Sfax ( ; , ) is a major port city in

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

, located southeast of

Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...

. The city, founded in AD849 on the ruins of Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 955,421 inhabitants in 2014), and a

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

port. Sfax has a population of 341,999 (census 2022). Its main industries include

phosphate Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus. In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthop ...

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

and nut processing, fishing (it is the largest fishing port in

) and

international trade International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (See: World economy.) In most countries, such trade represents a significan ...

. The city is the second-most populous in the country after the capital, Tunis.

History

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 A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world throughout history, including cities such as Rome, ...

. The city was conquered by

Roger II of Sicily Roger II or Roger the Great (, , Greek language, Greek: Ρογέριος; 22 December 1095 – 26 February 1154) was King of Kingdom of Sicily, Sicily and Kingdom of Africa, Africa, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his brother Simon, C ...

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 Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

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 148 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 Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance-speaking ethnic group native to the Iberian Peninsula, primarily associated with the modern nation-state of Spain. Genetically and ethnolinguistically, Spaniards belong to the broader Southern a ...

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.

French era

When the Bey of Tunis signed the Bardo Treaty, in 1881, making

a protectorate, an insurrection broke out in Sfax. Six ironclads were dispatched from

Toulon Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department. The Commune of Toulon h ...

('' Colbert'', ''Friedland'', ''Marengo'', ''Trident'', ''Revanche'', ''Surveillante'') to join the French Navy ships in Tunisian waters. In Sfax, three ironclads from the Division of the Levant were already present ( ''Alma'', ''Reine Blanche'', ''La Galissonnière''), together with four cannon boats. 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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the

Axis powers The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...

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

Climate

Sfax has a hot

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''BSh''). Owing to its sheltered location relative to Mediterranean Sea winter storms, Sfax receives half the rainfall of Tunis and less even than the major cities of Libya ( Tripoli and

Benghazi Benghazi () () is the List of cities in Libya, second-most-populous city in Libya as well as the largest city in Cyrenaica, with an estimated population of 859,000 in 2023. Located on the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, Ben ...

). Summers, like all of North Africa, are hot and almost rainless, whilst winters are very pleasant with usually only light rain.

Topography

The topography of the governorate of Sfax tilts regularly from the west to the coast and local presents small hills and mountain ranges in the form of elongated draâs. Sfax 10

Relief

Sfax is characterized by a monotonous, low and slightly uneven relief. The altitude y rarely exceed 250 m, especially in the center-west of the governorate (Draâ Lahirech, 269 m; Djebel Chebka, 255 m). Most of the study site extends over wide plains not exceeding the 150 m above sea level, including a low coastal strip about 15 km wide and having an average altitude of 20 m.

Hydrography

The monotonous character, low and not very rugged of the topography largely determined the characteristics hydrographic in the governorate of Sfax. Indeed, the rivers are numerous, shallow and rarely reaches the sea. The hills and small mountain ranges of the center-west present a hydrographic hairline dense and relatively deep compared to the coastal strip. Like a few exoreic rivers (wadi Agareb, wadi Laâchech, wadi El Maleh), most of the Wadis are endorheic, leading to closed depressions of the sebkhas and garâas type. Depending on their morpho-structural conditions, these closed depressions take the form of basins synclinal (Menzel Chaker and Hancha regions) or the form of sebkhas and garâas (Noual, Bou Jmal, Mchiguigue, Karafita... etc.).

Neighborhoods

Whether in the city center or between the radial roads, there are large, popular neighborhoods in Sfax, most of which are: * Hay El Rabdh * Hay El Habib * Hay El Bahri * Hay Bourguiba * Hay El Badrani * Hay Ennasr * Hay El Maez * Hay Thyna

Politics and administration

Mayor and municipality

Sadok Guermazi.jpg, Sadok Ghermazi Abdelmajid chaker2.JPG, Abdelmajid Chaker Mohamed Chaker.jpg, Mohamed Chaker Sfax Municipality 2018

The current mayor of the city is Mounir Elloumi (belonging to Ennahdha), elected in the 2018 Tunisian local elections

Administrative division

The Governorate of Sfax has 16 municipalities:

Demographics

In 2019, the population of Sfax has reached 1,013,021 inhabitants. The urban population represents 63.7% of the population. In 2014 the

Male Male (Planet symbols, symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or Egg cell, ovum, in the process of fertilisation. A male organism cannot sexual repro ...

s represent 50.2% of the population structure with a population of 140,752. As to the Females, they represent 49.1% with a population of 139,814.

Architecture and urbanism

Medina

The Medina represents one of the most important quarters of Sfax. it plays a touristic and historical role of the city. It was built by Aghlabid prince Abu Abbass Muhammad between 849 and 851. The medina is home to about 113,000 residents and is dominated by the Great Mosque of Sfax.

Walls and gates

Apart from Borj Ennar and three other towers that disappeared, the walls of the medina kept the same original architecture since 1306. These are 2,750 meters long and have 34 dungeons. Their height varies between seven and eleven meters. Originally, the medina had only two doors: Bab Jebli, also known as Bab Dhahraoui (northern door), and Bab Diwan or Bab Bahr (the sea door). Yet, in the 20th century and because of the economic development and the huge increase of the population, new doors had to be created to reduce the flow from these two main doors such as Bab El Ksar and Bab Jebli Jedid.

Kasbah

Like most of the other medinas of

, Sfax has its own kasbah. It is a desert fortress, located in the southwestern corner of the medina. It was used for different purposes throughout history, first, a control tower built by the

Aghlabids The Aghlabid dynasty () was an Arab dynasty centered in Ifriqiya (roughly present-day Tunisia) from 800 to 909 that conquered parts of Sicily, Southern Italy, and possibly Sardinia, nominally as vassals of the Abbasid Caliphate. The Aghlabids ...

on the coast, then the seat of the municipal government, and then the main army barracks. Its construction was preceded by the deployment of the wall and the medina quarter. Today it is served as a museum of traditional architecture.

Mausoleums and mosques

Also here are the Sidi Amar Kammoun Mausoleum, Sidi Ali Ennouri Mausoleum, Sidi Belhassen Karray Mausoleum, El Ajouzine Mosque, Bouchouaicha Mosque, Driba Mosque and Sidi Elyes Mosque.

City hall

The city hall of Sfax is in the center of the modern city and opens on Habib Bourguiba Street in parallel with the main entrance of the historic city. The Municipal Palace draws attention to the magnificence and beauty of its exterior architecture and its interior decorations and masterpieces. This unique landmark was designed by French architect Rafael Guy, who blended the Arab-Moriscan character with the European character The project of the construction of the Palace of the scourge began at the beginning of the twentieth century, where the municipality issued a tender for this purpose in the newspaper Adebash Svaxian on 30 June 1904 and began construction works in late 1905 and ended in 1906 In 1912, he began to expand gradually until around 1943 After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the town hall was completed in 1955. Sfax,façades de l’immeuble.jpg Sfaxcentre.jpg Hotel de ville de Sfax.jpg Town hall of Sfax.jpg Place de Magdebourg - Demi-Finale de CAN 2019 14.jpg

Cityscape

Culture

The city of Sfax includes an archaeological museum, located in the municipal building and is open during the hours of municipal services, which includes a collection of ancient archaeological discoveries in the city and in the close sites, including the ancient city Thanae (Thyna); its collections include pieces dating from prehistoric, Roman and Islamic. Sfax also contains a museum of arts and traditions located in the medina called Dar Jallouli.

Education

Sfax concentrates the main educational institutions of the south of the Sahel: The University of Sfax includes: * ENIS (École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Sfax) issued a number of well-known scientists and industrialists. * ESCS (École Supérieure de Commerce de Sfax) issued a number of managers, Economy and Management researchers and young entrepreneurs. * FLSHS (Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Sfax) issued a number of renowned poets and prose writers. * Sfax Faculty of Medicine (Faculté de Médecine de Sfax). * ISAAS (Institut Supérieur d'Administration des Affaires de Sfax) * FSEGS (Faculté des Sciences Économiques et de Gestion de Sfax). * FSS (Faculty of Science Sfax) . * ISIMS (Institut Supérieur d'Informatique et de Multimédia de Sfax). * FDS (Faculté de Droit de Sfax) * ISAMS (Institut Supérieur des Arts et Métiers de Sfax) * IHEC (Institut des Hautes Etudes Commerciales de Sfax) The North American Private University was founded in 2012 and brings together three institutes: * The International Institute of Technology (IIT) * The International School of Architecture (ISA, a department of IIT) * The International School of Business (ISB)

Theater

The city had a municipal theater between 1903 and 1942 built by the architect Raphaël Guy according to a neo-Moorish architecture, in line with the seat of the municipality and the Ramdanetru palace. It was bombarded during campaign of Tunisia which nevertheless targeted the commercial port much further south of the city and during which the Frankish quarter was completely razed.

Festival

The city of Sfax organizes the International Festival of Sfax, a summer event which welcomes artists from various countries.

Maison de France

The French Institute of Sfax, commonly Maison de France (French House), is a space of meeting, reflection, and creation open to all and also of expression, whose goal is to support and supervise the activities of the civil city and its artists. It was opened the 16 June 2006. It has more than 40,000 visitors per year, and more than 50 cultural events. There is also a library that makes more than 20,000 documents available to the public.

Economy

Sfax is the second-most important industrial city in Tunisia. Sfax's most important industries are leather, wool, olive and almond cultivation, and fishing. Sfax is known for many traditional crafts industries such as construction, traditional handicrafts, carpentry, blacksmithing, as well as handcrafting of gold and silver.

Sectors

Agriculture, especially olive cultivation, despite all these changes occupies an important place in the regional economy. Agricultural land occupies almost the entire area of the region (90%). The city produces on average 40% of the olive oil and 30% of the almonds of Tunisia, which makes it the first national producer. Another component of the Sfaxian economy is the exploitation of petroleum: the Miskar natural gas field covers a total area of 352 km2 and has a capacity of 22.7 billion m³. On there exploit 1.18 million tons per year.

Statistics

The working population is divided between three sectors: agriculture and fishing (25.3%), services (25.6%), and manufacturing industries (24.4%). Statistics of the Sfaxian economy by sectors and field:

Agriculture

* Cultivable land (S.A.U): 639,000 ha * Irrigated Areas: 12,300 ha * Forests and pastures: 118,000 ha

Fishing

* Coastal fishing: 6,500

tonnes The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton in the United States to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the s ...

* Trawl fishing: 13,000 tonnes * Tuna fishing: 2,700 tonnes * Fire fishing: 1,140 tonnes * Sponge and mussel peach: 417 tonnes

Energy

* Oil: 1,2 millions m3 * Gas: 1,7 milliards m3

Transport

Motorways

The A1 motorway connects Sfax with

and also with Gabès that was inaugurated in 2017. * Motorways: ** A1: (

, Gabès, Bouhajla, M'saken) * Projects: ** National roads: ( Kerkennah, Sidi Bouzid, Tataouine)

Railways

A narrow-gauge railway system of SNCFT offers passenger services to Tunis and delivers phosphates and iron ore for export.

Airports

Sfax is served by Sfax–Thyna International Airport and Syphax Airlines has regularly scheduled flights to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, Tripoli International Airport, and charter flights to Jeddah Airport for the

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

Media

Founded in 1961, Radio Sfax broadcasts 20 hours a day on MW 720 kHz/105.21 MHz. There is also: * Al Qalam TV * Diwan FM * ''Chams El-Janoub'', hebdomadaire arabophone * ''La Gazette du Sud'', mensuel francophone

Sport

Sfax has three sports clubs, for football, volleyball and basketball: CS Sfaxien, Sfax Railway Sport, Stade Sportif Sfaxien:

Notable people

* Ahmed Abbes, mathematician * Ali Abdi, professional footballer * Max Azria, fashion designer * Mamdouh Bahri, artist, composer, jazz guitarist, and teacher * Hédi Bouraoui, poet and writer * Nouri Bouzid, film director * Hamdi Braa, basketball player * Mohamed Charfi, academic, politician, jurist, and scholar * Eoin Colfer, Irish author; worked in Sfax in the 1990s and set several of his books there * Aymen Dahmen, professional footballer * Moncef Dhouib, director and screenwriter * Luciano Di Napoli (Sfax born), Italian pianist and conductor * Tom Dixon, industrial designer * Serge Dumont, business executive * Mohamed Fourati, surgeon * Mohamed Gouaida, footballer * Farhat Hached, trade union leader assassinated by the French government * Mohamed Jamoussi, artist, poet, composer, and famous singer * Claude Kayat, Franco-Swedish writer and dramatist * Mounir Laroussi, scientist, inventor * Christian Lauba, composer * Ali Maâloul, professional footballer * Abdessalem Mseddi, former Minister of Higher Education, linguist, and writer *

Georges Perec Georges Perec (; 7 March 1936 – 3 March 1982) was a French novelist, filmmaker, documentalist, and essayist. He was a member of the Oulipo group. His father died as a soldier early in the Second World War and his mother was killed in the Ho ...

, writer * Hatem Trabelsi, former football player * Saber Rebaï, Tunisian pan-Arab singer and composer * Majida Boulila, Militant * Mounir Lazzez, UFC Fighter

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Sfax is twinned with: *

Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...

, France *

Makhachkala Makhachkala, previously known as Petrovskoye (1844–1857) and Port-Petrovsk (1857–1921), or by the local Kumyk language, Kumyk name of Anji, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Dagestan, Russia. ...

, Russia * Marburg, Germany *

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...

, Senegal *

Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...

, Algeria * Safi, Morocco

Gallery

Avenue Habib Bourguiba Sfax 02.jpg Immeuble Frikha.JPG Vue du rue haffouz et jardin dakar sfax.jpg Hôtel de ville Sfax.JPG Place de l'église Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul de Sfax 03.jpg Bab diwan by night 3.jpg

Notes

References

External links

*
Histoiredesfax.com

CSS.org.tn
{{Authority control Cities in Tunisia Communes of Tunisia Mediterranean port cities and towns in Tunisia Populated places established in the 9th century Populated places in Sfax Governorate