Tabarka (rear RTL طبرقة) is a coastal town located at the North-West of the Tunisia (175 kilometers of Tunis and with a few kilometers of the border Algérie). Its name is étymologiquement of origin Berbère and would mean “country of the heathers”.

Attached to the Governorship of Jendouba, it constitutes a municipality of 15.634 inhabitants. Populated descendants of the tribes kroumirs, the city is the center of attraction of the village populations of Djebel Khemir, small mountainous chain strewn with cork oaks. Its inhabitants are now called Tabarkois or sometimes Tabarquois. These terms are in opposition with that of “Tabarquins” which indicates the Génois present until the 17th century on the island of Tabarque.

It is a known tourist city for the activities of Plongée (sea-beds Poisson neux where the fishing with the Mérou and the lobster is practiced) and the Corail used in the Bijouterie. One also comes there for his Festival S whose Tabarka Jazz Festival celebrates it. The city is overhung of a rock on which a fort génois is built.

Tabarka is served by the international airport November 7th located at 15 kilometers in the east of the city.

History

The history of the city is a mixing of civilizations Roman phenician, , Arab and Turkish. Thabraca, founded by the Numides, becomes then a Roman colony. It is then connected by a road to Simitthu and is used like principal port for the export of the Marbre. Later, under the reign of the king vandal Genséric, the city obtains 2 Monastère S, one for the men and the other for the women.

In 702 is held in Tabraqua the last battle between Berber civilization (directed by their queen Kahina) and the Arabs directed by Hassan Ben Al-Numan Al-Ghasâny who, after having taken Carthage, receives 50.000 men in reinforcement of the Caliph Abd Al-Malik.

Knowing her imminent defeat, the queen would have made practice the scorched earth policy in order to dissuade the invader to adapt the grounds. She makes destroy the food castles, reserves and burn the Récolte S and the Verger S, thus alienating part of her own people and the defection of unquestionable Berber which are submitted to the Arabs. Finally, after an attempt at treason of the queen, this one is captured and decapitated in a ravine and its head brought back for the caliph.

In 1952, the nationalist leader Habib Bourguiba, which will become thereafter president of Tunisia is exiled in Tabarka then on Galite by the French colonial authorities.

Religion

• Sidi Abdallah Ben Djemel: Holy (marabout) historically venerated by all the tribes kroumirs. Its koubba (vault) was in the south of Ain Draham (close to the territory of the Drunk person). Today ruins some, it remains nevertheless in unconscious popular the symbol of the Généalogie kroumire.
• Sidi Badr : Saint whose koubba is located close to the coast (within the territory of Houamdia).
• Sidi Moussa: Saint venerated particularly by Ouled Amor. Compared to the character of Brace, saved water in the Bible, he was celebrated at the time of a procession directed by the fishermen Ouled Amor. After the destruction of its koubba, its tinsels would be kept in the buildings of the municipality.

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