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- From its Phenician name " Outih " and
" Utica " form its Roman name , which was in the antiquity a port.
It was founded by Phenicians towards 1100 b J.-C. And it lies nowadays
in the western-north extemity of the gulf of "Tunis", approximately
about 32 km from "Tunis" and about 15 km from the sea due to the
retreat of the latter and the stranding creates by the alluvia carted
by " Mejerda ", Phenicians were marine people about this fact Utique
was maintaining a seaport. The " Phenicians " of " Utique " have
common points with the " Phenicians " who come from " Spain " and
of " Andalusia ".
- The name " Utique " is very evoked by the authors of antiquity,
it is synonymous with notoriety and great but also with bad luck fateful,
since the wonderful supremacy of its junior "Carthage" will impose to it
slightly in its history. Utique was the first capital of Roman province
in Africa, before being displaced with the advance of Carthage dice the
arrival of the empire. Utique is the oldest foundation "Phenician"
established in Tunisia before "Carthage". Simple damping at the beginning,
it rather quickly became a port of scale.
- Since the third Punic War,
Utique took party with Rome against Carthage;
because, the winner of the third Punic War made
of it the capital of his first African province.
Consequently, the city entered one era of prosperity
which will perdura until the stranding of its port in
IIIrd century. Deprived of its opening to the sea, it
declined little by little. Utique is a jewel of Tunisian
archaeology. In addition to a museum provided well into
object of the times phenician, carthaginoise and Roman, the
site countains several monuments such as thermal baths, villas
decorated with beautiful mosaics, a Christian basilica, hydraulic installations...
- Nowadays this site suffering by the insult of
the centuries can only show to the tourists
monumental ruins close to Dougga or Thuburo-Majus.
- In this city we can admire beauty of the art and old splendour
of this modern city now. The beautiful collections of antiquities
are in antiquarium of " Utique", evoking the marble statues of Hercules
and the gold ring of the punic god " Baal Hamon ".
- The visitor of ancient "Tunisia", and particulary "Roman", can
simply let himself allure by the charm or the size of the sites.
But if he wishes to acquire a more intimate knowledge of this
"Africa" which was one of the headlights of the Mediterranean , it has now
all assets in hands.
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