Carthaginian and Aghlabid eras Present-day Sfax was founded by the
Aghlabids in AD849 on the site of the town of
Taparura. The modern city has also grown to cover some other ancient settlements, most notably
Thenae in its southern suburb of
Thyna.
Almohad era By the end of the 10th century, Sfax had become an independent
city-state. The city was conquered by
Roger II of Sicily in 1148 and occupied until it was liberated in 1156 after a revolt and taken by the
Almohads, and was briefly occupied by European forces again, this time by the Spanish, in the 16th century, before falling into
Ottoman hands. Sfax became an integral base of the
Barbary piracy, prompting an unsuccessful invasion by
Venice in 1185.
Al-Idrisi, in the 12th century, described Sfax as: The city of Sfax is an ancient and thriving city with many markets and extensive buildings. It is surrounded by a stone wall with fortified iron-plated gates. Along its walls, there are well-constructed watchtowers for guarding. Its markets are lively, and its people drink from cisterns. Fine fruits of astonishing variety are brought to it from the city of
Gabès in sufficient quantities, making them abundant and inexpensive. A significant amount of fish is caught there, large in size and plentiful in number, mostly captured using enclosures set up in stagnant waters through various clever methods. Its main agricultural products are olives and olive oil, which are of a unique quality not found elsewhere. The city has a harbor in stagnant waters. In summary, it is one of the most distinguished cities, and its inhabitants possess pride and dignity. The great
King Roger conquered it in the year 543 AH [1148 CE]. It remains inhabited today, though not as prosperous in architecture, markets, and trade as it was in ancient times.
Hafsid era Abou Yahya Abou Bekr finally re-established
Hafsid unity and recaptured
Kerkennah from the Christians in 1335. The peace returned to the country was only disturbed by rare episodes, the most lasting of which began with the price of Sfax by the dissident brothers, Ahmed and Abdelmalèk ben Makki. Towards 1370, following the arrival of Caliph Abdul-Abbas, Sfax returned under the Hafsid era. After more than three centuries, which had seen the preponderance of the Hafsids, the conflict between the
Turks and the
Spaniards precipitated the fall of their dynasty. In 1534, the privateer Barberousse entered Tunis, proclaimed the decline of the Hafsids and effortlessly reunited the towns of the coast, among them the town of Sfax.
Husseinid era The founder of the new dynasty, Hussein, gave the country unquestionable economic prosperity. In Sfax, the mosque is enlarged, which regains its original extent; the new mihrâb is dated 1758, the work was completed in 1783. The ramparts were restored and two large reservoirs were built to supplement the Nasriah cisterns. In 1776, the southern suburb of the city, the Frankish quarter, was built, reserved for Jews and Christians, a major place of maritime trade, but which was also to serve as a buffer against sea attacks, which were still to be feared. The eventuality was not long in coming, the Venetians bombarding Sfax four times in the space of two years (1785–86). A large fort was built during the siege to flank Borj Ennar; it was demolished after the last war. Around 1830, the Frankish quarter was surrounded by a wall and in 1860 the city had a post office and telegraph. In 1876, the telegraph clerk made a plan of the city and told us about a signal tower built a century earlier and of which we have lost track. Sfax was bombarded, and on 16 July the city was taken by the French after hard fighting, with seven dead and 32 wounded for the French.
World War II During
World War II, the
Axis powers used the city as a major base until
British forces took it on 10 April 1943. After World War II, Tunisia was returned to France, but
gained independence in 1956. Colbert-Bougault.jpg|The French ironclad
Colbert which bombarded Sfax (1881) Bab Diwan old 01.gif|
Bab Diwan (1890) Colonel Bougrain, du 4e RST, et Léon Beaufils, contrôleur Civil, à Sfax, 1934.jpg|Colonel Bougrain and Léon Beaufils in Sfax (1934) The British Army in Tunisia 1943 NA1913.jpg|British Army in Tunisia (1943) Sfax. Les salines. On voit, sur les rails, des trains Decauville chargés d'acheminer le sel vers le port (CPA R. Marcelon n°9 - Coll. Ch. Attard).gif|Les Salines of Sfax (1910) German prisoners in Sfax POW camp 1946.jpg|German prisoners (1946) Bab Diwan old 03.jpg|Bab Diwan and Old view of Sfax (1954) Sfax, Tunisia After An Allied Bombing Raid, June 1943 TR1018.jpg|Street in Sfax after an Allied bombing raid in June 1943 Sfax, Tunisia After An Allied Bombing Raid, June 1943 TR1022.jpg|Train yard in Sfax after an Allied bombing raid in June 1943 Sfax, Tunisia After An Allied Bombing Raid, June 1943 TR1028.jpg|Warehouses near the port of Sfax after an Allied bombing raid in June 1943 == Geography ==