Utica

Governorate: Bizerte

Situation and characteristics

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.