Gafsa

History

Capsa , the ancient name of the town of Gafsa, gave its name to the epipaleolithic culture capsienne. bones and traces of human activity going back to more than 15.000 years were discovered in this area. In addition to the manufacture of tools in stone and Flint, Capsiens produced, starting from bones, various tools of which needles for to sew Vêtement S starting from Peau X of animal.

With the XIV {{E}} front century J. - C., the Phéniciens found Utique. During the Antiquity, the Romains occupy Capsa with the II {{E}} front century J. - C.. The city then develops with the point to become a Municipe then a colony. In 540, the Byzantine protect it from a rampart and rename it Justiniana. Oqba Ibn Nafaa takes the city in 688 but meets a savage resistance because the Berbères refuse a long time to convert with the Islam. At the 12th century, one still speaks Latin with Gafsa. Then, in 1551, the city is besieged by the Corsaire Dragut for the account of Khayr AD-DIN Barberousse. It resists but is obliged to capitulate in 1556.

During the Second world war, in 1942 and 1943, the city undergoes several Bombardement S German and part of the Kasbah is destroyed. Gafsa is the theater of a historical, opposing the 10th division of Panzer S and the forces allied, known battle under the name of Bataille of El Guettar. The February 14th 1952, the Khalifa of Gafsa, Sliman Ben Hamouda, is probably cut down because of “its feelings pro-French”.

In 1980, the city is taken by storm by a commando come from Libya (see the article on the events of Gafsa).

Economy

Gafsa develops thanks to the mining of the Phosphate S whose layer discovered in 1886 is one of most important in the world. It extracts from its mines more than 7,5 million phosphate ton S, which makes of Tunisia the 4th world producer. It is with the incomes of phosphates that Tunisia succeeds in obtaining a sports complex, with Tunis, for the Mediterranean Jeux in the Années 1960. Gafsa has its own privat line of Railroad until the Années 1980.

Gafsa specializes in the Artisanat of the Berber Tapis since millenia. In 1958, Hamida Wahada, illustrate painter originating in the city, create there an industry of Tapisserie starting from the Berber weaving. Wahada is the creator of the tapestry in Tunisia.

The city suffers from a delay in term of infrastructures generated by the government of Habib Bourguiba which privileged the area of the the Sahel. Thus, of 1957 with 1987, no company is created in Gafsa except 4 private small companies of transport belonging to families of Gafsa and making the connection between Gafsa and the mines of Mdhila, Shib, Omlaraès and Redeyef. In order to preserve their goods and to escape the seizure collectivist, these families meet and amalgamate their goods in an cooperative society of transport. The good management of this company enables him to make Bénéfice S.

A Diaspora of Gafsiens saw abroad and is equipped with very high qualifications: Engineer S, doctors and scientists. This population returns regularly in Gafsa with a intellectual and material contribution.

Gafsiens known

Resistant city, having a working and mining past supporting a protestor spirit with respect to the capacity, his elites begin in the Syndicalisme. The Tunisian General union of work sees Ahmed Tlili, native of Gafsa, to play a leading role there.

Among the other personalities gafsiennes, one can quote Mohammed Gammoudi (first Tunisian to take down a gold medal with the Olympic Games of summer of 1968 by traversing 10.000 meters in 28 minutes), Mohamed Kerrou (historian and novelist) and Abdelmajid Ghélala, actor and founder of the first Tunisian institute for nonthe indicators.

A personality gafsienne was distinguished in France: it is about Glay Mourdi Abid, first Commander with the long course of the history of Gafsa, named knight in the order of the academic Palmes in 2004, by French the Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, for its services rendered to the state education.

Reference

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