Gabès

Lore & Background

Gabès was a Carthaginian settlement called Tacapae before Roman control. It was ruined during the 7th-century Arab invasion but recovered by Sidi Boulbaba, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. Under the Ottomans it declined, but French rule from 1881 to 1955 brought infrastructure including a railway, road network, and port. During World War II, the city served as headquarters for Germany's Afrika Korps until retaken by British and French forces in 1943.

Reader's Guide

Gabès is significant as a historical crossroads, from Carthaginian and Roman times through Islamic conquest and Ottoman rule, to French colonization and World War II. Its economy today relies on fishing, agriculture, textiles, cement, brick manufacturing, and petrochemicals, making it one of the biggest industrial cities in Tunisia. The city also hosts the University of Gabès, which offers one of the best chemistry degrees in Africa. Environmental challenges include air pollution from factories, leading to protests in October 2025 after a gas leak. Gabès is also known for its traditional souqs, beach, and seaside oasis, and its oasis was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2008.

Did You Know?

• Gabès was a Carthaginian settlement known as Tacapae before Roman control.
• During World War II, Gabès served as the headquarters for Germany's Afrika Korps until retaken in 1943.
• In October 2025, thousands protested air pollution after a gas leak from a state-owned phosphate plant caused over 120 people to suffer suffocation.
• The Oasis of Gabès was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on May 28, 2008.