Carthage

Carthage is the remains of an ancient Phoenician and later Roman city on the northeastern coast of Tunisia, within the modern Tunis metropolitan area. It is famous as a major Mediterranean power founded in the first millennium BCE and for its archaeological ruins spanning Punic and Roman periods.

The site contains extensive ruins across a coastal area - visible highlights include the citadel on Byrsa Hill, Punic harbour remains, Roman public buildings, villas and an amphitheatre. Large stretches of the coastline reveal bath complexes, forum areas and scattered mosaics and inscriptions illustrating urban life over several centuries. Many of the visible features are spread out along the shoreline and low hills rather than concentrated in a single courtyard.

Carthage was founded by Phoenician settlers from Tyre in the first millennium BCE and became the centre of the Punic state. It was destroyed by Rome at the end of the Third Punic War in 146 BCE; the site was later rebuilt and expanded under Roman rule and became an important city in the province of Africa. Over centuries the urban fabric shifted and many ancient structures were quarried for building stone, leaving the archaeological footprint seen today.

The archaeological zone lies on the coast just north-east of central Tunis, within the Tunis Governorate. It is adjacent to the modern suburb that also bears the name Carthage and occupies low coastal hills and shoreline terraces facing the Mediterranean.

• UNESCO: The archaeological site has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1979.
• Viewing point: Best panorama views are from the Byrsa ridge overlooking the Mediterranean and the remains of the Punic harbours.

What to See#

• Byrsa Hill: A fortified ridge that was the citadel and administrative core of ancient Carthage; the site of the modern Carthage National Museum and extensive archaeological remains dating to the Punic and Roman periods.
• Punic Ports: Two large artificial harbours - a rectangular military port and a circular commercial basin - built in the Punic period and reused in Roman times; remains visible along the coast.
• Tophet: A ritual cemetery used in the Phoenician-Punic period with thousands of burial urns and stelae dating mainly from the 8th to 2nd centuries BCE.
• Roman quarter: Extensive Roman public works and buildings around the coastal edge of the site, including baths, forums, villas and an amphitheatre reflecting the city rebuilt under Roman rule.

The archaeological site area of Carthage (suburbs of Tunis along the coast) is reachable from central Tunis by the TGM suburban rail line (Tunis-La Marsa line) which serves stations along the Carthage coastline; alternately drive from central Tunis along the coastal road to the various Carthage sites and parking areas.

Carthage sites are spread out (museum, Byrsa hill, coastal ruins), so use the nearest TGM stop or park at the relevant site and walk short distances between ruins.

• Start at the Baths of Antoninus early in the morning to see the impressive masonry with fewer people and cooler temperatures; it's the largest, most immediately striking complex on the site.
• Include Byrsa Hill and the Carthage National Museum on your route so you get both the ruins and the interpretive context; many visitors see only the baths and miss the museum's Punic and Roman collections.
• Combine Carthage with a short visit to nearby Sidi Bou Saïd (late afternoon light is particularly lovely) to avoid retracing travel and to experience the coastal setting that contextualizes the ruins.