Utica Attractions
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Description
The ancient Punic and Roman port of Utica now lies 15km/9mi inland, near the mouth of the Oued Medjerda, Tunisia's largest perennial river. Most of the ancient town lies under a 5m/16ft deep layer of mud deposited by the river, the ancient name of which was Bagradas, and only a small part of the area has been excavated. It is, therefore, a less impressive site than Dougga, Sufetula, Bulla Regia or Maktar; but it is still well worth a visit by anyone with an interest in history or archeology.
History
Utica is thought to have been founded about 1100 B.C. by Phoenicians from Tyre - the earliest Phoenician trading post in North Africa. Now 15km/ 9mi from the sea, it originally lay directly on the coast and on a small offshore island, just north of the mouth of the Bagradas/Medjerda. The alluvial sands carried down by the river have moved its mouth steadily farther north- eastward.
Some 300 years later Carthage was founded, also by Phoenicians from Tyre. Until the fifth century B.C. Utica managed to preserve its independence, but thereafter fell increasingly under the influence of its powerful neighbor. During the Mercenary War of 240-237 B.C. Utica joined the rebellion against Carthage. In the Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.) it supported Carthage, but in 149 B.C., just before the outbreak of the Third Punic War, it again changed sides, and Scipio was able to use it as a base for his attack on Carthage.
After the destruction of Carthage Utica became capital of the Roman province of Africa, but during the reign of Augustus, in A.D. 14, it lost this role to Carthage, which had been re-founded by the Romans. During the civil war between Caesar and Pompey Utica was the headquarters of the Pompeians, commanded after Pompey's death by Cato the Younger. Foreseeing Caesar's victory, Cato committed suicide, and Utica was condemned to pay a large fine but was not destroyed.
Thereafter Utica developed into a flourishing commercial center, soon becoming the largest town in the province of Africa. Its heyday was in the second century A.D., when it was the scene of great building activity.
In the third century, however, the harbor began to silt up, and by the early medieval period it was completely buried under the deposits brought down by the Oued Medjerda. The town continued to exist during the period of Vandal rule, and from the third to the eighth century it was the see of a bishop. It was unable, however, to recover from the destruction wrought by the advancing Arabs, and thereafter for many centuries was used as a quarry of building stone.
Access
Utica lies 37km/23mi north of Tunis. It is reached by leaving the city on GP 3 and in 34km/21mi, at Zhana (Zama), turning right into a road which comes in 3km/2mi to the site (signposted). Some 29km/18mi from Tunis, to the right, is the seven-arched "Asses' Bridge" of Bey Hussein spanning the Oued Medjerda.
History
Utica is thought to have been founded about 1100 B.C. by Phoenicians from Tyre - the earliest Phoenician trading post in North Africa. Now 15km/ 9mi from the sea, it originally lay directly on the coast and on a small offshore island, just north of the mouth of the Bagradas/Medjerda. The alluvial sands carried down by the river have moved its mouth steadily farther north- eastward.
Some 300 years later Carthage was founded, also by Phoenicians from Tyre. Until the fifth century B.C. Utica managed to preserve its independence, but thereafter fell increasingly under the influence of its powerful neighbor. During the Mercenary War of 240-237 B.C. Utica joined the rebellion against Carthage. In the Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.) it supported Carthage, but in 149 B.C., just before the outbreak of the Third Punic War, it again changed sides, and Scipio was able to use it as a base for his attack on Carthage.
After the destruction of Carthage Utica became capital of the Roman province of Africa, but during the reign of Augustus, in A.D. 14, it lost this role to Carthage, which had been re-founded by the Romans. During the civil war between Caesar and Pompey Utica was the headquarters of the Pompeians, commanded after Pompey's death by Cato the Younger. Foreseeing Caesar's victory, Cato committed suicide, and Utica was condemned to pay a large fine but was not destroyed.
Thereafter Utica developed into a flourishing commercial center, soon becoming the largest town in the province of Africa. Its heyday was in the second century A.D., when it was the scene of great building activity.
In the third century, however, the harbor began to silt up, and by the early medieval period it was completely buried under the deposits brought down by the Oued Medjerda. The town continued to exist during the period of Vandal rule, and from the third to the eighth century it was the see of a bishop. It was unable, however, to recover from the destruction wrought by the advancing Arabs, and thereafter for many centuries was used as a quarry of building stone.
Access
Utica lies 37km/23mi north of Tunis. It is reached by leaving the city on GP 3 and in 34km/21mi, at Zhana (Zama), turning right into a road which comes in 3km/2mi to the site (signposted). Some 29km/18mi from Tunis, to the right, is the seven-arched "Asses' Bridge" of Bey Hussein spanning the Oued Medjerda.
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Excavations
The Utica excavation site shows much of the Roman town was built on Punic foundations. Large portions of the lower town lie below the water table.
House of the Figural Capitals
The House of the Figural Capitals (Maison des Chapiteaux Historiés) in Utica is laid out round a two-story colonnaded courtyard with richly decorated Corinthian capitals. The House of the Hunt (Maison de la Chasse) takes its name from a mosaic found in it.
Museum (closed)
On the left of the road to the site of Utica, 800m/880yds before the entrance, is a small site museum. The Phoenician, Carthaginian and Roman material displayed includes a wooden coffin of the Punic period, coins, lamps, pottery, jewelry, statuettes, vases, funerary stelae and a large mosaic of a marine scene.
Punic Cemetery
The Punic cemetery (sixth century B.C.) in Utica was partly covered by Roman buildings. From the higher Roman street level can be seen simple cavities hewn from the rock in which the dead were buried, a few sarcophagi hewn from single blocks of sandstone and tombs built up from bricks or stone. Grave goods found in the tombs can be seen in the museum.
The Site
At the entrance to the site of Utica are the foundations of Roman baths, which originally lay directly on the coast. There are only scanty remains of public buildings of the Roman period; they include two theaters, the forum and a temple on its northwest side. The excavated area includes a number of buildings, mainly dwelling-houses, contained within a large block (insula, "island"). Some of them contain mosaics which along with those displayed in the Bardo Museum in Tunis are among the oldest in Roman Africa. They are covered over for protection, but will be shown by the custodian of the site in consideration of a small gratuity.
