History

Founded in the ninth century BC; the city of Carthage occupied an important place in ancient history. It was a main maritime, commercial and military power. Carthage beamed throughout Tunisia. Threatened by its influence, the Romans attacked Carthage 256 BC. Three Punic wars later, Carthage bows to the Romans who destroyed it in 146 BC. The ruins that attest to the greatness of the Phoenician city are worth visiting.

Byrsa Hill

The Hill of Byrsa, center of the ancient Punic city, offers a beautiful view of the Punic ports. The imposant Cathedral of St. Louis occupies this hill. Built in 1890, it is an odd mixture of Byzantine and Moorish style. Inside, one can see the plates where the names of families who participated in the construction of the church are engraved. Nowadays, it is not used for religious services but only for concerts.

Odéon Hill

At the foot of the cathedral are the remnants of the largest district of the city, behind the remains of columns and pieces of walls. Then go up the hill of Odeon in the area of Roman villas. These homes of aristocrats are heavily damaged by the weather and do not have much left except some beautiful mosaics. The main house, called The Aviary because of the mosaic pavement of the court dates from the third century.

Culture

Beside there is the seat of Odeon (III), which was the largest, building in that period, and the theatre. Restored, it hosts every summer the International Festival of Carthage. Begin your descent to the Punic ports. Stop by passing the Magon district. Besides the ruins of a wall and breakwater, the models build up the main points of interest. They trace the evolution of houses in this area, inhabited since the fifth century BC. Under these remarkable remains, the archaeological site of Carthage is a part of the Heritage List of UNESCO.