| Carthage قرطاج, Qarṭāj | |
 | |
| State | Tunisia |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern Tunisia |
| Institutional website | |
Carthage is an archaeological site 15 km north of capital and belonging to world heritage of humanity in Tunisia.
To know
Geographical notes
There 1 Byrsa Hill (whose name means "ox skin") is in the rear part of the area overlooking both the oceanic gulf and the lake and the plain of Tunis inland to the west and is therefore the most strategic point. Near the sea is the District of Magone with several archaeological finds.
The site is fragmented into several archaeological areas as it has been urbanized by villas and buildings that have risen, in many cases, above the ruins. This determines a certain difficulty in overall reading of the site which by extension is quite vast but of which few truly monumental ruins remain.
When to go
The site can be visited all year round, although in summer the scorching heat and the sun can make the visit rather tiring. In autumn or winter conditions are much more suitable, except for a few rainy days.
Background
| Dido and Aeneas | ||
 Dido and Aeneas, Roman fresco by Pompeii The secular hatred between the Romans and the Carthaginians was born according to the legend from the love between Queen Dido and Aeneas than running away from Troy he reached the shores of Carthage and was welcomed by the queen with whom he later had an affair. The relationship became intense but Aeneas at a certain point decided to leave, leaving Dido in desperation who chose to kill himself with the sword given to her by Aeneas himself, also throwing a curse on the future Roman people.
Dido will then be identified by the Carthaginians as the goddess Tanit protector of the city. |
A city of the Phoenician and Punic periods of the 6th century BC. It was the basis of a powerful trading empire covering the entire southern Mediterranean and housing a population of the order of half a million people. The legendary founding queen, Dido, bought from the locals "as much land as the skin of a cow can cover" and by finely cutting the skin of the cow obtained the hill of Byrsa (hence the name).
Over the centuries Carthage settled the territories of Sicily (where it built the stable outpost of Motya) through continuous battles against the powerful Syracuse. The city managed to express over the centuries several military commanders such as Amilcare and Imilcone, but its most famous general was Hannibal who crossed the Alps to fight against the Romans. Hannibal suffered his first significant defeat at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC, which ended the second Punic War. After over 50 years of friction with Rome, were attacked during the third Punic war (the Roman saying is known Delenda Carthago delivered in the Senate by Marco Porcio Cato who hoped for its destruction). The citizens defended the city against the Republic of Rome until 146 BC. when they lost and the Punic Carthage was completely destroyed by order of the Senate. The site was renovated by the Romans a century later and Carthage became the capital of the Roman province ofAfrica.
In 370 A.D. the young man lived in Carthage Augustine of Hippo which later became known as Sant'Agostino. In 439 Genseric king of the Vandals occupied the city decreeing the end of the Romanization. In 533 the Byzantine general Belisario conquered the city, then in the 7th century it was the turn of the Arabs who would convert the city and North Africa to Islam.
Today the neighborhood is very prosperous, with elite schools, wealthy residents, relatively numerous policemen, a large number of archaeological sites and museums, as well as the presidential palace.
How to get
Carthage: full screen map.By car
The link from Tunis it is possible via the RR23 road.
On the train
Take the TGM light rail line from Tunis towards La Marsa for one of the following stations:
- 1 Carthage-Salammbo, Rue de la Goulette.
- 2 Carthage-Byrsa, Rue Ibn Khaldoun. For the Oceanographic Museum, Tophet Punic and it's near hotel.
- 3 Carthage-Dermech, Rue d'Eschmoun.
- 4 Carthage-Hannibal, Rue Augustin. For most destinations, including Baths of Antoninus, Roman theatre and the top of the hill with complex of Carthage Museum/Acropolis/Carthage Archaeological Park.
- 5 Carthage-Présidence, Rue de la Goulette. For the Basilica of Saint Cyprien, or a stroll at the President's palace.
- 6 Carthage-Amilcar, Rue de la Goulette. Useful only for the American cemetery.
Permits / Rates
It is possible to buy a multisite ticket for 10 TND (March 2017) which allows access to 8 different historical places, but it is really challenging to visit them all in one day. These sites are:
- Amphitheater
- Roman villas
- Roman theatre
- Early Christian Museum
- Carthage Museum
- Tofet of Salambo
- Baths of Antoninus
- Magon district
Access is free on the first Sunday of each month and on religious and national holidays.
The opening hours of the site are: from 16 Sep to 30 Apr 8: 30-15: 00, from 01 May to 15 Sep 8: 00-18: 00.
Only a few sites have a large number of descriptive signs in English, many others, like the museum, don't. Some are not open and most of the signs are inaccurate at best.
How to get around
Mostly it is better to walk. However the area is large and you have to sweat to admire it ... especially on a hot day!
By car
- 7 parking area, La Goulette Rd.
By taxi
If you are tired, you might want to take a taxi to get around some of the major tourist spots. This should be cheaper in the off season.
For example: 7/10 TND from the museum to the Amphitheater with 10 minutes of waiting for the driver, a trip to the water tanks, another 5 minutes of waiting and the return to Tofet.
By bike
Given the distances, the use of the bike can be an excellent solution to facilitate the visit:
- 8 Le Lemon Tour, 6 Rue Mathos, ☎ 216 56 262 282, @[email protected].
rental only: 15 TD half day, 25 TD full day. 
Mon-Sun- 9: 00-17: 30. They offer bike rentals and guided tours.
rental only: 15 TD half day, 25 TD full day. 
Mon-Sun- 9: 00-17: 30. They offer bike rentals and guided tours.What see
Lots of ruins! The president's palace. Sweeping views of Tunis and the Gulf.
- 1 Baths of Antoninus. Admission: 10 TND (or multi-site ticket), photo rights: 1 TND. Ruins of the largest Roman baths outside of Rome. The site also includes a Punic cemetery, some old houses, some Punic furnaces, a chapel, some tombs, mosaics, etc. Guides are available in several languages and it can be helpful to have one as the site is large. Please note that it is illegal to take photographs in the direction of the presidential palace. Doing so, especially when traveling alone, could lead to imprisonment for up to 3 years, even if the guards do not seem to be too loyal to this rule.
- 2 American memorial and cemetery (Just north of Carthage, a five minute walk from Amilcar station). Free admission. Mon-Sun 09: 00-17: 00, except December 25th and January 1st. The cemetery is the final resting place for 2,841 American soldiers who fell during World War II in North Africa. The monument is inscribed with the names of 3,724 Americans, whose remains have never been found and identified. The memorial court contains large maps in operations depicting mosaic and pottery throughout theAfrica.
- 3 Water tanks (Cisterns of La Malga). Free admission. A large series of water cisterns that functioned as a water redistribution point at the end of a long aqueduct from the hills to the south; maybe even 90 km! The remains of the end of the aqueduct are still standing. It also offers a decent view over the city.
- 4 Amphitheater. Accessible with the multisite ticket. Remains of an amphitheater surrounded by woods and hills. Interesting for a short walk, but at least until December 2010 it was devoid of descriptions in any language. It is worth a look but the visit can be more interesting with a guide. The adjacent wood can be a nice place for a picnic.
- 5 Punic tophet, Rue Hannibal (It is that portion similar to an island that juts out into a circular bay. Driving directions can be misleading). Accessible with the multisite ticket. Phoenician Carthage had a sinister reputation for child sacrifice. Modern archaeological excavations tend to confirm what Plutarch described at the time. In a single children's cemetery called "tophet"(or tophet," sacred area ") an estimated amount of 20,000 urns was laid between 400 BC and 200 BC. These urns contained the calcined bones of newborns and in some cases of fetuses or children around the two A frustrating collection with no description, but great for children's gravestones. Many stones have simple symbols carved into them. There are also some semi-buried structures. A guide, physical or paper, is recommended.
- 6 Basilica of Saint Cyprien (North of Carthage presidential station, along Route La Goulette / Rue de Rue de Maroc. A few hundred meters walk north of the station, turn right at the sign immediately after the bridge and the petrol station on the left.). Free admission. This historic Christian temple rediscovered in 1915 was surrounded by a vast cemetery. The temple faces a spectacular sea view that can still be enjoyed today. The temple is thought to be dedicated to the prosperity of seafarers. All the precious remains have been removed, leaving the site somewhat empty. In its favor is the fact that it is a good spot for a picnic and there is a chocolate and pastry shop right next to a gas station and opposite is one for drinks. It is located much further north than most of the Carthaginian ruins sites, so it lends itself well to being the start of a long day itinerary.
- 7 Oceanographic Museum (Musée Océanographique Dar El Hout), 28, rue du 2 mars 1934 (Walk east towards the water from Salammbo station), ☎ 216 71 730 420. 0.5 TD. Winter: 10: 00-18: 00; summer: 09: 00-19: 00. Built in 1924 under President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on the site of the Carthaginian port of war. Inside there is a collection of stuffed birds and animals, several aquariums, fossil fish skeletons.
- 8 Presidential Palace, Route La Goulette (Between the stations, on the hill of Carthage-Hannibal and Carthage-Présidence. Look for the national flags!). Clear view from afar. You can walk to the well-guarded president's palace, which includes a private dock and helicopter landing area on the main road. It is also possible to see it from Baths of Antoninus and from the ruins above.
- 9 Early Christian Museum (Paléo-chrétien museum), ☎ 216 71 909 264. Permanently closed. Built on an excavation site, it sits above the former Carthaginian basilica (the Basilica Dermech).
- 10 Damous El Karita Basilica (near the Carthage-Présidence station). free access. Basilica datable between late antiquity and the Byzantine era. It is an important Christian monument which includes two churches, a martyrion and hypogea. It appears that it was an important pilgrimage center. One of the most evocative environments is the rotunda, a circular part made up of underground walls.
- 11 Byzantine Basilica of Dermech (Basilique Byzantine de Dermech), Rue de la Goulette (Dermech station). A five-nave church with an apse from the 5th or 6th century. The basal remains, a hint of the apse and the bases of the columns are visible. Next to it there is another basilica with three naves.
- 12 Majorum Basilica, Avenue de la Republique (Carthage Amilcar Station). 4th century church of which few vestiges remain except one Confession, a raised structure with stairs rebuilt in 1930 on the occasion of a Eucharistic congress.
- 13 Circus of Carthage (Carthage Byrsa Station). free. A Roman circus used for chariot races, it was built on the model of the Circus Maximus in Rome and on other circus buildings throughout the Roman Empire. Measuring over 470m in length and 30m in width, it could accommodate up to 45,000 spectators. Today almost nothing remains, just an empty clearing.
- 14 Building with columns, Rue de la Goulette, corner with rue Syphax (Between the car park and the Carthage-Hannibal station). The use of this building with columns still standing is unknown to this day. We only know that it dates back to Roman times.
- 15 Port of Carthage, rue du 2 mars 1934 (Carthage Byrsa Station). Mon-Fri 10: 00-16: 00, Sat 9: 00-12: 00. The Phoenicians created ports that became fundamental for trade with the Mediterranean. In fact, the city was filled with goods from all over the known world. The ports were built between the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC, which is 600 years after the founding of Carthage. One port was for military use only (the circular one) and the second southernmost commercial, they possessed equipment for the restoration and repair of ships and for the construction of new ones as well as various warehouses of goods and raw materials.
- The military port could accommodate 220 ships within covered structures. The entrance from the sea did not allow to see what was happening inside the military port. The entrance was closed with chains. After the destruction of Carthage in 146 BC, the Punic ports were rebuilt by the Romans in 200 AD.
- 16 Magone district (حي ماغون), Rue de l'amphithéâtre. It is another area of archaeological excavation where the remains of houses and parts of the Punic walls facing the sea are visible.
- 17 Circular monument, 10 Boulevard de l'Environnement (Next to the Carthage theater). This building was probably a late 4th century memorial, abandoned after the Vandal invasion and restored during the Byzantine reconquest. Its structure is circular with two concentric rings made up of 12 pillars.
Byrsa Hill
- 18 Acropolium (Former Cathedral of St. Louis). Entrance 5 TND (March 2017 - not including multisite ticket). 8-30-17-30. Church of Byzantine Moorish architectural style with a Latin cross plan, built with ocher stone from the quarries of Malta. A spiral staircase leads to a walkway that runs along all the internal walls.
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- 19 Carthage Museum (in Arabic لمتحف الوطني بقرطاج). Entrance 9 DT or with the multi-site ticket. 8: 30-17: 00; in summer 8: 30-19: 00. Most of the remains excavated from the ruins are kept in the cavernous museum located on Byrsa Hill, which documents both the Punic and Roman times. The inscriptions inside the museum are entirely in Arabic is French. On the second floor, the part closest to the stairs exhibits finds from the Roman era and the internal part of artifacts from the previous Punic period. Fascinating artifacts such as alabaster vases and jewelry remains. The descriptions of the Roman conquest and the legend of Dixon are very well done, although inaccessible to English speakers. From the external areas of the museum you can enjoy a splendid view of the coast and the city and there are also the remains of some Punic streets (or Punic quarter), the ancient site of a public library, numerous sculptures, a chapel or a church, some excellent mosaics and some coffins. A few benches under the trees with a nice view to be used as a good refreshment point. Unfortunately, many remains on the ground are without description, so a guide can be useful (or if possible eavesdrop on a passing group). Ignore the guy who tries to charge 1 TND for the use of the bathroom.
Hill of the Odeon and park of the Roman villas
Although the area is contiguous, there are two different entrances, one for the theater and the other for the villas. Inside there are no captions for understanding the subjects, therefore there can be confusion between one villa and another, being very close.
- 20 Horse mosaic, Montée de l'odéon (Next to the house of the aviary). This immense mosaic is dated between the 4th and 5th centuries AD. The recurring theme, hence the name, is the equine one. Various horses are represented together with human figures, but not only are there different decorations and representations of daily life.
- 21 House of the aviary (Next to the mosaic of the horse and the odeon). It is a Roman villa, perhaps the best preserved of the site, restored to provide a reconstruction of the rooms and the portico supported by columns, which surrounds a central courtyard and paved with mosaics. The terrace also offers a splendid view over the bay of Tunis.
- 22 House of the cryptoporticus. Roman villa of which a covered portico with a series of openings remains visible. Today it is used as a warehouse in which several dusty or poorly preserved mosaics are stacked.
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- 23 Roman Theater of Carthage (Next to the odeon, get off at Carthage Présidence station to reach it). The theater was built in the early 2nd century BC. near the Odeon Hill. It was decorated with statues and the most important was that of Apollo, which is located in the Bardo Museum. The theater played an important role in the life of the citizens of Carthage with whom the city has progressively Romanized. After a restoration in 1967, it is now used as a location for shows especially for the Carthage International Festival.
- 24 Odeon of Carthage (in the immediate vicinity of the Mâlik ibn Anas mosque and the theater). Few traces of the Odeon, only the substructures remain, just canceled at the beginning of the twentieth century. The building had semicircular corridors for the movement of spectators. Tertullian tells of the discovery of pre-existing burials during the construction of the building.
What to do
| The opus africanum |
 Opus africanum to Bulla Regia The Roman sites of Tunisia feature a constructive structure called opus africanum, because it is widely used in the Roman regions of Africa. L'opus africanum it consists of a "frame" obtained by inserting stone pillars and then completed with a filling of smaller and irregularly shaped stones, sometimes tied with earth or mortar. |
In addition to the obvious visit to the archaeological remains, leisure activities range from seasonal concerts to relaxing evenings that can be enjoyed all year round.
- 1 Carthage International Festival (At the amphitheater). 15 to 100 TND depending on the artist (July 2016). July and August. Concerts start at 10pm and can end after midnight. The largest festival that has been taking place for years and has hosted internationally renowned attractions and artists over time such as: Youssou N'Dour, Dalida, James Brown, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Alpha Blondy, Joe Cocker, Serge Lama, Gérard Lenorman and Charles Aznavour. The event was founded in 1964; most of the festivals take place in an ancient Carthage amphitheater (with a capacity of 7,500 seats) and host performances by singers, musicians, actors, dancers and films on display on outdoor screens.
- Golf de Carthage, Rue 13 Aout, Chotrana 2, ☎ 216 71 863 619, fax: 216 71 765 915, @[email protected]. Excellent 6,000 m² golf park with 18 holes.
- The hotel Villa Didon, near the main ruins of Carthage at the top of Byrsa Hill, it offers an elegant lounge and a terrace with enchanting views. Very pleasant for a beer in the evening or a glass of wine, although apparently closed during the off season.
- The hotel / restaurant on Rue de Hannibal, just southwest of the Punic Topphet, offers a selection of wines even if all are Tunisian and too expensive. It seems that beers are also available.
Shopping
You will find nothing but tourist trinkets, unless you are looking for high-end furniture or utensils. The food alternatives that can be found in the area are quite limited.
Where to eat
There are a number of restaurants scattered around the neighborhood, although most are located off the main tourist routes.
Carthage-Byrsa and Carthage-Salammbo
- 1 Restaurant Le Punique, Rue Hannibal (south of the southern station of Carthage-Byrsa and east of Carthage-Salammbo. It is not far from Oceanographic Museum.), ☎ 216 71 730 786. Mon-Sun 8: 00-23: 00. There is a hotel restaurant with a relatively expensive but good selection (wines included).
- 2 Toot's (French pastry), 35 La Goulette Rd, ☎ 216 25 158 885. Mon-Sun 11: 00-19: 00.
- 3 Scipion Café, La Goulette Rd.
Carthage-Hannibal
- A small restaurant is located opposite and slightly above the entrance Baths of Antoninus.
- 4 Tie Break Carthage, Jardins du tennis club de Carthage Rue de L'amphithéâtre. Mon-Sun 9: 00-24: 00. restaurant
- 5 Pizza Phone. Mon-Sun 12: 00-16: 00 and 18: 30-23: 30.
Carthage-Présidence
- 6 Salé Sucré (on a corner opposite the Basilica of Saint Cyprien), ☎ 216 50 933 369. A small patisserie operates. Drinks can be bought in front of the petrol station.
- 7 too much, 101 avenu Habib bourguiba Carthage présidence, ☎ 216 98 218 824. Restaurant
- 8 Gate14 TN (coffee), Rue St Cyprien, ☎ 216 71 776 065. Mon-Sun 7: 00-24: 00.
Where stay
Given the proximity to Tunis, this is the most practical solution for all those who want to make a same day visit to the site.
Safety
The area is very safe, not only because it is touristy and particularly guarded by the police, but also because it is a rich area of the city where there are villas and embassies.
How to keep in touch
Telephony
The telephone signal is widely present as the area is urbanized.
Internet
Except for some bars where there may be wifi or hotels, there are no access points.
Around
- Tunis - The country's capital with its architecture divided between medina and ville nouvelle, the Bardo national museum and the Belvédère park.
- Sidi Bou Said - This charming city is just a few train stops from Carthage and is a great place to eat and watch the sunset.
- Gammarth - Once a fishermen's beach, today an area of exclusive resorts and shops.
Keep informed
- Carthage site, Sophonisbe street, Carthage, ☎ 216 71 731 460, 216 71 732 633, fax: 216 71 731 972, @[email protected].
