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Tunis

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: African Geography

   Tunis, capital of Tunisia.
   Enlarge
   Tunis, capital of Tunisia.
   Tunis - Ave. Habib Bourguiba as seen from Carlton Hotel
   Enlarge
   Tunis - Ave. Habib Bourguiba as seen from Carlton Hotel

   Tunis (Arabic: تونس, Tūnis) is the capital of the Tunisian Republic and
   also the Tunis Governorate, with a population of 699,700 in 2003.
   Informal estimates state that the population of greater Tunis
   approaches two million.

   Situated on a large Mediterranean gulf, (the Gulf of Tunis), behind the
   Lake of Tunis and the port of La Goulette (Halq al Wadi), the city
   extends along the coastal plain and the hills that surround it. At the
   centre of more modern development (colonial era and post) lies the old
   medina. Beyond this section lie the suburbs of Carthage, La Marsa, and
   Sidi Bou Said.

   The medina is found at the centre of the city: a dense agglomeration of
   alleys and covered passages, full of intense scents and colours,
   boisterous and active trade, a surfeit of goods on offer ranging from
   leather to plastic, tin to the finest filigree, tourist souvenirs to
   the works of tiny crafts-shops.

   Just through the Sea Gate (also known as the Bab el Bahr and the Porte
   de France), begins the modern city, or Ville Nouvelle, transversed by
   the grand Avenue Bourguiba (considered by many to be the Tunisian
   Champs-Élysées), where the colonial-era buildings provide a clear
   contrast to smaller older structures. As the capital city of the
   country Tunis is the centre of Tunisian commercial activity, as well as
   focus of political and administrative life in the country. The
   expansion of the Tunisian economy in the last decades is reflected in
   the booming development of the outer city where one can see clearly the
   social challenges brought about by rapid modernization in Tunisia.

Geography

   Tunis is located in north-eastern Tunisia on the Lake of Tunis, and is
   connected to the Mediterranean sea's Gulf of Tunis by a canal which
   terminates at the port of La Goulette / Halq al Wadi. The ancient city
   of Carthage is located just north of Tunis along the coast.

   Tunis is located at 36°50′N 10°9′E ( 36.8333° N 10.15° E).

History

Early history

   In the 2nd millennium BCE a town, originally named Tunes, was founded
   by Libyans and also over time occupied by Berbers and Numidians. In the
   9th century BCE, the city was taken over by Phoenicians from Carthage.
   The Berbers took control of Tunis in 395 BCE but it was soon lost when
   Agathocles invaded Africa and established his headquarters there. When
   Agathocles left Africa, the Carthaginians took control of the city once
   again.

   In 146 BCE, the Romans destroyed Tunis (along with Carthage). However,
   the city was subsequently rebuilt under the rule of Augustus and became
   an important town under Roman control and the centre of a booming
   agricultural industry.

Islamic Control

   It was not until the 7th century, after the final destruction of
   Carthage, that the city achieved its own importance under the control
   of Arab Muslims. It was at this time that the medina of Tunis was first
   built.

   From the 12th century to the 16th century, the old city was controlled
   by the Almohad and the Hafsids Berbers dynasties. During this time,
   Tunis was one of the richest and grandest cities in the Islamic world,
   with a population of about 100,000.

Ottoman rule and piracy

   The Ottoman Empire took nominal control of the city in 1534. However,
   the former Sultan, Mulai-Hassan, fled to the court of Charles V, Holy
   Roman Emperor. Charles, who suffered at the hands of the corsairs,
   agreed to reinstate Mulai-Hassan in exchange for an acceptance of
   Charles's suzerainty by Mulai-Hassan. A naval expedition led by Charles
   himself was dispatched in 1535. The city was quickly recaptured; the
   victory against the pirates is recorded in a tapestry at the Royal
   Palace of Madrid. The resulting protectorate lasted until the Ottomans
   retook Tunis in 1574. After 1591, the Ottoman appointed governors (
   Beys) were relatively independent and piracy and trade continued to
   flourish.

   In April 1655, English Admiral Robert Blake was sent to the
   Mediterranean to extract compensation from states that had been
   attacking English shipping. Only the Bey of Tunis refused to comply,
   with the result that Blake's 15 ships attacked the Bey's arsenal at
   Porto Farina (Ghar el Melh), destroying 9 Algerian ships and 2 shore
   batteries, the first time in naval warfare that shore batteries had
   been taken out without landing men ashore.

European colonialism

   St. Louis Cathedral on the Byrsa hill at Carthage
   Enlarge
   St. Louis Cathedral on the Byrsa hill at Carthage

   The French occupied the city from 1881 to 1956 having established a
   protectorate system of administration that recognized the nominal
   authority of local government. During World War II, Tunis was held by
   Axis forces from November 1942 to May 1943, and was their last base in
   Africa.

Modern history

   The Arab League was headquartered in Tunis from 1979 to 1990. The
   Palestinian Liberation Organization also had its headquarters in Tunis,
   from 1982 to 1993. In 1985, the PLO's headquarters was bombed by the
   Israeli Air Force, killing more than 61 people.

Landmarks

The medina

   The "Porte de France" or Sea Gate, Tunis
   Enlarge
   The "Porte de France" or Sea Gate, Tunis

   The medina of Tunis has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
   The medina contains some 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques,
   mausoleums, madrasas and fountains dating from the Almohad and the
   Hafsid periods. These ancient buildings include
     * the Great Mosque (including the Muslim University and library)
     * Aghlabid Ez-Zitouna Mosque ("Mosque of the Olive") built in 723 by
       Obeid Allah Ibn-al-Habhab to celebrate the new capital.
     * the Dar-al-Bey, or Bey's Palace, is comprised of architecture and
       decoration from many different styles and periods and is believed
       to stand on the remains of a Roman theatre as well as the tenth
       century palace of Ziadib-Allah II al Aghlab.

Other landmarks

     * The Bardo Museum was originally a 13th century Hafsid palace,
       located in the (then) suburbs of Tunis. It contains a major
       collection of Roman mosaics and other antiquities of interest from
       Ancient Greece, Tunisia, and from the Arab period.
     * The ruins of Carthage are nearby, along the coast to the northeast

Economy

   Products include textiles, carpets, and olive oil. Tourism is an
   important source of the city's income.

Transport

   Tunis is served by the Tunis-Carthage International Airport. The
   growing metropolitan area is served by an extensive network of public
   transportation including buses, an above-ground light rail system (le
   Metro), as well a regional train line (le TGM) that links the city
   centre to its closest northern suburbs. Multi-lane autoroutes surround
   the city and serve the increasing number of privately owned cars one
   encounters in Tunisia.

Twin Cities

     * Belgrade, Serbia
     * Cologne, Germany

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunis"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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