Old Tunis is really old

Tunis was established atop an old city in about 814 BC. According to legend, Dido found herself on the coasts of North Africa after a sequence of bad occurrences (widowhood, refugee status, near destitution), where she sought a Berber monarch for some land as a shelter. He gratefully consented to sell only what could be contained by an oxhide, believing he was receiving a considerably better bargain. Dido formed the remarkably huge circumference of Carthage by cutting the hide into small strips and resewing them. It went on to become one of the most powerful empires in the Mediterranean, a hub of trade and conquest reaching from Morocco to Italy.

Long and deadly conflicts with neighboring empires occurred, as did the rise of legendary General Hannibal and military tactics that included marching elephants over the Alps (though the Battle of Carthage resulted in a decisive Roman victory and the end of Carthage). The remains of Carthage, now a suburb of Tunis, may still be seen, and the empire's historic harbour is very well preserved. The Bardo Museum in the city center houses some of the most spectacular works of art from this time.