Carthage

Carthage is a major urban centre that haes existit for nearly 3,000 year on the Gulf o Tunis, developin frae a Phoenician colony o the 1st millennium BC which haes gien place tae the current suburb ootside Tunis, Tunisie, wi a population (2004 Census) o 20,715.

Carthage

Baths o Antoninus, Carthage
Shawn within Tunisia
Location	Tunisie
Region	Tunis Govrenorate
Coordinates	36.8528°N 10.3233°E / 36.8528; 10.3233
UNESCO Warld Heritage Steid
Teep	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iii, vi
Designatit	1979 (3rd session)
Reference no.	37
State Pairty	Tunisie
Region	Arab States

The first ceevilisation that developed athin the ceety's sphere o influence is referred tae as Punic (a form o the wird "Phoenician") or Carthaginian. The ceety o Carthage is locatit on the eastren side o Lake Tunis athort frae the centre o Tunis. Accordin tae Roman legend it wis foondit in 814 BC bi Phoenician colonists frae Tyre unner the leadership o Elissa (Queen Dido). It became a muckle an rich ceety an thus a major pouer in the Mediterranean. The resultin rivalry wi Syracuse an Rome wis accompanied bi several wars wi respective invasions o ilk ither's hameland. Hannibal's invasion o Italy in the Seicont Punic War culminatit in the Carthaginian victory at Cannae an led tae a serious threat tae the continuation o Roman rule ower Italy; housomeivver, Carthage emerged frae the conflict at its historical weakest efter Hannibal's defeat at the Battle o Zama in 202 BC. Efter the Third Punic War, the ceety wis destroyed bi the Romans in 146 BC. Housomeivver, the Romans refoondit Carthage, which became the Empire's third maist important ceety an the caipital o the short-lived Vandal kinrick. It remained ane o the maist important Roman ceeties till the Muslim conquest whan it wis destroyed a seicont time in AD 698.