Sbeitla Attractions
The little market town of Sbeitla lies in the zone of transition between the Dorsale and the central Tunisian steppe country. It is surrounded by irrigated agricultural land, and has a fruit- and olive-growing research station and a collection point for the esparto grass grown in the steppe country. The nearby site of Roman Sufetula ranks with Dougga, Bulla Regia and Maktar as one of the finest ancient sites in Tunisia.
History
Little is known about the early history of Sufetula. Only a small part of the site has been excavated, and the archeologists' work is hampered by the presence of Byzantine buildings overlying the earlier remains.
The town, situated near a river at the intersection of ancient roads, seems to have been founded by the Romans at the end of the first century A.D. Originally a municipium, it was later raised to the status of a colonia. Christianity came to the town in the third century, and a number of churches dating from this period have been found. The town survived the Vandal invasion unscathed, and it became a Byzantine stronghold against the Arab advance. Sufetula featured briefly on the world stage in 647, when the Byzantine governor, Exarch Gregorius, had himself proclaimed Emperor here in opposition to Constantine II. In the same year, however, he was killed in the first battle with the advancing Arabs.
The Arabs plundered the town but left it largely undamaged. It finally fell into Arab hands after the conquest of Carthage in 698, and its new rulers founded a new town, present-day Sbeitla, to the south of Sufetula, which was now abandoned. Thereafter its fine buildings gradually fell into ruin or were used as a quarry of building stone.
The existence of the site became known in Europe only in the 18th century, and the first excavations began in 1907. Only about a third of the town - which is estimated to have had a population of around 10,000 - has so far been excavated.
Access
Sbeitla lies near the junction of GP 3 (Kairouan-Kasserine) with GP 13 (Sfax-Kasserine), 40km/25mi northeast of Kasserine, 117km/73mi southwest of Kairouan and 165km/103mi northwest of Sfax. There are bus services from the town center to Maktar, Kairouan, Tunis, Kasserine, Gafsa and Tozeur.
History
Little is known about the early history of Sufetula. Only a small part of the site has been excavated, and the archeologists' work is hampered by the presence of Byzantine buildings overlying the earlier remains.
The town, situated near a river at the intersection of ancient roads, seems to have been founded by the Romans at the end of the first century A.D. Originally a municipium, it was later raised to the status of a colonia. Christianity came to the town in the third century, and a number of churches dating from this period have been found. The town survived the Vandal invasion unscathed, and it became a Byzantine stronghold against the Arab advance. Sufetula featured briefly on the world stage in 647, when the Byzantine governor, Exarch Gregorius, had himself proclaimed Emperor here in opposition to Constantine II. In the same year, however, he was killed in the first battle with the advancing Arabs.
The Arabs plundered the town but left it largely undamaged. It finally fell into Arab hands after the conquest of Carthage in 698, and its new rulers founded a new town, present-day Sbeitla, to the south of Sufetula, which was now abandoned. Thereafter its fine buildings gradually fell into ruin or were used as a quarry of building stone.
The existence of the site became known in Europe only in the 18th century, and the first excavations began in 1907. Only about a third of the town - which is estimated to have had a population of around 10,000 - has so far been excavated.
Access
Sbeitla lies near the junction of GP 3 (Kairouan-Kasserine) with GP 13 (Sfax-Kasserine), 40km/25mi northeast of Kasserine, 117km/73mi southwest of Kairouan and 165km/103mi northwest of Sfax. There are bus services from the town center to Maktar, Kairouan, Tunis, Kasserine, Gafsa and Tozeur.
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Excavations
The excavation site at Sbeitla is quite large and spread over an open plateau. Although many of the remains will require some imagination, the extraordinary Forum is well preserved.
Sbiba, Tunisia
(Near Sbeitla)
40km/25mi north of Sbeitla on the road to Le Kef (MC 71) is the village of Sbiba, with the remains of the Roman town of Sufes, including a nymphaeum, a basilica and the walls of a Byzantine fortress. Here again the remains are so scanty as to be of interest only to dedicated enthusiasts.
Sufetula - Chapel of Jucundus
On the left of the Church of Bellator in Sufetula is the Chapel of Jucundus, commemorating Bishop Jucundus, who represented Sufetula at the Council of Carthage and is thought to have been martyred during the period of Vandal rule.
Sufetula - Early Christian Sufetula (Church of Bellator)
Turning right (northeast) from the Forum in Sufetula, we follow a street which passes the foundations of a three-aisled church to the central feature of Early Christian Sufetula, the Church of Bellator. This was the city's first episcopal church, probably built in the fourth century on the site of an ancient temple but set at an angle to the Roman street grid. Originally a three-aisled basilica, it was later enlarged. In the apse (also a later addition) were found remains of an earlier mosaic.
Sufetula - Forum
The Forum in Sufetula is outstandingly well preserved, the finest of its kind in the whole of North Africa. Measuring 34.75m/114ft by 37.20m/122ft and paved with stone slabs, it is entered through the Arch of Antoninus Pius.
Sufetula - Museum
The little museum in Sufetula (opened 1988) displays in its three rooms a variety of finds from the site, including mosaics, pottery, coins and funerary stelae.
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