Chief town of the governorate of Gabès
Situation and characteristics
Gabès (Arabic Kabis), the "gateway to the South", lies on the Gulf of Gabès, known in antiquity as Syrtis Minor. To the north are the fringes of the fertile Sahel, to the south lies the coastal zone known as the Littoral, merging
on the landward side into the semi-desertic Djeffara plain which extends to the Libyan frontier.
Gabès, an amalgamation of the two old villages of Djara to the north and Menzel to the south, is the chief town of a long coastal oasis in which there are nine other settlements. Within the oasis are more than half a million date palms and extensive plantations of fruit-trees (apricots, figs, olives, pomegranates). Its water comes from the oued which rises 10km/6mi away and from artesian wells.
The town's economy depends not only on agriculture and fisheries but also increasingly on the large industrial plants established in recent years round the New Harbor to the north of the town (phosphate works, oil refinery, cement factory). The principal exports from the Old Harbor are local agricultural products. Other important sources of income are the traditional crafts of carpet-making, basketwork and jewelry.
Thanks to the town's mild climate, even in winter, and to the attractions offered by the oasis and the magnificent sandy beaches there has been a considerable development of the tourist trade in recent years. There are musical and folk festivals in July and August, and the local holy man, Sidi Boulbaba, is commemorated at the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting.
History
The Phoenicians established a trading post on this site between the steppe country, the desert and the sea, with a source of fresh water nearby. Thanks to its situation at the intersection of the caravan routes from the Sahara and the coastal road to the north the settlement rapidly prospered. Under the Romans it became the Colonia Tacapae. Soon, however, its situation turned from an advantage into a disadvantage, when successive conquerors passed through the area on their way to North Africa. Peace returned only in the seventh century under Arab rule, when Sidi Boulbaba, Mohammed's barber, settled in the town.
During the Middle Ages Gabès enjoyed a second period of prosperity as a trading center for caravans from the interior of the continent. Under the French protectorate it was overshadowed by the more northerly towns of Sfax and Sousse.
In the Second World War Gabès, lying between the German and Allied fronts (the Mareth Line), suffered frequent bombing and heavy destruction. Its economy recovered with the development of industrialization, and Gabès is now the leading industrial center in southern Tunisia.
Access
Gabès is on GP 1 (Sfax-Médenine), 405km/252mi south of Tunis. Rail connections with Sfax, Sousse and Tunis; station in Rue Mongi Slim. Bus services to and from Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Kairouan, Médenine/Foum Tataouine, Gafsa, Tozeur, Kebili/Douz, Matmata, Djorf/Djerba and Ben Gardane/Tripoli; bus station (Gare Routière) on the northwest side of the town (Sfax road).
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