Visiting Carthage – The Crown Jewel of the Phoenicians
Located just outside the modern city of Tunis, Carthage is one of the most important archaeological sites in North Africa. Once a powerful Phoenician port and later a major Roman city, Carthage was at the heart of Mediterranean trade, politics, and warfare for centuries. Today, its scattered ruins offer a chance to walk through thousands of years of layered history in a relaxed, coastal setting.
Today, the remains of the Antonine Baths offers one of the most striking and scenic glimpses into Roman Carthage, with panoramic views of the sea that make it a must-visit site. Only a few of the massive columns remain, but overall, one can imagine the sheer size of the baths. It was the largest outside of Rome, although earthquakes and vandals have taken away much of what’s left. The baths at its prime were symmetrical around a large swimming pool, and had wings going to cold and warm cleaning rooms. The building was domed and was at least 15m high as shown by the last remaining columns. There was even a sweating room to help provide for good hygiene. Under the rule of Antoninus Pius over approximately 20 years, it was a testament to the sheer wealth of the North Africa region during this time.
The baths are easily walkable and a 12 Dinar ticket gives you access to the other 8 listed sites in the Carthage complex. If you visit on the first Sunday of the month, then it is free to visitors. Depending on the way you travel, you may want to save at least a half to full day to visit everywhere. There’s the option to walk, although the distances are quite large, or you can take a tour bus, or hire a taxi/guide for the whole day. See below for the list of other nearby/related things to do around here.
While much of the site is in ruin, there are many highly preserved pieces that show the detail and intricacy of these ancient ruins.
Still, a lot must be left to the imagination. You can find videos on Youtube or elsewhere that show what it might have looked like at its peak.
While there are 8 sites that you can visit with your ticket, only a few may be worth visiting unless you’re a true historian. These would be the baths (pictured above), the Theatre, Park of the Roman Villas, the museum, and the Punic Ports.
At the Park of the Roman Villas, across the main road/past the railway bridge, you can find some beautiful mosaics from the ancient time (ignore my foot – didn’t mean to step on it).
From here you can get a beautiful view of the Mediterranean coast and some of the distant mountains at the edge of the peninsula that is closest to Sicily.
Within the Villa of the Aviary and Labryinth, you can find some well preserved statues, columns, mosaics, fountains and the life of Carthage’s upper class.
The colors and scenery up here are a must see.
As with many places in Tunisia, everywhere you point your camera, there’s a good view.
There’s not many of the houses left so you’ll have to walk far into the complex to see them.
And nearby, farther up the hill, there’s the Theatre, which is one of the best preserved sites here. Much of it is reconstructed so that there can be concerts here. Winston Churchill is photographed here on June 1st, 1943 with the Allied troops, and that would be closer to the original look of the place.
Because this was our first day and first Roman site of the trip, we were very much in awe. However, after visiting Sbeitla or El Jem, we mentioned that Carthage was less impressive, but it takes a different point of view to appreciate it. And also one may not even have the time or ability to travel down that far south to the better ruins with limited time or budget.
Afterwards we walked to the Punic Ports and to the Sanctuary of the Tophet. You may find the speculative history on these places quite interesting. Also the online videos of the Punic Ports are impressive too.
We had visited around early afternoon and ended close to closing time, and this was a good first day visit in Tunisia.
Location:
Carthage is about 20 minutes from central Tunis. This is a cheap taxi ride – about 17 dinar or $6 USD. You can catch a shared taxi – louage from one of the neighboring town.
You can combine this visit with a Sidi Bou Said, which is known for it’s white & blue painted houses and quaint alleyways.
You may also go to the Bardo Museum to have a completely full day of historical visits/information. This museum has many great mosaics, and artifacts from all the different cultures that have passed through Carthage.
Finally, you can go back to the Medina in the heart of Tunis. This is one of the biggest medinas in the world. Likely rivals the ones found in Istanbul. Here you can find many souvenirs and visit the famous Zitouna Mosque when its open to visitors.
The distances in Carthage between the main sites are large so it can be useful to hire a taxi or guide for the day/half-day. This is especially important during the summer with the heat.
More Posts Here:
Our Exact Trip and Itinerary: Two Weeks in Tunisia
Explore the whole country: Your Travel Guide to Tunisia
Explore the South of Tunisia: A Visit to the Sahara and Dahar region.