000 years ago .berberes in north africa is a colonialist french myth .

[Malkibaal]

great video ! 5stars