Kerkouane

Submitted by editor on Wed, 03/24/2010 - 20:53

Kerkouane

Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis *
House in Kerkouane.
Country Tunisia
Type Cultural
Criteria iii
Reference 332
Region ** Arab States
Inscription history
Inscription 1985 (9th Session)
Extensions 1986
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List
** Region as classified by UNESCO

Kerkouane (Arabic: كركوان‎; occasionally Kerkuane) is a Punic city in northeastern Tunisia, near Cape Bon. This Phoenician city was probably abandoned during the First Punic War (c. 250 B.C.), and as a result was not rebuilt by the Romans. It had existed for almost 400 years.

Excavations of the town have revealed ruins from the 4th and 3rd Centuries BC. Around the site where the layout is clearly visible, many houses still show their walls, and the coloured clay on the facades is often still visible. The houses were built to a standard plan, in accordance with a sophisticated notion of town planning.

A sanctuary has some columns preserved, and in a small atrium parts of mosaics are found. Curbstones, doorsteps, thresholds, and floors of simple mosaic layers are found all over the ruins. Still archaeologists work on the Kerkouane site, but it is believed that the best parts have already been discovered.

Kerkouane was one of the most important Punic cities, with Carthage, Hadrumetum (modern Sousse) and Utica.

Sights

UNESCO declared the Punic Town of Kerkouane and its Necropolis a World Heritage Site in 1985, citing among other things that the remains constitute the only example of a Phoenicio-Punic city to have survived.

Coordinates: 36°56′47″N 11°05′57″E / 36.94639°N 11.09917°E / 36.94639; 11.09917

World Heritage Sites in Tunisia

Amphitheatre of El Jem · Dougga/Thugga · Ichkeul National Park · Kairouan · Medina of Sousse · Medina of Tunis · Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis · Site of Carthage

 Tunisia
Phoenician cities and colonies

Algeria: Hippo Regius · Ikosium · Guelma · Tipaza · Cyprus: Kition · Israel: Acre · Arsuf · Caesarea · Italy: Karalis · Lilybaeum · Motya · Nora · Olbia · Panormus · Solki · Soluntum · Tharros · Lebanon: Amia  · Ampi  · Arqa  · Baalbek  · Berut · Botrys · Gebal  · Sarepta · Sur · Sydon · Tripolis · Libya: Leptis Magna · Oea · Sabratha · Malta: Gozo · Mauritania: Cerne · Morocco: Arambys · Caricus Murus · Lixus · Tingis · Portugal: Olissipona · Ossonoba · Spain: Abdera · Abyla · Akra Leuke · Gadir · Herna · Ibossim · Mahón · Malaca · Onoba · Qart Hadašt · Rusadir · Sexi · Syria: Amrit · Arwad · Safita · Ugarit · Tunisia: Carthage · Hadrumetum · Hippo Diarrhytos · Kerkouane · Leptis Parva · Thanae  · Thapsus · Utica · Turkey: Myriandrus · Phoenicus · Gibraltar
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