Maktar
Encyclopedia
Maktar or Makthar, is a town and Roman
site in Siliana Governorate
, Tunisia
, located at 35°51′38"N 9°12′21"E. It is 140 km southwest of Tunis
and 60 km southeast of El Kef
. The population in 2004 was 12,942.
The ancient town was founded by the Numidians
as a defense post against the Carthaginians
; it was settled by Punics
after the destruction of Carthage by the Romans in 146 BC. Under Roman
and Byzantine
control, it served as a defense against the Berbers
. In 46 BC, it obtained status as a free city and by 146 AD was established as a Roman colony, during which the town saw its greatest development. It was eventually destroyed by the Banu Hillal tribe in the 10th century.
The modern town, lying on a plateau
at 900 m above sea level, sits on the other side of a ravine
from the Roman remains and is known for its scenic views. The town has a continental climate
with cold winters and warm summers and occasional snowfall during the months of January and February.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
site in Siliana Governorate
Siliana Governorate
Siliana Governorate is one of the twenty-four governorates of Tunisia. It is situated in northern Tunisia. It covers an area of 4,631 km² and has a population of 234,000...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, located at 35°51′38"N 9°12′21"E. It is 140 km southwest of Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
and 60 km southeast of El Kef
El Kef
El Kef , also known as Le Kef, is a city in north western Tunisia and the capital of the Kef Governorate.Situated in the northwest of the country, to the west of Tunis and some east of the border between Algeria and Tunisia, El Kef has a population of . The old town is built on the cliff face...
. The population in 2004 was 12,942.
The ancient town was founded by the Numidians
Numidians
The Numidians were Berber tribes who lived in Numidia, in Algeria east of Constantine and in part of Tunisia. The Numidians were one of the earliest natives to trade with the settlers of Carthage. As Carthage grew, the relationship with the Numidians blossomed. Carthage's military used the Numidian...
as a defense post against the Carthaginians
Carthaginian Republic
Ancient Carthage was a civilization centered on the Phoenician city-state of Carthage, located in North Africa on the Gulf of Tunis, outside what is now Tunis, Tunisia. It was founded in 814 BC...
; it was settled by Punics
Punics
The Punics were a group of western Semitic-speaking peoples from Carthage in North Africa who traced their origins to a group of Phoenician and Cypriot settlers, but also to North African Berbers . Punics were probably a mix of Berbers and Phoenicians in terms of culture and ancestry...
after the destruction of Carthage by the Romans in 146 BC. Under Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
control, it served as a defense against the Berbers
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
. In 46 BC, it obtained status as a free city and by 146 AD was established as a Roman colony, during which the town saw its greatest development. It was eventually destroyed by the Banu Hillal tribe in the 10th century.
The modern town, lying on a plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
at 900 m above sea level, sits on the other side of a ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
from the Roman remains and is known for its scenic views. The town has a continental climate
Continental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
with cold winters and warm summers and occasional snowfall during the months of January and February.