Tunisia – Sidi Daoud, Visit to Kerkouane

After the Roman Caves, our taxi guide started to take us back to the port. We asked him if he would take us to the Pre-Roman Ruins in Kerkouane. He said he could not and would drop us off in the village before the port and we could get another taxi to take us to Kerkouane. After dropping us off, Molly negotiated for 60 Denar with another taxi to take us to a ATM in Kabalia, then to the Pre-Roman ruins.

Behind trucks loaded with tomatoes going to a cannery

Cannery truck with tomatoes

Entrance to Kerkouane.

I will let Wikipedia explain Kerkouane to you:

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.

Bathtub in one of the structures. Very advanced water system throughout the ruins

According to my guidebook, many homes were single-story with steps leading to a rooftop terrace. On the floor of several houses, you could see an early form of mosaic known as opus signinum, in which fragments of white stone were inserted amongst the red paving. One house had a beautiful white Tanit (a god) symbol set into the floor.

More mosiacs

Well preserved “hip-bath”

Great example of their great use of stone

Fred, Paula, Kristine & Ken (photo courtesy of Molly!)

It was a very interesting visit to the ruins and we took some time to visit the museum there also. This taxi squeezed all 5 of us in his taxi even though, we assume, he was not supposed to do so. He did NOT want to miss out on our fares.

When we returned to the Port the “men” filled the boat with Diesel, one jerrycan at a time and we made chicken Quesadillas for dinner. We paid 60 Denar per night for our stay and left around 6:45AM to head to Sidi Bou Said Marina, Tunisia.