Carthage

According to tradition, the Phoenicians founded Carthage in 814 BC; it became the capital of a sea empire that rivalled Rome until it was destroyed in 146 BC, then the Romans rebuilt it as one of the great cities of their empire. The archaeological site has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979.

The remains are scattered among the streets of a modern suburb: the 2nd-century Antonine Baths on the shore, the circular Punic ports that sheltered Carthage's fleet, Byrsa Hill with the Carthage Museum and its view over the gulf, the Roman theatre and the Roman villas.

Carthage is minutes from Sidi Bou Said and about 15 km from central Tunis, so the two fit into one day. In summer we suggest the morning or late afternoon, with a guide who tells the city's story from Hannibal to the Romans.