Ancient Punic and Roman ruins line the Mediterranean coast, including thermal baths, amphitheaters, and sacred sites dating to 814 BC. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979.
Carthage's ancient ruins stretch across 15 kilometers of Mediterranean coastline near Tunis. Walk through the enormous Antonine Baths where Romans once socialized, explore the circular military harbor that sheltered 220 warships, or climb Byrsa Hill for views across the Gulf of Tunis. In the Roman villas, you'll find intact floor mosaics and frescoed walls, while the massive water cisterns demonstrate the engineering skills of ancient builders. The archaeological park includes eight distinct sites, from a 5,000-seat theater to the remains of Punic shipyards.
Getting to Carthage
You can reach Carthage from Tunis via the TGM light rail line, which stops at six stations throughout the archaeological zone. The most convenient stations are Carthage-Dermech and Carthage-Hannibal, both within walking distance of major sites. A single ticket grants access to eight different archaeological areas, making it easy to explore multiple locations in one day.
Antonine Baths Complex
The Antonine Baths stretch along the coastline, with walls reaching several stories high. Built between 145 and 165 AD, these Roman baths included separate cold, warm, and hot bathing chambers. You can walk through the intact lower level to see the underground heating system and water pipes. The Mediterranean waves crash against the shore just meters from the bath complex, where Romans gathered daily for bathing and socializing.
Roman Theater and Residential Quarter
The Roman theater sits on a slope facing the Mediterranean, with seating for 5,000 people carved into the hillside. In the adjacent Park of Roman Villas, you'll find homes of wealthy Romans from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The Villa des Volières retains its original floor mosaics and painted walls. Behind the baths, a grid of streets and building foundations shows the layout of a typical Roman neighborhood.
Byrsa Hill and National Museum
The Carthage National Museum occupies the top of Byrsa Hill, the city's former acropolis. The museum displays artifacts found during local excavations: Punic pottery, Roman statues, and Byzantine mosaics. The 19th-century Acropolium (Saint Louis Cathedral) stands at the hill's peak. From here, you can see the ancient ports, residential areas, and the modern presidential palace below.
Ancient Ports and Maritime History
Two distinct harbors remain visible at the ancient ports: a rectangular commercial basin and a circular military harbor. The military port included docks for 220 ships and a central island for naval administration. While the water levels have changed, you can still walk the outline of these ports and see the channels that connected them to the Mediterranean. These harbors were central to Carthage's control of maritime trade routes.
