History of the city of Carthage, Tunisia

Standing on the peaceful sunny shores of the Mediterranean, the city of Carthage had a strategic location as a gateway to the Western Mediterranean
The site’s evocative power has been well recognized throughout the history by writers, scholars, military strategists and historians alike. Names such as Dido, Hannibal, St. Cyprian and St. Augustine find a common association to the City. During its history, subsequent waves of conquerors and populations ruled Carthage. At each conquest the new rulers changed the defeated civilization’s monuments, sometimes levelling them and using the remains to construct their new cities.

According to legend, Elyssa, sister of the Phoenician king of Tyre, founded the Carthage in 814 BC. To acquire land, she struck a deal with locals, whereby she had right to as much land as she could cover with an ox-hide. Cunningly, Elyssa cut this leather into thin strips and used them to surround the hill that became known as Byrsa. As a Phoenician colony, Carthage was used as little more than a stopover on trade missions to the western Mediterranean.
Carthage expanded greatly under Roman rule until it became the 3rd largest metropolis in the Empire. Punic and Berber communities prospered together, and some Berbers were granted Roman citizenship. It was these wealthy citizens who donated the monumental public buildings that graced the hilltop of Carthages’ Byrsa Hill. Most monuments that can be seen today are from this rich period of history and civilization.

The Byzantines recognized a good landing from the sea and captured Carthage. By the end of the Byzantine rule in the 7th century, Carthage was no longer the splendid and powerful city it had once been, and showed signs of decline. Churches appeared and temples closed tombs, previously relegated to the margins of the living area, were erected wherever empty space allowed within the city limits. The Arabs then captured Carthage, yet did little to alter it initially. Not familiar with naval warfare they preferred to settle their disputes on land. After recognizing the hillside city’s capacity to attract conquerors from the Mediterranean, the Arabs reconsidered preserving ancient Carthage. The Ancient city was levelled in 698 AD and emptied of its inhabitants, consequently reducing potential maritime threat.

Though no longer a city, Carthage’s ruins remain impressive. In 1270, St. Louis King of France used them to shelter his troops on the ill-fated 8th Crusade. When the king died, the Hafsid ruler of Tunis paid the troops of the Crusade to abandon their mission and return home. At this point the Hafsid rulers organized the systematic destruction of the Carthage ruins so as not to attract any more invaders.

Through the years, the search for stone and gold in the ancient ruins had stripped them of most of the riches that were not buried. European visitors and explorers interested in its antiquities further pillaged the Carthaginian site. During the 19th century, travellers were sent from Europe to search for statues and other objects of value. Since the Arabs had no attachment to the statues, they happily sold them or traded them for things of greater practicality to the visitors from the north.