Long inhabited, the area of the modern Tunisian Sahel seems to have been a distinct region dominated by urban settlements on the sea since antiquity; this tradition predates the region's
conversion to Islam and Arabisation, but its continuity with region's Arab history is clear.
Phoenician settlement Most of the cities of the Sahel were founded by the
Phoenicians. Thus
Hadrumetum was founded at the beginning of the 9th century BC by
Tyre - even before
Carthage. It gained importance in the following centuries, becoming one of the main Phoenician ports in the
Western Mediterranean. The area was a key part of the Carthaginian empire, but after the
Second Punic War it came under increasing
Numidian influence. In 146 BC, after the
Third Punic War, it became part of the new
Roman province of
Africa.
Rome and Byzantium The Sahel was the location of one of the key battles of the
War between Pompey and Caesar.
Julius Caesar landed at
Ruspina on 28 December 47 BC, marched to
Thapsus and put it under siege at the end of February 46 BC. The
Battle of Thapsus took place on 6 April and was a massive victory for Caesar and the city surrendered to him shortly after. Then he proceeded to take control of northern Tunisia. Around 293 AD the Romans divided the province of Africa and the Sahel became its own province, named
Byzacena, which was among the provinces ceded to the
Vandals in 442. It was recaptured by the
Eastern Roman Empire in the
Vandalic War and then formed one of the seven provinces of the
Exarchate of Africa, which stretched west to the Atlantic.
Caliphates With the arrival of
Islam and the establishment of the capital of
Ifriqiya,
Kairouan, in the region, the Sahel's maritime ports became the key to its security. This explains the construction of several
ribats in the region, which served defensive, religious and
Maraboutic purposes. The most important ribats are those of
Monastir, built by governor Harthama ibn A'yun in 796, and of
Sousse, built by the
Aghlabid emirs.
African Emirates The city of Sousse received a shipyard which played an important role in the conquest of
Sicily, which was launched from it. The foundation of
Mahdia by the
Fatamids in 916 gave the Sahel a key political role which continued under the
Zirids. Kairouan lost some of its religious role to
Monastir, where figures including the Zirid princes and Imam Mezri were buried. Mahdia became the seat of a splendid court which drew poets from across the
Maghreb,
Al-Andalus and
Sicily. However, the invasion of
Banu Hilal plunged the region into chaos and Tunisia fractured into numerous
taifas; only the Sahel remained under Zirid control. Even Sousse broke away from their power, adopting a republican government. The invasion led to the further urbanisation of the region, with the establishment of many villages which still exist today. A little later the region suffered from
Norman attacks – Mahdia was taken in 1148 by troops of
Roger II of Sicily – until the arrival of the
Almohads in 1160. After this period the Sahel experienced a decline in importance following the transfer of the capital to
Tunis.
Beylik of Tunis In the 19th century, the Sahel was divided into two
qaidates, one based at Sousse and the other at Monastir, which occupied approximately the same area as the modern Tunisian
governorates of Monastir and Mahdia. They were alternatively called
awtan (plural of
watan, meaning "district"), individually
watan Susah and ''watan al'Munastir''. The two qaidates were awarded only to individuals close to the
beys. Often both positions were controlled by a single individual, as was the case with the
grand viziers Shakir al-Taba'a (1836) and
Mohammed Khaznadar (1851), who was also named "Mohammed governor of the Sahel" (''Mohammed 'amil as-Sahil''). The majority of the cities and villages of the Sahel revolted against the Bey in 1864. After this, the general
Ahmed Zarrouk imposed a heavy tribute (financed by the sail of goods and property) and confiscated large areas of olive plantation.
French protectorate After the establishment of a
French protectorate, the new power established the qaidate of
Jemmal (which took part of modern Monastir and Mahdia governorates) and centralised the region at Sousse which became the seat of civil government, contributing to the weakening of the other regional centres.
Modern Tunisia After independence, the government of
Neo Destour ended the Sahel's administrative union during the abolition of the qaidates and establishment of the modern system of governorates. The whole region was under the control of the governor of Sousse from 1956 to 1974, when the governorates of Monastir and Mahdia were created. == Cities ==