Antiquity The old part of Mahdia corresponds to the
Roman city called
Aphrodisium and, later, called
Africa (a name perhaps derived from the older name), or
Cape Africa. The
Catholic Church's list of
titular sees includes a no longer residential
bishopric called Africa and, since there is no record of an episcopal see in
Roman times called by either of these names (nor by that of Alipota, another Roman town that Charles Tissot suggested tentatively might be represented by present-day Mehdia), Salim Dev identified Mahdia instead with ancient
Ruspae or
Ruspe, which is more commonly taken to have been at Henchir Sbia (or just Sbia), north of Mahdia, or at the ruins known as Ksour Siad. The most illustrious bishop of this see was
Fulgentius of Ruspe. The Catholic Church's list of titular sees, which identifies the see of Africa as Mahdia, identifies Ruspe/Ruspae as Henchir Sbia. The
Mahdia shipwreck – a sunken ship found off Mahdia's shore, containing Greek art treasures – is dated to about 80 BC, the early part of Roman rule in this region.
Islamic era Muslim Mahdia was founded by the
Fatimids under the
Caliph Abdallah al-Mahdi and made the capital of
Ifriqiya. As the then-newly-created Fatimid Caliphate was a
Shi'a regime supported by a
Berber Kutama military, the caliph may have been motivated to move his capital here so as to put some distance between his power base and the predominantly
Sunni city of
Kairouan (the traditional capital of Ifriqiya up to that point). Construction began in 916 and the new city was officially inaugurated on 20 February 921, although some construction continued afterward. Their rule was brought to an end by the
Norman conquest of the city in 1148. In 1160 the city came under
Almohad rule.
al-Bakri, in the 11th century, wrote about the city:"The city of Mahdia is named after
Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi, who built it, as mentioned in historical records. It is sixty miles from
Kairouan. The sea surrounds it on three sides, and it can only be entered from the western side. It has a large suburb known as Zwaila, where markets, public baths, and the homes of its inhabitants are located.
Al-Mu‘izz ibn Badis built a wall around this suburb. The city itself is about two miles long, with its width varying—it is never as wide as its full length. All its buildings are made of stone. The city has iron gates with no wood in them, each gate weighing a thousand quintals. Each gate is thirty spans long, with each nail in them weighing six pounds. The gates are decorated with depictions of animals. [..] Mahdia serves as a harbor for ships from Alexandria, the Levant, Sicily, al-Andalus, and other places. Its port is carved into solid rock and can accommodate thirty ships." The role of the capital was taken over by
Tunis in the 12th century during the Almohad era, which it remained during the
Hafsid Dynasty. Later the city was subject to many raids. In 1390 it was the target of the
Barbary Crusade, when a French army laid siege to the city but failed to take it. The city was
captured by the Spaniards in 1550. A Spanish garrison remained there until 1553.
Charles V then offered the charge of the town to the
Order of Saint John who
ruled Malta but they refused it deeming it too expensive. The emperor ordered the Viceroy of Sicily,
Juan de Vega, to dismantle Mahdia despite it being a strategically important stronghold. The demolition tasks were carried out by Hernando de Acuña. Shortly after Mahdia was reoccupied by the Ottomans, but only to live by fishing and oil-works, and the town lost its logistic and commercial importance. It remained under Turkish rule until the
19th century. During the
Nazi Occupation of Tunisia in
World War II, Mahdia was the site where
Khaled Abdelwahhab hid approximately two dozen persecuted
Jews. == Transport ==