Gafsa

Gafsa (or Qafsah; Arabic: قفصة‎) is the main ceety o the Sooth wast o Tunisie. It is baith a historical oasis an the hame o the Phosphate minin industry o Tunisie.

Owerview

The ceety haes an estimatit population o 90,000. it is the ninet mucklest ceety in Tunisie. The governorate haes 340,000 indwallers (2005 estimate) an an aurie o 8,990 km². Its geografical coordinates are 34°25′N 8°47′E.

Historie

Historical steids findins in Gafsa suggest a thrivin ceevilization datin back tae mair nor 15,000 year.

Gafsa name comes frae its Roman Mesolithic historic name Capsa. Capsa wis foondit bi the Romans in the seicont century B.C. The Roman pools, still uised the day, in Gafsa are a testament tae its auld historie.

Oqba Ibn Nafi conquered Gafsa in 688, housamever he faced resistance frae the Berbers. Gafsa wis converted tae the Muslim an arabic cultur completely bi the Bani Hilal in 1050. Its indwallers the day are mainly frae the Hmamma tribes descedents o the Bani Hilal.

In the seicont warld war, Gafsa suffered hivy bombardment frae the German army an pairt o its Ksbah wis destroyed.

Phosphate mines war discovered sae early as 1886, an Gafsa the day is hame tae ane o the mucklest mines o phosphate in the warld.

Gafsa haes been a region wi an active poleetical vyce ootthroo its historie, an various events hae shaped its poleetical contreibutions the kintra across the various phases o modren Tunisia.

On Januar 27, 1980 a group o dissidents armed an trained bi Libie occupied the ceety tae contest the regime o Habib Bourguiba at the time. 48 fowk war killt in the battles.

In Januar 2008 Gafsa wis the epicentre o a popular spontaneous uprisin against the regime o preses Ben Ali. While the govrenment wis swift an brutal in attemptin tae suppress the uprisin, this movement is credited the day for bein the first seeds o the revolution that enabled the Tunisians tae remove Ben Ali frae pouer an ignited the Arab spring in the rest o North Africae an the Middle East an beyond.

Sports

El Kawafel Sportives de Gafsa (Arabic: القوافل الرياضية بقفصة‎ (EGSG) is the main fitbaa club o Gafsa.

Partner ceeties

• Naples, Italy
• Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Freemit Airtins

• Gafsa - The Historical Oasis Archived 2012-09-24 at the Wayback Machine