Carthage

:This article is about the ancient city-state of Carthage in North Africa. For other uses of the word, see Carthage (disambiguation).

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Carthage (from the Phoenician Qart-Hadasht "New City" (written without vowels as QRT HDŠT), was an ancient city in North Africa located on the eastern side of Lake Tunis, across from the center of modern Tunis in Tunisia. It remains a popular tourist attraction.

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In approximately 814 BC, Carthage was founded by Phoenician settlers from the city of Tyre, bringing with them the city-god Melqart. Traditionally, the city was founded by Dido, and a number of foundation myths have survived through Greek and Roman literature. (See Byrsa for one example.)

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Carthage's early years were defined by a long rivalry between the landholding and maritime families. In general, due to the city's dependence on maritime trade, the maritime faction controlled the government, and during the 6th century BC, Carthage began to acquire dominance over the Western Mediterranean. Merchants and explorers established a vast network of trade, bringing wealth and power to the city-state. In the early 6th century BC, Hanno the Navigator is supposed to have sailed down the African coast, perhaps as far as Sierra Leone. Meanwhile, under a leader named Malchus, the city began a systematic conquest of both the African interior and the coastal lands.

Phoenician: Phoenician can mean:...

North Africa: North Africa is a region generally considered to include:...

Lake Tunis: REDirect Lake of Tunis...

Carthage related Images and Photos (experimental)

Votive Stela with an Elephant from Carthage 3rd-2nd Century BC

The Departure of Aeneas from Carthage