Discover El-Kef

El-Kef is a town located in northwestern Tunisia, approximately 170km west of Tunis and some 35km from the Tunisian-Algerian border. It's situated at an elevation of 780 m on the slope of a hill.
El-Kef occupies the site of an old city founded in the fourth century BC, and became a Roman colony in the second century AD. However, this region has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and was mentioned in ancient historical accounts of the first Punic War (264-247BC) by writers including Pliny and Diodorus. They recount the Carthaginian army's request for support from the locals of El-Kef during the war, but were unable to pay their mercenaries after losing to Rome. The mercenaries eventually rose up against the Carthaginians, but were suppressed by the army led by Amilcar, the chief of the Carthaginian army and the father of the legendary Hannibal.

Kef Basilica

Sicca, the old name of El-Kef, was punished by Julius Caesar following the civil war in Rome (46BC), during which Sicca supported Pompey, the opponent of Caesar. Following his triumph, Caesar annexed the town, and it became a part of a province known as Africa Proconsularis. The town was subsequently renamed Sicca Veneria.
At the end of the seventh century, Arabs called the town Chakbanaria and in the seventeenth century it became El-Kef: the Rock.
The Deys, the monarchy of the Husseinite Beys, were in conflict with the regency of Alger and the French occupation, and El-Kef played an important role due to its position between the Tunisian hinterland and the Algerian border.
Despite its rich attractions, El-Kef is little-frequented by tourists and, like other towns and cities in the interior, has been somewhat neglected by the national government in recent decades. The main attraction of El-Kef is its medina. The old city is very rich in monuments from several eras.
The kasbah of El-Kef, the city's castle, has been witness to several conflicts that occurred between the Regency of Tunis and the Regency of Alger in the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries. The kasbah was built by Ottoman rulers in the seventeenth century and has been renovated more than once. The stones date back to Roman times and it is possible to observe Latin inscriptions in the blocks. Excavations have discovered a number of Turkish clay pipes made in Izmir.
The current design of the kasbah dates to the beginning of the nineteenth century and the current gate was built during the French occupation (1881-1956). The kasbah was used as a base for the French army during World War II.
The Sidi Boumakhlouf Zaouiya is a shrine built in the seventeenth century. It houses the tomb of Sidi Abdullah Boumakhlouf, the patron saint of the city. An octagonal minaret with glazed ceramic panels rises above the shrine's three domes, each of which have different dimensions.
El-Kef is also a symbol of the religious tolerance that has helped shape Tunisian society. The city's architecture bears witness to Jewish and Christian communities which lived in the city until recently.
The Dar Kouss church was built in the fifth century. At 30 meters in length and 14 meters in width, it is one of the biggest churches, built in the early-Christian era. The church was used by French settlers in the first half of the 20th century, although it is no longer in use as a place of worship.
The synagogue of El-Kef is known as the Ghriba "the mysterious." Although the actual age of the building is not known, the current design dates back to the seventeenth century. The Jewish community came to Tunisia in several waves from the Arab conquest in the seventh century until the arrival of the Moorish in the seventeenth century. As the community dwindled in the second half of the 20th century, the synagogue fell into ruin until it was fully restored in 1994. Nowadays one room of the building is open and contains photos and several items that belong to the Jewish community, including a torah parchment.
El-Kef is easily reached from Tunis by the A3 highway. It's surrounding countryside is rich in monuments and archaeological sites. A good time to visit is in summer during the festival of music and theatre that is organized in the kasbah.

Ghriba Synagogue

Escape the Heat: A Road Trip Along the Coast from Tunis to Madhia

Maybe you are fascinated with the richness of Tunisian culture or maybe just want to enjoy the sea breeze, relax on the beach and eat some good seafood. Why not take a road trip to escape the heat of Tunis and drive along the coast east of Tunisia from Tunis to Mahdia. It is a lot more cooler along the coastal seaboard. One of the best ways to undertake the trip is by a leisurely car drive and ideally it would be good to do the trip over a couple of days.

Tunis To Hammamet
Leave Tunis early in the morning and drive to Cap Bon, the coolest region in the north east of Tunisia. The drive should take about an hour. Cap Bon is situated on the peninsula that looks like a curved finger protruding into the sea. There are lots of attractions to discover along the way, starting with the thermal springs of Korbus and continuing on to Hammamet through Haouaria, Kerkouane and Kelibia.
Before you get to Korbus, the drive along the coastal road to Soliman is one of the most spectacular in all of Tunisia, offering breathtaking views across the bay of Tunis, back to the hills of Sidi Bou Said and Gammarth as well as the northern beaches of the capital.
The small village of Korbus is wedged between the hills and the sea. The hot water springs here are rich in minerals, making it a favored destination for Tunisians looking for relief from rheumatism. Many who visit insist that it helps cure rheumatic problems
Continuing north from Korbus, the road cuts inland, passing through gentle hills and farmland. At the northern tip of Cap Bon, Haouaria is a good place to stop for lunch. Restaurants specializing in fish are affordable and many offer amazing views of Zembra island as well as sea breezes. La Daurade is one of the most highly recommended restaurants at the water’s edge. In the restaurant staff and fisherman can demonstrate the traditional way of fishing under water.

Continuing to Kelibia, you may stop at the archeological site of Kerkouane. This UNESCO world heritage site is considered to be one of the best examples Punic culture. Unlike other cities such as Carthage, the ruins of Kerkouane have been left untouched since its destruction in 255 BC. The excavated foundations of houses and public baths can be seen and the city’s urban layout of streets, squares and temples is still clearly visible. The museum contains items discovered on the site that provide evidence of the daily life of its inhabitants.

The town of Kelibia, boasts the biggest fortress in Tunisia. The fort is at the top of a hill that resembles a shield. It is open for visitors and the fee is 5 dinars.

Haouaria, a good spot for lunch with an amazing sea view

Mansoura, two kilometers from Kelibia, has the reputation for being one of the best beaches in Cap Bon, with white sand and clean water. Those who like to swim in the surf might even encounter a wave or two.
All required facilities are available in Kelibia, and it offers a good place to stay overnight. Bungalows and hotels are available but reservations in summer should be made at least two days in advance.
If you need to push on, an hour down the road is Nabeul, a busy, diverse city that is also the administrative capital of Cap Bon. Nabeul is a good place to stop for a mint tea in the medina. It’s also well known as a center for pottery, although prices in the main tourist drag tend to be higher than in many parts of Tunis.
A little further down the road is the touristic resort of Hammamet which offers a multitude of accommodation opportunities and resorts. With lots of restaurants and night clubs scattered along the coast, this is a place where tourists and well-to-do Tunisians come to party, especially on the weekends. Carthage Land, a big theme park in Yasmine Hammamet, is open until 2am. Tickets for rides are on sale.
Hammamet to Sousse
Traveling from Hammamet to Sousse, means that you are moving from the largest touristic resort in Tunisia to the second largest. To improve the Tunisian economy, governments in the 1960s and 1970s decided to expand mass tourism and encouraged the building of new resorts. The port of Kantaoui is one example. Built in 1970s Kantaoui is a town built for tourism, around a large marina.
Although it lacks much of the charm of more established cities in the region, Kantaoui remains popular. The port is very active during summer, nights are exciting with sea breezes and the smell of the jasmine flowers sold by street vendors in traditional dress. Some restaurants have big screens in the public squares, especially during big sporting events such as the football World Cup and Euro Cup.
Nightclubs and discos are scattered throughout the resort, including Samara, Bora Bora and others. In summer Bora Bora usually broadcasts a live internet stream from nightclubs in Ibiza. At night, the mix of locals and tourists gives Kantaoui an impressively international feel.
South of Kantaoui, a vast row of resort complexes stretches along the sandy beach. At the other end lies Tunisia’s third largest city, Sousse. The first settlement here was established here by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC. The Punic and Roman civilizations may have come and gone, but modern-day Sousse still boasts a remarkable architectural heritage, based around the 7th century medina.
This coastal medina, with its narrow, winding streets, raised walls, mosques  and a fortress with a high tower ribat is also on the UNESCO world heritage register. At night all of these historical monuments are illuminated.
A new archeological museum has just opened in the kasbah on the western fringe of the medina. It offers visitors the chance to learn more about the evolution of the city and features some spectacular Roman and paleo-christian artifacts. The entrance fee for the museum is 5 dinars. It is open from 9am to 7pm in summer.
Sousse to Mahdia
From Sousse, take the A1 highway to El-Jem. In the morning the temperature is cool and the visit of its amphitheater is exciting. It’s the best preserved in the Mediterranean and the third largest after the Flavian Colosseum of Rome and the amphitheater of Capua in Italy. Nearby there is an excellent museum featuring Roman sculptures and mosaics as well as the reconstruction of a Roman villa.
40km away is Mahdia, the first Shiite capital in Islamic history and a walled port for Turkish pirates. The old medina is built on a 1.4km long isthmus and was believed to have been built to escape the Sunni hostility toward the Shiite rulers. The port was also used as a base for pirates who used to attack Spanish vessels. The main entry to the old town is a huge gate known as Bab Zouila. The port is situated on the edge of the isthmus. Its cemetery is among the unique coastal cemeteries in Tunisia. The coffee shops and restaurants inside the gates of the Medina are quite affordable.

A coffee shop in Mahdia

Mahdia is 200km from Tunis. On the way back to Tunis stop and visit Monastir, the hometown of Habib Bourguiba, the first Tunisian president. The house of his parents has been turned into a museum and his mausoleum is open for visitors. It is a domed building with two minarets raised at the main entrance. Also, the Ribat with its high tower has a beautiful view of  the town of Monastir and the sea beyond.
For scuba diving fans, you can contact the center of diving in the marina of Monastir. It’s an opportunity to discover the seabed of the Tunisian coasts. A sea cruise is also available to the beautiful islet of Kuriat.
For more information, Tunsia map and guide books, you may contact the  tourism office in Tunis downtown, it’s near the watch of Habib Bourguiba street or Tunis Barcelone train station.
The number for the Tourism Office downtown is (+216) 71341077

Tunisia: Cap Bon - Discovering Country's Ageless Seaside Heritage

Protruding like a curved finger into the sea, Cap Bon is one of the most idyllic regions in all of Tunisia.
The backbone of Cap Bon is the mountain of Sidi Abderrahmen, which marks the terminus of the Atlas Mountain range.

Nabeul Museum

Haouaria

Dar Sebastian

Kelibia Fort

Hammamet

Haouaria Caves

One of Tunisia's most fertile regions, Cap Bon receives more than 1000mm of precipitation annually. This part of Tunisia is famous for its citrus and tomato cultivation, more than 20% of which are exported to Europe and Asia.
Driving on the A1 highway, before reaching Hammamet, vineyards and wine factories can be seen. Grombalia and Bou Argoub are the main centers of Tunisian wine production.
Hammamet - its name means baths or springs - is one of the biggest touristic resorts in Tunisia. Surrounded by numerous springs - such as Sidi Jedidi Hammam, Hammam Laghzez, and many others - it was once a small fishing village.
However, in 1920 Georges Sebastian, a Romanian millionaire, built a magnificent villa - Dar Sebastian - above the beach, and made Hammamet a destination favored by artists and writers. It eventually became the rival of Sidi Bou Saidas an attraction to artists and the wealthy between the 1920â-'s and 1940â-'s. Following the wave of artists, numerous politicians came to Hammamet during World War II. Churchill is said to have wrote a substantial portion of his memoirs in this coastal city.
Today, Dar Sebastian is a cultural center used to host festivals and artistic exhibitions. The entrance fee is five dinars - or $3.50.
Continuing along the same road, leading to downtown Hammamet, a citadel can be seen. The fortress was constructed by the Arabs in the ninth century and subsequently renovated in the fifteenth century. Under Ottoman rule, it was renovated yet again to accommodate cannonsto defend the settlement. In 1881, the French began using the structure as a barracks.
The fort is also open to visitors for a fee of 5TDN and an additional 1TND for a camera ticket.
Nabeul, 17 km northeast from Hammamet, is the capital of Cap Bon and home to the most famous pottery factories in Tunisia. Downtown workshops are open for visitors, and workers often display their expertise in shaping the clay into vases. The weekly market opens on Friday, and many travel agencies organize half day tours to Nabeul or whole-day excursions around a number of locations in Cap Bon.

In spite of its small size, the archaeological museum of Nabeul is rich in antiquity, collected from the ruins of Neapolis - the site upon which the modern city of Nabeul was founded. The collection consists of mosaics depicting themes based on Greek and Roman mythology and statues exhumed from among the ruins.
Driving through Korba and Menzel Temim, Kelibia can be reached - one of the most beautiful sand beaches not only in Tunisia but in the southern basin of the Mediterranean Sea. This village - once known by the Greeks and Romans as Aspis and Clupea respectively (meaning shield in both languages) - derives its name from an impressive promontory shaped like a shield.
The fort of Kelibia, a massive building protected by thick walls, is the biggest in Tunisia, and built on a 150m high bluff overlooking the sea. Although most of the building dates back to the sixteenth century, some older Roman sections can still be seen. The entrance fee to the site is 5TND, and an extra 1TND for a camera ticket.
Cap Bon is also home to one of the most unique Punic sites on the Mediterranean sea - Kerkouane - which has been designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Kerkouane, was initially a Berber settlement influenced by the Punic and Mediterranean culture thanks to the trade networks established in the sixth century BC. However, the city was destroyed in the third century BC, and was never inhabited again.
Since its discovery in 1950â-'s, the evidence of Punic culture has become more and more clear. The site layout features luxurious houses, temples, and public squares. Kerkouane is an arbitrary name given by the archaeologists due to the absence of an inscription bearing the original name of the city. On the right of the site's main entrance a small museum houses pottery, jewelry, and other items that evoke the daily life of the town's former inhabitants. Managed by the Ministry of Culture, the entrance fee is 5TND, and an additional 1TND camera ticket.
Stopping for lunch in Haouaria is highly recommended for any traveler exploring Cap Bon. Many reasonably priced restaurants, typically specializing in fish, are situated along the edge of the hillsides. The village is famous for its caves, used as quarries for material to construct Roman Carthage. Blocks of stone were cut from the hill and shipped by vessels to the port of Carthage. Since 2006, the quarry has been closed to visitors, reducing the presence of tourists in the town.
Lunch in Haouaria also gives visitors the opportunity to admire the beauty of Tunisia's virgin shores. The island of Zembra - a national reserve for rare species of birds and aquatic fauna - can be viewed from land.
On the way back to Tunis, wind turbines can be seen before reaching a small tuna fishing village called Sidi Daoud. Here, a traditional method of tuna fishing is practiced known as the Matanza - or the slaughter. A net is place about 4km out to sea to catch the tuna as they migrate along their spawning route in May. Chambers formed by the net are used to catch the fish. When the chamber is filled, the tuna are forced to jump out of the water where they are met by knife wielding fisherman who have anticipated their arrival.
Driving to back Tunis, a beautiful thermal spring can be found, a favorite destination for Tunisians. The mineral springs are thought to be beneficial in the treatment of rheumatism.
Finally, the Moorish village of Soliman serves as suitable final destination for any Cap Bon tour. Founded in the seventeenth century, the town is famous for its two minarets, which can be seen from the main road. The octagonal minaret dates back to the site's former Ottoman community, which used to follow the Hanafite rite. The square minaret is used by the locals, who follow the Maleki rite.

For Fans of Birds (Bird Watching in Tunisia)

As warm weather returns to Tunisia, so do the birds: by the hundreds of thousands. Tunisia, along with Gibraltar and the Levant, is one of the major migration routes for birds flying from Europe to Africa in the fall and back in the spring.
Perhaps the most exciting time and place to see such migration is right now at the end of the Cap Bon peninsula, in northeast Tunisia. It is the last jumping-off point for birds before flying to Europe by crossing the Mediterranean. During April and May, visitors are treated to the rare sight of migrant eagles who cross through the peninsula over the verdant hills of Haouaria and Ras ed-Drak. Besides the eagles, birdwatchers can recognize the Spotless Starling and Moussier Redstart.

Haouaria Cap Bon Tunisia

A summer festival dedicated to the Sparrowhawk in Haouaria has been organized since 1967. The main show is hunting displays by the hawks, who are caught in March and trained for the performances.
All told, there are around 400 species in Tunisia, including sedentary birds that are native to the country and migratory birds that pass through.
This unique diversity of bird life brings bird lovers from the UK, the USA, and Canada in winter, spring, and autumn. Habib Ghazouani, the head ranger at Ichkeul National Park, a major site for such bird watching, estimated that between 50,000 and 60,000 visitors representing 20 nationalities visit the park every year.

Sparrowhaw (Alsef) of Haouaria

The park, which affords visitors the sight of Purple Gallinule, Coots, and even Pink Flamingos, provides telescopes for curious naturalists. An eco-museum has been created to show the diversity of the site in fauna and flora. The park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
An other exciting place for bird-watching in Tunis is the island of Chikly in the Lake of Tunis. This island can be seen from the TGM commuter rail or the road that links Tunis to La Goulette. It hosts a Spanish fort built in the 16th century, and provides an opportunity to see some species that come for wintering or nesting like the Black-Necked Grebe and the Eurasian Spoonbill.
Ornithology as a part of eco-tourism contributes in the development of the Tunisian interior regions as many of the country’s parks, lakes, and hills are located in the interior. An average one-person trip to one of the national wonders of Tunisia’s interior costs around 120€ per day. This kind of tourism also doesn’t require large, luxurious hotels with big swimming pools; visitors can connect with local culture by arranging for a local family to host them.

Eurasian Spoonbill

Tarek Nefzi, one of the few guides in Tunisia specializing in eco-tourism and environmental education, said that the main reason this kind of tourism is not as popular as it could be is the absence of good advertising. He also reported that the proper education at the Tunisian schools of tourism is not available.

Rome Never Dies; From Thysdrus To El jem

In the small village of El jem, which has only 18,000 inhabitants, a monument stands to recall its old glory when it was the Roman town of Thysdrus.
With more than 500,000 tourists per year, the El jem amphitheater is one of the most visited monuments in Tunisia. It is sixty km from Sousse, another tourist town where more than two million people come to spend their holiday each year. Local travel agencies usually organize a half-day trip to El jem with reasonable prices.

Arena and cavea

The amphitheater was built at the end of the second century thanks to donations from the wealthy citizens of Thysdrus who wanted to show their loyalty to Roman culture. It is the third biggest Roman amphitheater, after the Colosseum of Rome and the amphitheater of Capua. It remains one of the most well-preserved and complete amphitheaters in the world.
The last to be built in the Roman empire, the El jem amphitheater benefited from the accumulated experience of Roman builders. Although it follows the model of Rome's Colosseum, it is elliptical in shape rather than circular, with 427 m on the outer circumference. It stands on flat ground with the support of a complex arch system that holds its three floors and 36m height. The seats can hold between 27,000 and 30,000 spectators, divided into three compartments and separated by balustrades, arranged according to social class. Notable guests used to sit in a sort of horizontal platform near the arena to be close to the action.
Under the arena is a gallery, the site of the amphitheater's bloody past. It contains more then ten rooms where prisoners and animals were kept. The amphitheater games were a part of the Thysdrus culture and a popular pastime. Venatio, or shows that pitted men against wild beasts, were popular in Thysdrus, as were the executions of criminals and prisoners of war.
Since the start of French occupation in 1881, excavations on the amphitheater have unearthed many mosaics that are now exhibited in a museum, some 600 meters from the amphitheater. These mosaics narrate the popularity of Venatio games that were substitutes for Roman Gladiator shows. The cult of the wine God Bacchus was also a common
event in the arena, and some specialists have said that the amphitheater games were dedicated to this God. The procession that preceded the shows were dedicated to him. The cult was largely among the slaves who used to fight for their freedom under the slogan "Bacchus Liber Pater" (Bacchus Father of the Free).
With the decline of Rome, games were stopped, and the huge amphitheater was then used as a citadel by the Berbers led by their queen "Al-kahina" ("the priestess") in the seventh century, when the Arab troups started to attack the actual Tunisian territory. The Arab historians described it as Lajem, a word derived from the Arab word "ajem" - the citadel - which turned into the current name "El Jem." In 1695, the tribes rose against the political taxation of the Tunis-based ruler Mohamed Bey. The tribes escaped and took refuge in the amphitheater. The solders used cannons and opened breaches. These breaches can also be seen.
Since 1985, the amphitheater has been resurrected thanks to the International Festival of Symphonic Music. Musicians from Tunisia and the rest of the world come and perform from mid-July until mid-August.

From Thugga to Dougga

Named as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, Dougga illustrates the synthesis of local and Mediterranean cultures that have left their mark on the ancient city throughout the ages.
Burial sites in the southern quarter of the site indicate that Dougga was founded during the Neolithic era (2000 BC).
The choice of the site was appropriate. It’s easily defensible against outside attack with its steep slopes and high cliffs as well as ideal for human settlement with fertile lands for agriculture and plenty of raw materials nearby for industry.
In the 4^th century BC, the Greeks of Sicily led by Agathocles decided to fight the Carthaginians in their own territory. The city of Toccai was taken by Greeks in the campaign according to historical records and has been identified by modern-day scholars as Thugga, the ancient name of Dougga,
In 202 BC, capitalizing upon the weakness of Carthage at the end of the Second Punic War, the Numidians took control of Thugga, which became the capital of their kingdom, according to some historians. The Numidian Kingdom extended from northwestern Tunisia across northern Algeria. Under the reign of Massinissa (202-148 BC) and his son Micipa, Thugga witnessed a golden age in which the arts flourished.
Furthermore, this period in Thugga’s history has provided a significant collection of epigraphic and archaeological insight to the way of life at that time. In fact, it has provided the most ancient Lybic inscriptions known to date.
The mausoleum of Dougga, in the southern edge of the site, is the only intact structure that displays official Numidian architecture

Royal Mausoleum

in the 2^nd century BC. It consists of a 21m tower topped by a pyramid and a lion and was dedicated to King Massinissa.
One century later, Thugga was conquered by the Romans, and the Roman province of “Africa Proconsularis” annexed the Numidian city. During Roman times, the city was composed of two districts – one for local inhabitants and another for Roman settlers. The Roman influence swiftly made an impact on the nature of the town, but the original layout inherited from the Numidian kingdom remained unchanged.
Local inhabitants assimilated Roman deities into their worship. For example, the Roman temples of Saturn and Caellestis were built over the ruins of previous temples to local deities – Baal and Tanit – respectively. Both of these Roman temples are found outside the cities’ walls while those of other major Roman deities are in the center of the city.
Monuments were erected as displays of Dougga’s loyalty to Rome, and the remnants of ancient Roman structures are testimony to the city’s golden age in the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries AD. Dougga’s theater, which is the best preserved in all of Tunisia, was built under the reign of the Antonian dynasty in the 2^nd century. The Capitol, or the Temple of Jupiter, occupied the center of the city as a sign of Roman unity. The worship of Jupiter was the official religion at the time, and it was incumbent upon any respectful citizen to make sacrifices there.

Dougga Capitol

The city was not lacking in public baths. The largest of Dougga’s baths unearthed so far are the Licinian baths, which were constructed in the 3^rd century thanks to the donations of rich Roman citizens.
Under the reign of the Severan emperors (193-235 AD) Thugga became a Municipium, a Roman city ruled by its own citizens, and even achieved the status of a colony in which all citizens were granted Roman citizenship.
When the Byzantines took over the administration of the city in the sixth century, they channeled enormous effort to fortify the city. Many stone blocks were removed from their original structures to be inserted in huge walls that would enclose the forum and the temple of Jupiter. Latin inscription can be found on these Byzantine walls.
Like the rest of the Roman cities in the province, Thugga declined with the arrival of the Arabs in the seventh century. Despite this decadence, it remained inhabited, and archaeologists have discovered ceramics and potteries from the 11^th century. A small mosque, built a few centuries ago, rests on the eastern side of a pagan temple.
An old tradition with pagan origins survived the arrival of Islam and continues to this day. It’s the Lalla Mokhola along the ruins of Dougga’s Ain el-Hammam cisterns. Curious visitors can discover whitewashed walls bearing handprints, henna, the remains of burnt out candles, and brownish traces of dried blood from a chicken sacrificed to Lalla Mokhola, the Mistress and patron saint of the inhabitants. Lalla Mokhola was a lady, who arrived to the city in time immemorial. When she wanted to depart, she was obliged to stay by Dougga’s residents due to the prodigious, mystical powers she possessed.
At the end of the spring, a Zarda- a celebration involving sacrifice – is organized. The inhabitants collect money to buy a white ox

A Local Paying Respects in the modern-day Shrine to Lalla Mokhola

and spend a night near the cisterns because they think that this woman comes out from the nearby spring and pours oil on the head of the ox. In the morning, the ox is sacrificed and the meat distributed to the families.
The procession of Lalla Mokhola is a legacy of the Roman cult to the water spring. A Roman aqueduct, built in 184 AD, brought its water supply to the city. This cult is even mentioned in Latin inscriptions found near the aqueduct.
In 1960, a new village was built to shelter the inhabitants, who used to live amidst the ruins of the ancient city. It’s located on the road that links Tunis to el-Kef (GP5) and known as New Dougga

The Catacombs of Sousse

From the first century AD, Christians were considered a threat to the unity of Rome and were oppressed and persecuted by Roman authorities for more than four hundred years across the empire. In fact, they were not even allowed to bury their dead in ordinary cemeteries. Thus, they resorted to “catacombs,” which were underground passageways for burial and religious purposes.
Africa, the early Roman name given to the province of modern-day Tunisia, was no exception. Christians here were oppressed and killed in several amphitheaters scattered throughout the ancient province.
The catacombs of Sousse, discovered by the French army in the 19th century, are the only in Tunisia that are open to visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of these underground vestiges of Christianity in ancient Tunisia. They are comprised of galleries stretching over five kilometers and contain at least 15,000 graves, dating back to the end of the first century AD. Either two or three levels of tombs are dug into the galleries’ walls as well as niches holding lamps to light the depths of the labyrinth.
One gallery, known as the catacombs of the Good Pastor, is the only section open to visitors and extends over 1.6 km. Its ancient walls house approximately 6,000 graves.
The burial practices employed in Sousse’s catacombs often involved dipping the corpse in calcium-rich lime and shrouding it with cloth. Once the body was interred, the grave was then covered over with tiles or marble slabs on which the names of the dead were frequently written. Some objects that were buried with the dead can be found in the museum of Sousse.

Catacombs of Sousee

Many sections of the catacombs have not been excavated due to urbanization encroaching on top of the archaeological site. Nejib Ben Lazreg, a Tunisian archaeologist, said that many Tunisians are not aware of the importance of the ruins. So far, only two hundred meters of the catacombs have been restored.
“The excavation of any site needs to be funded,” he said. Ben Lazreg pointed out that there are other catacombs in the coastal cities of Lamta and Salakta. Nevertheless, their excavations have been on hold since the end of the 1990s due to the lack of funding as well as the construction of new buildings above them.
The catacombs of Sousse are open to visitors at an entrance fee of 4 Tunisian dinars.