Last month I went on a bucketlist trip to the North African country of Tunisia. Being able to walk in the footsteps of the once mighty Carthaginians has been a long-held dream of mine so I was beyond excited to finally be able to go. The country was so much more than I had expected, full of amazing history, culture, and people. And lordy was the food incredible, too.
If Carthage sounds familiar, it’s probably because of its most famous general, Hannibal Barca. Yep, the guy who took elephants over the Alps when he went to fight against Rome. Spoiler alert: Despite having several massive victories due to the genius of Hannibal, Carthage eventually lost to Rome.
As a result of how completely Carthage fell to Rome, most of the ruins that are visible today date from the Roman period onward. Luckily there were a few Punic sites we managed to get to, including the site of the ancient Punic Harbor, a warrior tomb, and the remains of the holy site, the Tophet of Salammbo.
Punic Carthage
Roman Carthage
Are You Not Entertained?
The archaeological site of Carthage boasts two ancient amphitheatres, one of which is still used today for musical performances. You may also recognize one from the classic Monty Python comedy, The Life of Brian.
It has been a month since I was in Tunisia, but despite getting quite ill during my stay it was handsdown the trip of a lifetime. If you ever get the chance to go, do it! Even if climbing around archaeological ruins aren’t your thing, there is enough culture and scenery for everyone to have a good time. The beaches there are stunning and of all the places I’ve visited, the hospitality of the Tunisians cannot be beat. I’m already counting down the days till I can go back!
Have you been to Tunisia? Let me know in the comments!
A Little Nerd Told Me 