Tunis is the capital of Tunisia. Population 674,100 (1994).

Contents

1 Geography 2 History 3 Sights 4 Economy 5 Transportation 6 Miscellaneous topics 7 See also 8 External links

Geography

The city is located on the Lake of Tunis, and is connected to the Gulf of Tunis, an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, by a canal terminating at the port of Halq al Wadi.

History

The historical city of Carthage was located across from the center of modern Tunis.

Under the Almohads and the Hafsids, from the 12th to the 16th century, Tunis was considered one of the greatest and wealthiest cities in the Islamic world.

Tunis became the capital of Tunisia under the Hafsid dynasty, and was a leading center of trade with Europe. The Turks took the city in 1534. After 1591, the Turkish governors (Beys) were virtually independent, and the city prospered as a center of piracy and trade.

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.

The French occupied the city from 1881 to 1956. During World War II, Tunis was held by Axis forces from November, 1942, to May, 1943, and was their last base in Africa. The Arab League was headquartered in Tunis from 1979 to 1990.

Sights

• The ruins of Carthage are nearby, to the northeast
• The medina of Tunis is on the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1979
• Some 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains dating from the Almohads and the Hafsids periods

Economy

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

Transportation

Tunis is served by the Tunis-Carthage Airport.

Miscellaneous topics

Tunis is the site of the University of Tunis.

See also

• Barbary pirates

External links

• Wikitravel: Tunis (http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Tunis)

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