Carthage
The ruins of Carthage near the outskirts of the Tunisian capital, Tunis, symbolise what was a highly prosperous city in the Roman era. This settlement was once defended by 24,000 people and hundreds of elephants, although it was almost completely destroyed in the 2nd century BC, following an unsuccessful attempt to compete with Rome. However, the city was later rebuilt and contained a population of nearly 300,000 by the 2nd century AD, although it fell into ruins once again by the 7th century, when it was invaded by Arabs.
El Djem Amphitheatre
One of the largest and best-preserved amphitheatres from the entire former Roman empire, El Djem was built in the 3rd century AD but, following a major revolt, was bombarded by Roman soldiers and has remained a ruin ever since. The amphitheatre overlooked the city of Thysdrus, which was home to almost 50,000 people at its peak, but suffered devastation during the same attack that damaged Carthage in the 7th century.
Bardo Museum
The largest museum in Tunisia, the Bardo Museum in Tunis, contains numerous masterpieces from the ancient era. These include Roman mosaics, pottery, statues, Islamic paintings and various artefacts from the Ancient Greek era.
Great Mosque of Kairouan
Dating back to the 7th century, this tremendous mosque is more than 9,000 square metres in size and features many notable medieval artworks. It is one of the oldest mosques in the world and was one of the world’s premier centres of learning for around 200 years until the 11th century.