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Tunis, Tunisia

Tunis is the largest city and the capital of Tunisia. It is known in Arabic as Tunis, and it is located on the north African Mediterranean coast.

Tunis has had a long history - it was founded by Libyans, and was later destroyed along with Carthage in 146 BC during the Third Punic War. After that, it came under the control of the Romans, followed by the Aghlabids under whom the city flourished tremendously. Afterwards, it again came under Roman control, followed by Turks, Spanish, and back to the Turks. During the later colonial times, it came under French, German and British control before achieving independence in 1956.

Tunis has a population of over 600,000 people and is the largest city in the country. The economy is largely dependent on agriculture - olives, cereals are grown. Industries include olive oil, food processing, textiles, clothing, carpets, cement, chemical, metallurgical, electric, and railways.

A variety of historical and cultural structures and sites have survived the test of time from Tunis' long and eventful past. There are cultural centers, along with a theater that is used by international theater groups. The remains of Carthage also exist in the form of Roman baths, houses, cisterns, basilicas and old streets. The thermal baths are a particular attraction, as are the markets and the mosque of Az-Zaytunah, the oldest monument of the city. There are also a variety of excellent museums in the city that exhibit relics from the city's long history. Modern institutions include, among others, the University of Tunis.



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