Major Roman ruins discovered underwater in Tunisia

Streets, monuments and about 100 fermentation tanks found in the Mediterranean, confirming a theory about Neapolis.

Roman ruins stretching over 20 hectares have been discovered off the coast of northeastern Tunisia, confirming "with certainty" a theory that the city of Neapolis was partly submerged by a tsunami in the 4th century AD.

"It's a major discovery," Mounir Fantar, the head of a Tunisian-Italian archaeological mission which made the find off the coast of Nabeul, told AFP news agency on Thursday.

He said that an underwater expedition had found streets, monuments and about 100 tanks used to produce garum, a fermented fish-based condiment that was a favourite of ancient Rome.

"This discovery has allowed us to establish with certainty that Neapolis was a major centre for the manufacture of garum and salt fish, probably the largest centre in the Roman world," said Fantar.

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"Probably the notables of Neapolis owed their fortune to garum."

Fantar's team started work in 2010 in search of the port of Neapolis but only made the breakthrough find of the ruins this summer thanks to favourable weather conditions.

The discovery also proved that Neapolis had been partly submerged by a tsunami on July 21 in 365 AD that badly damaged Alexandria in Egypt and the Greek island of Crete, as recorded by historian Ammien Marcellin.

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Source

AFP news agency

Major Roman ruins discovered underwater in Tunisia

Ribat of Monastir, Tunisia

Monastir was founded on the ruins of the Punic–Roman city of Ruspina. The city features a well-preserved ribat that was used to scan the sea for hostile ships and as a defence against the attacks of the Byzantine fleet. Several ulema came to stay in the ribat of this peaceful city for contemplation. The ribat was, in the 1970s, also one of the filming locations for both the miniseries Jesus of Nazareth and Monty Python's Life of Brian.

A ribat (Arabic: رباط‎‎; ribāṭ, hospice, hostel, base or retreat) is an Arabic term for a small fortification as built along a frontier during the first years of the Muslim conquest of North Africa to house military volunteers, called the murabitun. 

These fortifications later served to protect commercial routes, and as centers for isolated Muslim communities. Ribats were first seen in the 8th century. The word "ribat" in its abstract refers to voluntary defense of Islam which is why ribats were originally used to house those who fought to defend Islam in Jihad. They can also be referred to by other names such as khanqah, most commonly used in Iran, and tekke, most commonly used in Turkey.

Classically, ribat referred to the guard duty at a frontier outpost in order to defend dar al-Islam. The one who performs ribat is called murabit. Contemporary use of the term ribat is common among Islamic militant groups such as al-Qa'ida or Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The Ribat of Monastir

This is the oldest and most important defensive work to have been built along the North African coastline by the Arab conquerors in the early days of Islam.

Erected in 181 (796), the Monastir Ribat was enlarged on the north side in the Aghlabid period, and on the south side during the Fatimid era in 355 (966). After works carried out at the time of the Hafsids, indicated by a commemorative plaque dated 828 (1424), the fortress expanded to a surface area of 4,200 sq m. Many consolidations as well as several polygonal and circular towers were added between the 11th and 13th / 17th and 19th centuries in order to accommodate pieces of artillery.

The Monastir Ribat is a fortress flanked by circular and polygonal towers. The entrance porch is decorated with five flat niches framed by horseshoe arches. Over the niches there is a frieze of floral patterns, ornamentation typical of the Fatimo-Zirid style. A chicane door, over which is written a Hafsid inscription in the naskhi style, leads to a hallway giving access to the original ribat. The courtyard inside is flanked by porticoes, each leading into a cell. On the first floor is the prayer hall, which has two bays and seven naves. The central nave is wider than the others. This architectural layout, used for the first time in a prayer hall, was to become the norm in all the great Ifriqiyan mosques.

At the front of this area, on the first floor and on the south side, there is a room with seven naves and two bays, roofed with barrel vaults except for the central nave. The southern half of the central nave is covered by a flattened spherical dome with no pendentive. The indications are that this was a prayer hall whose mihrab was sealed off. Its architectural layout is reminiscent of the original ribat, which was situated exactly in line with this room. This building dates from AH 335 (AD 966) and was mentioned by the historian al-Bakri in the middle of the AH 5th century (AD 11th). Later it was used as a ribat for women.

Alteration works were carried out in AH 1115 (AD 1704) during which the ribat was given polygonal towers at the southeast and northwest corners and a circular tower at the northeast corner. These structures allowed adaptation to the military innovation of accommodating pieces of artillery. More towers, of which the bastions, were added during the works carried out by Husayn Bey between 1238 and AH 1250 (AD 1823–35). This explains the rather piecemeal aspect of the external walls, modifications to which extended from the AH 11th to the 13th centuries (AD 17th to 19th).

In the summer the Ribat houses various events that are part of the international festival of Monastir.

Source

"Réclamations, Suggestions." Nouvelair. Retrieved on 1 July 2010. "Nos Coordonnées Adresse : Zone Touristique Dkhila – 5065 – Monastir – Tunisie."

"Après le vol." Nouvelair. Retrieved on 1 July 2010.

Jacobs, Daniel and Peter Morris. The Rough Guide to Tunisia. Rough Guides, 2001. 215. Retrieved from Google Books on 1 July 2010. ISBN 1-85828-748-0, ISBN 978-1-85828-748-5.

"Portrait of Münster: Die Partnerstädte". Stadt Münster. Archived from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2013-08-07.

"Climate: Monastir – Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 21 July 2014.

"Monastir, Tunisia". Voodoo Skies. Retrieved 19 July 2014.

Ribat of Monastir, Tunisia

Amphitheatre of El Djem, Tunisia

El Djem ( Latin Thysdrus) is a town in Mahdia Governorate, Tunisia, population 48,611 (2014 census). It is home to some of the most impressive Roman remains in Africa, like the world-famous "Roman amphitheater of Thysdrus".

The Roman city of Thysdrus was built, like almost all Roman settlements in ancient Tunisia, on former Punic settlements. In a less arid climate than today's, Thysdrus, which became part of the Roman province of Byzacena, prospered especially in the 2nd century, when it became an important center of olive oil manufacturing for export. It was the seat of a Christian bishopric, which is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees.

By the early 3rd century AD, when the amphitheater was built, Thysdrus rivaled Hadrumetum (modern Sousse) as the second city of Roman North Africa, after Carthage. However, following the abortive revolt that began there in 238 AD, and Gordian I's suicide in his villa near Carthage, Roman troops loyal to the Emperor Maximinus Thrax destroyed the city.

The Amphitheatre of El Jem bears outstanding witness to Roman architecture, notably monuments built for spectator events, in Africa. Located in a plain in the centre of Tunisia, this amphitheatre is built entirely of stone blocks, with no foundations and free-standing.  In this respect it is modelled on the Coliseum of Rome without being an exact copy of the Flavian construction. Its size (big axis of 148 metres and small axis 122 metres) and its capacity (judged to be 35,000 spectators) make it without a doubt among the largest amphitheatres in the world. Its facade comprises three levels of arcades of Corinthian or composite style. Inside, the monument has conserved most of the supporting infrastructure for the tiered seating. The wall of the podium, the arena and the underground passages are practically intact. This architectural and artistic creation built around 238 AD, constitutes an important milestone in the comprehension of the history of Roman Africa. The Amphitheatre of El Jem also bears witness to the prosperity of the small city of Thysdrus (current El Jem) at the time of the Roman Empire.

The Amphitheatre of El Jem is protected by the Law 35-1994 concerning the protection of archaeological and historic heritage and of traditional arts, and by a Decree that limits the height of the buildings to 5 metres over an area of 300 metres from the centre of the amphitheatre. The Heritage Code provides for the right to examine all intervention around the monument (controlled zone) while the development plan of the town of El Jem defines specific areas around the monument, archaeological and controlled zones and vision cones to preserve the urban perspectives.

The management of this property is assured by a mixed unit for conservation, restoration and presentation of the Amphitheatre of El Jem; it is composed of the National Heritage Institute, responsible scientific and technical body, and the Agency for the Presentation of Heritage and Cultural Promotion, responsible for the commercial exploitation of cultural heritage and its presentation. The creation of a buffer zone to protect the property against continuing urban development that might have an impact on its setting, and the establishment of an appropriate regulation to preserve the authenticity of its surroundings, are being studied.

Source

Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 992

http://whc.unesco.org

https://en.wikipedia.org

Amphitheatre of El Djem, Tunisia