Tunisia’s location in the heart of the Mediterranean has placed it in the crossroads of many of the words great Civilisations. Conquerors such as Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Turks, Spanish and French have all left their legacy in both art architecture and the rich fabric of Tunisian society. Tunisia is also the home of Hannibal and the location of the ancient city of Carthage that was the navel superpower of the day.
In this section we will bring you information on Tunisian History along with guides and listings for Museums and attractions that make Tunisia a fantastic place to visit.
Tunisia also has a rich Islamic heritage with many beautiful mosques and one of the holiest cities in Islam in Kairouan. However you will be able to see minarets and hear the call to prayer in any town and city in Tunisia.
If a more modern take on history is your thing, then you are assured to have a great time in the south of Tunisia exploring locations used in many films such as Star Wars and the English patient. You can even stay in a troglodyte cave for the night if you so wish.
Tunisian History By Makrem
First, I would like to explain and clarify a few things. Generally, in the academic world, we divide humanity’s past into two main periods: Prehistory and History. So what is the difference between these two periods and when did they occur? The difference between the two is the "Appearance of Writing"; in the Prehistory period humanity had not yet started writing but in the History period we start to see evidence of it. Currently, we think the Prehistory period started with the first known biped primates – the Australopithecus, who appeared approximately 6 million years BC – and ended around the 5th century BC. Or, more exactly, the History period started with Herodotus (Halicarnassus, 484 BC – Thourioi, 420 BC) as he was the first historian, that’s why we call him "The Father of History".
So from now on we have Prehistory and History. Within those two periods there are "sub-periods":
– The Prehistory period has 3 sub-periods: (click here for further info)
– The Paleolithic
– The Neolithic
– The age of iron
– The History period has 4 sub-periods:
– The Antiquity (From Herodotus till the fall of Rome on 476 AD)
– The Medieval period (From 476 AD till the fall of Constantinople on 1453) (click here for further info)
– The Modern Period (From 1453 till the French Revolution on 1789) (click here for further info)
– The Contemporary period (From 1789 till now) (click here for further info)
If we look at all those different periods of Prehistory and History we will see that Tunisia is always represented. Now we will visit all those periods starting with Prehistory.
