A major Mediterranean power and a rival to Rome, this ancient capital is one to behold.
Found in Africa, Carthage was founded in the 9th century B.C. on the Gulf of Tunis and once held the prestigious title of being one of the greatest capitals of the ancient world.
It was the capital of the Carthaginian Empire until it’s almighty demise and fall and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city did manage to recover thanks to the troops of Scipio Aemilianus in 146 BC, however it would never again be a Mediterranean superpower it once was.
The heartbeat of the Punic Empire in the first millennium BC, few cities have such a fascinating story as Carthage which today is known as Tunisia.
Carthage was a wealthy city that operated a commercial city-state with a cosmopolitan culture felt throughout.
The city was also the dominant power in the western Mediterranean and was an urban society run by aristocrats.
Those living in this ancient capital enjoyed immense wealth thanks to Carthage’s exploitation of the silver mines of North Africa and southern Spain.
According to UNESCO: “From the 6th century onwards, it developed into a great trading empire covering much of the Mediterranean and was home to a brilliant civilization.”
This economic glory and boom came to an abrupt end when Carthage picked a fight with Rome ultimately ending in its undoing.
Tensions between Carthage and Rome began brewing when both powers began expanding in the Mediterranean region resulting in big clashes over common interests including that of Sicily.
Carthage looked to conquer Sicily in order to solidify its dominance of western Mediterranean trade which Rome took as an act of threat impeding its own expansionist ambitions.
The conflict between these two cities resulted in the Punic Wars with Carthage falling to Rome and having this once great region being destroyed and burned to the ground by the Roman Republic in 146 BC.
The site was never forgotten, however, but it was eclipsed by its successor Tunis, located 10 miles to the west.
Today it is an extensive archaeological site, found on a hill dominating the Gulf of Tunis and the surrounding plain.
Most of the key structures, including the Baths of Antoninus, are part of the new city that Rome built on its conquered spoils.
Many archaeologists have studied the ancient city of Carthage including Danish archaeologist, Christian Tuxen Falbe who was the first to excavate this ancient land in 1830.
One review on TripAdvisor wrote of this ancient city: “We visited the Antonin baths and all I can say is wow. Coming from a western culture, the ability to walk inside, touch, and be amongst the ruins is something very rare.
“You truly get a sense of the grandeur and scale as you walk amongst these ancient sights.”
Another added: “Worth visiting as well as the rest of Roman Carthage, especially if you like ancient history.”