{"id":82723,"date":"2024-03-24T15:17:50","date_gmt":"2024-03-24T14:17:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.joshuamok.com\/mosaicnorthafrica\/?p=4502"},"modified":"2024-01-24T15:18:54","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T14:18:54","slug":"utica-tunisia-coastal-archaeological-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tunisiatours.org\/utica-tunisia-coastal-archaeological-site\/","title":{"rendered":"Utica in Tunisia \u2013 Archaeological Site and Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Utica, also known as Utique, is one of the oldest and well-known Phoenician settlements. The name Utica means \u201cold town<\/em>\u201d in the Punic language.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Today, it is an impressive archaeological site with ruins from the Punic, Roman, and Byzantine Empires. The Utica site is located about 30 kilometres northwest of Carthage in Tunis in the governorate of Bizerte, and it is the largest archeological site in the region. If you’re staying in Tunis, it makes a great day trip excursion to explore Utica which is one of the last remaining remnants of Tunisia’s past.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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A Brief History of Utica<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Utica was founded by the Phoenician sailors of Tar in 1101 B.C., and is known as one of the oldest cities of the western Mediterranean. The Mediterranean Sea actually reached to the city in ancient times, but the city is now located further inland due to many years of deforestation and agriculture upriver. This ancient city was strategically located in close proximity with other cities of historical importance, and it was one of the key trading posts between ancient cities of Tyre and Cadiz.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Utica often changed sides during the course of time. The city remained faithful allies to Carthage during the first Punic war (264-241 B.C.) and the second Punic war (218-202 B.C.). During the third Punic War (149-146 B.C.), Utica surrendered to the Romans and allied with the Romans against Carthage leading to its destruction in 146 B.C. As a token of their alliance, Roman granted them the status of a “free city” in 111 B.C. and the capital city of the newfound province of Africa.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Visit the Museum Before the Archaeological Site<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Like many archaeological sites in Tunisia, one single admission ticket grants you access to both the archaeological site as well as a museum showcasing numerous artifacts excavated from the site. One ticket costs 8 Tunisian Dinars. Tunisian residents and visitors from the Arab Maghreb can purchase a discounted ticket at 5 Tunisian Dinars. Some museums such as those in Sbeitla<\/strong> and Makthar<\/strong> are within walking distance from the archaeological site. Other museums such as those in Utica and El Jem<\/strong> are located some minutes away by vehicle from the actual archaeological site. When visiting Utica, we would highly recommend you visit the museum first to learn about the history of this ancient city before stepping foot to the city ruins to imagine it in its former glory.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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\"Entrance\r\n
Entrance to the Utica Museum<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\"Mosaic\r\n
Mosaic Flooring Outside the Utica Museum<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What to See at the Museum<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A tour of this ancient city cannot be complete without a visit to the National Museum that was established in 1990. The museum houses collections from Punic and Roman periods including:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n