Carthage to the Sands of the Sahara

Arrive into Tunis and meet your expert Guide Lecturer and fellow travellers at your hotel.

Meals: Dinner

‘Delenda est Carthago’ cried Cato the Elder to the assembled Senate of Rome – Carthage must be destroyed! And destroyed it was after a succession of wars between the two superpowers of the ancient world – Carthage and Rome. Today we explore what remains of that once great Phoenician city, its scanty remains now lying scattered amongst the bougainvillea-strewn villas in the wealthy suburbs of Tunis. We start at the Byrsa Hill site, where Dido is said to have first founded her city. A good section of late Punic housing can be seen here before we continue to the site of the Tophet, where the cremated remains of thousands of children were found. Later, we visit the Cothon, the Punic harbour comprised of two basins connected by a channel; one for merchant shipping, the other circular and military in nature, and the impressive Antonine Baths, unique in their design and construction so close to the sea. Finally, we the end day at the amphitheatre, once one of the largest in the Roman world.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, we start early and travel northwest to Dougga, stopping en route to admire the small town of Testour, established in the 17th century by Jewish and Muslim communities who came here from Andalucía to escape the Spanish Inquisition. The town is characterised by its unique blend of Spanish and local influences. Continuing west, we arrive at the Hotel Thugga in time for an early lunch. The afternoon is spent at the magnificent site of Dougga, perched high on the hill above fertile olive groves and one of the oldest towns in Tunisia. Beginning life as a Numidian walled citadel and later built over by the Romans, its native ancestry and hillside location resulted in a winding street plan, rather than a typical Roman grid.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We drive west this morning through the hills and some of the most beautiful countryside in Tunisia to Chemtou. Here we see the quarries which were worked extensively from the 2nd century BCE to the 6th century AD. They produced the famous Numidian or North African marble – now known as giallo antico. The stone was so important that its extraction was an imperial monopoly. Later, we continue to nearby Bulla Regia, where we have lunch at the small site café before exploring this extraordinary site, which contains complete, superbly preserved, subterranean Roman houses, including the House of the Hunt and the House of Amphritrite. Most of the mosaics remain in situ and therefore can be viewed in their original context. In antiquity, the city acquired a notorious reputation and in the 4th century St Augustine preached a famous sermon here, berating the citizens for their loose and immoral ways.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We start our journey south to Kairouan today, stopping on the way to explore Makhtar. This Numidian settlement was used as a base by Scipio Africanus in 202 BCE before one of history’s famous clashes between two skilled commanders (Scipio and Hannibal) at the Battle of Zama. The city became a haven for Carthaginian refugees during the Third Punic War and retained a strong Punic flavour well after its incorporation into the Roman Province of Africa Nova. We explore its Roman remains and small museum before continuing to Kairouan.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We stay local today to explore Kairouan, the fourth holiest city of Islam. Founded in 670, Kairouan became the Aghlabid capital and a centre of learning. It has never lost its ancient esteem, and it is still a place of pilgrimage. We start our day at the Aghlabid pools, reservoirs built on the outskirts of the city in the 9th century, which at one time were considered to be a great wonder, mentioned by Arab geographers for their grandeur. Afterwards, we visit the Barber Mosque, burial place of one of the prophet’s companions, Abu Zama El Belaoui. He always kept three hairs from the Prophet’s beard with him; one under his tongue, one on his right arm and one next to his heart. Most of the existing buildings are of 17th-19th centuries. Their elaborate style contrasts with the simplicity of the Great Mosque, which we visit next. This building is one of the major monuments of Islam and an architectural masterpiece. Hundreds of Roman and Byzantine pillars were used in its construction, including many from Carthage. In the afternoon, we explore the Medina, with its network of winding streets, shops and courtyard houses.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

An early departure this morning for our long drive south to Tozeur. Although most of the archaeological remains are situated in the fertile regions of the north, the Romans did not leave the south unexplored. There are records of military expeditions into the Sahara Desert and a series of fortlets, outposts and towers have been identified to form a frontier intended to control the transhumant movements and trade of desert tribes. We break our journey in Gafsa, a big oasis town and industrial centre for the phosphates collected from the Chotts of El Jarid.  It was once a Numidian town, later occupied by the Romans (ancient name Capsa) and guarded the whole of this region until the Arab troops of Okba-Ibn-Naffa seized it in 668. Here we see one of the remaining ‘Roman pools’, a deep open-air basin fed by hot water springs, and visit the small museum opposite.

In the afternoon, we take a walk through the old town of Tozeur, one of the largest date palm oases and the chief town of the Bled El Djerid. An important staging-post on the caravan route from the Sahara to the northern Mediterranean coast, the town is famous for its mud-brick architecture, patterned in a variety of geometric designs.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is free to enjoy as you wish, either by relaxing at the hotel or exploring further afield. You may like to walk in the date palmerie, take a trip to the rock formation of Ong Jemal, where Star Wars was filmed, or visit the oases of Chebika and Tamerza (pre bookable, payable locally).

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we make our way to Douz, crossing the vast salt flats known as the chotts. The largest, Chott el-Jerid, covers a surface area of 4,600 square kilometres and stretches unbroken across almost the entire distance from the Algerian border and the Gulf of Gabes. Although a layer of superficial water can occasionally be seen during winter, for most of the year the area is relentlessly desiccated by the sun, which leaves a residual film of salt. We also visit a section of the Limes Tripolitanus, the system of military outposts and fortifications at the southern frontier of the Roman Empire. Remains are few and far between, but it is possible to see part of the extraordinary defensive wall at Bir Oum Ali, stretching for over 600m.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

During our last day on the fringes of the Sahara, we explore some of the unusual architecture of the region. First we visit Tamezret, a traditional village of the indigenous Amazigh people, which follows a design plan in use since medieval times. Located high in the hills, the geology is not conducive to cave dwellings, so houses are constructed from stone and mud brick, which gives much of the town a honey-coloured glow. Later, we visit one of the troglodyte houses which are scattered in and around Matmata; these underground cave dwellings were created by one of the oldest identifiable Amazigh tribes in the south and were recorded by Herodotus in the 4th century BCE. The open courtyards in the centre of these troglodyte dwellings appear like craters in the landscape and the living quarters are cut around them into the rock. We also see a ksar, a form of fortified village which is common in southern Tunisia. These are composed of domed rooms, known as ghorfas, built one on top of each other to form a thick protective wall. These cells, with their vaulted rooms, were used as granaries, safely storing the year’s cereal crops away from pests. At the end of the day, we start our return journey north.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Continuing north, our first site visit of the day is to El Djem, where we explore the massive amphitheatre, the sixth largest in the world. It had three tiers of seats to accommodate 30,000 spectators, with further standing room. Afterwards, we visit the museum, which houses some of the most impressive mosaics in Tunisia and outside in the museum gardens, the foundations of some large Roman townhouses can be seen, some with mosaics still in situ. After lunch, we drive to Sousse, now a busy tourist destination but once an early trading-post on the route from Tyre to the West. It was the port used by Hannibal in his campaign against Scipio at the end of the Second Punic War and also by Caesar in 47 BCE. Sousse Museum is housed in part of the Kasbah, or high citadel, and the displays include an exceptionally fine series of mosaics. Many are arranged on the floors and walls of the patio, and in a group of rooms beyond the garden. We continue to the coast and our overnight hotel near Hammamet.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we travel along the beautiful coastline of the Cap Bon peninsula to Kerkouane, considered to be the best-preserved Punic town in Africa. It was discovered in 1952, and extensive excavations have revealed a semi-circular layout, enclosed by a low rampart. Domestic details include houses with built-in baths, benches and water channels. Also on view is a traditional depiction of the goddess Tanit, inlaid into a red floor in small white stones. After lunch, we continue to Nabeul to see its small museum before visiting the site of ancient Neapolis, a city founded by Greek immigrants in the 5th century BCE.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we travel south, stopping on our route to examine a section of the longest aqueducts built in the Roman Empire. Built between 120 and 131 AD, this extraordinary feat of engineering was undertaken at Emperor Hadrian’s behest. The aqueduct carried 32 million litres of water per day from its source at Mount Zaghouan to Carthage. A short drive takes us to Oudna and the site of ancient Uthina, a colonia established by Emperor Augustus for retired soldiers of the Third Legion. The remains of substantial public buildings (capitol, amphitheatre and roman baths) and wealthy houses with mosaics provide material evidence for this high-status settlement. We continue to Thuburbo Majus, originally a Numidian settlement in the midst of rich farming country. Like Oudna, the town became one of the colonies of veterans until it was sacked by Vandals and abandoned in Byzantine times.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We have come full circle and saved the best for last. This morning, we visit the world-famous Bardo Museum which ranks alongside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo as one of the two great museums in North Africa. The Bardo Palace, which was the official residence of the Beys until 1957, had a collection of antiquities established in its harem quarters as early as 1882. The exhibits grew in number and the museum completed a £7.5m renovation project in 2012, which doubled the floor space by adding a modern wing. In the afternoon, we take a walk through the narrow streets of the 9th-century medina, a UNESCO World Heritage site, before returning to our hotel for some free time.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart for the airport or continue your trip at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast