Central European Time>CET| utc_offset = 1| timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST =| postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code = | website = }}Mahdia ( {{audio|help=no|Mahdia.wav|al-MahdÄ«yah}}) is a Tunisian coastal city with 62,189 inhabitants, south of Monastir and southeast of Sousse.Mahdia is a provincial centre north of Sfax. It is important for the associated fish-processing industry, as well as weaving. It is the capital of Mahdia Governorate.

History

Antiquity

The old part of Mahdia corresponds to the Roman city called Aphrodisium and, later, called Africa (a name perhaps derived from the older name),"Aphrodisium, which is now commonly called Africa, but by the Moors Mahdia" (Antique Map of Tunis, Mahdia & PeÃ±on de Veles by Braun & Hogenberg Fiche technique des sites archÃ©ologiques de Mahdia or Cape Africa.Geographical Names: Cape Africa: Tunisia Satellite view of Cape Africa Kenneth Meyer Setton, The Papacy and the Levant, 1204-1571 (American Philosophical Society 1984 {{ISBN|978-0-87169161-3}}), p. 533Charles Tissot, GÃ©ographie comparÃ©e de la province romaine d'Afrique (Paris 1888), p. 176 The Catholic Church's list of titular sees includes a no longer residential bishopric called AfricaAnnuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 {{ISBN|978-88-209-9070-1}}), p. 838 and, since there is no record of an episcopal see in Roman times called by either of these names (nor by that of Alipota, another Roman town that Charles Tissot suggested tentatively might be represented by present-day Mehdia), it is supposed that the episcopal see of Africa was established when the city was held by the Kingdom of Sicily, as a part of the Kingdom of Africa (1147â€“1160) and when Pope Eugene III consecrated a bishop for it in 1148. An inventory of movable property of the church of Africa (inventarium thesauri Africani) exists in an archive of the Cappella Palatina of Palermo in Sicily.J.P. Mesnage, L'Afrique chrÃ©tienne, Paris 1912, p. 114 Robert Favreau identified Mahdia instead with ancient Ruspae or Ruspe,Favreau, Robert (1995) Etudes d'epigraphie medievale: recueil d'articles de Robert Favreau rassemblÃ©s Ã l'occasion de son dÃ©part Ã la retraite Pulim, Limoges, page 357, footnote 113; in French{{Verify source|date=October 2014|reason=there is no free access to that page of the cited source}} which is more commonly taken to have been at Henchir Sbia (or just Sbia), north of Mahdia, or at the ruins known as Ksour Siad.Sophrone PÃ©tridÃ¨s, "Ruspe" in Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 1912) The most illustrious bishop of this see was Fulgentius of Ruspe. The Catholic Church's list of titular sees, which identifies the see of Africa as Mahdia, identifies Ruspe/Ruspae as Henchir Sbia.Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 {{ISBN|978-88-209-9070-1}}), p. 961The Mahdia shipwreck â€“ a sunken ship found off Mahdia's shore, containing Greek art treasures â€“ is dated to about 80 BC, the early part of Roman rule in this region.

Islamic era

Muslim Mahdia was founded by the Fatimids under the Caliph Abdallah al-Mahdi and made the capital of Ifriqiya.WEB,weblink Mahdia: Historical Background, Commune-mahdia.gov.tn, 2012-07-15, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131109154752weblink">weblink 2013-11-09, As the then-newly-created Fatimid Caliphate was a Shi'a regime supported by a Berber Kutama military, the caliph may have been motivated to move his capital here so as to put some distance between his power base and the predominantly Sunni city of Kairouan (the traditional capital of Ifriqiya up to that point).BOOK, Bloom, Jonathan M.,weblink Architecture of the Islamic West: North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, 700â€“1800, Yale University Press, 2020, 9780300218701, 47â€“49, Construction began in 916 and the new city was officially inaugurated on 20 February 921, although some construction continued afterward. In addition to its heavy fortified walls, the city included the Fatimid palaces, an artificial harbor, and a congregational mosque (the Great Mosque of Mahdia). Most of the Fatimid city has not survived to the present day. The mosque, however, is one of the most well-preserved Fatimid monuments in the Maghreb, although it has been extensively damaged over time and was in large part reconstructed by archeologists in the 1960s. Fragments of mosaic pavements from the palaces have also been discovered from modern excavations. In 1087, the town was attacked by raiding ships from Genoa and Pisa who burned the Muslim fleet in the harbor. The attack played a critical role in Christians' seizure of control of the Western Mediterranean, which allowed the First Crusade to be supplied by sea.Fuller, J.F.C., A Military History of the Western World, Volume I, Da Capo Press, 1987, p. 408 {{ISBN|0-306-80304-6}} The Zirid dynasty, which succeeded the Fatimids in the Maghreb, moved their capital here in 1057. Their rule was brought to an end by the Norman conquest of the city in 1148. In 1160 the city came under Almohad rule.ENCYCLOPEDIA, Zirids, Amin, Tibi, The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second, XI, 513â€“516, Brill, 2002, The role of the capital was taken over by Tunis in the 12th century during the Almohad era, which it remained during the Hafsid Dynasty. Later the city was subject to many raids. In 1390 it was the target of the Barbary Crusade, when a French army laid siege to the city but failed to take it.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}}The city was captured by the Spaniards in 1550. A Spanish garrison remained there until 1553. Charles V then offered the charge of the town to the Order of Saint John who ruled Malta but they refused it deeming it too expensive.WEB, Abela, Joe, Claude de la Sengle (1494 - 1557),weblink Senglea Local Council, 5 October 2014, The emperor ordered the Viceroy of Sicily, Juan de Vega, to dismantle Mahdia despite it being a strategically important stronghold. The demolition tasks were carried out by Hernando de AcuÃ±a. Shortly after Mahdia was reoccupied by the Ottomans, but only to live by fishing and oil-works, and the town lost its logistic and commercial importance. It remained under Turkish rule until the 19th century.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}During the Nazi Occupation of Tunisia in World War II, Mahdia was the site where Khaled Abdelwahhab hid approximately two dozen persecuted Jews.WEB, Weisel, Eva, Honoring All Who Saved Jews,weblink The New York Times, 12 June 2017, 27 December 2011,

Transport

Gare Mahdia forms the southern terminus of the metre-gauge Sahel Metro railway line, which runs from Sousse and Monastir.WEB,weblink Banlieue de Sahel, SociÃ©tÃ© Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens, 2 April 2015,

Climate

{{Weather box|metric first = yes|single line = yes|location = Mahdia (1991â€“2020, extremes 1951â€“2017)|Jan record high C = 27.0|Feb record high C = 36.5|Mar record high C = 34.1|Apr record high C = 36.2|May record high C = 43.8|Jun record high C = 48.3|Jul record high C = 44.0|Aug record high C = 45.0|Sep record high C = 42.6|Oct record high C = 39.3|Nov record high C = 31.6|Dec record high C = 30.0|year record high C = 48.3|Jan high C = 16.8|Feb high C = 16.9|Mar high C = 18.6|Apr high C = 20.6|May high C = 23.7|Jun high C = 27.5|Jul high C = 30.5|Aug high C = 31.5|Sep high C = 28.9|Oct high C = 26.0|Nov high C = 21.8|Dec high C = 18.2|year high C = 23.4|Jan mean C = 12.8|Feb mean C = 13.0|Mar mean C = 14.8|Apr mean C = 17.0|May mean C = 20.2|Jun mean C = 23.8|Jul mean C = 26.7|Aug mean C = 27.6|Sep mean C = 25.6|Oct mean C = 22.6|Nov mean C = 17.8|Dec mean C = 14.1|year mean C = 19.7|Jan low C = 8.8|Feb low C = 9.0|Mar low C = 11.0|Apr low C = 13.5|May low C = 16.6|Jun low C = 20.2|Jul low C = 23.0|Aug low C = 24.0|Sep low C = 22.3|Oct low C = 19.2|Nov low C = 13.8|Dec low C = 10.0|year low C = 15.9|Jan record low C = 0.1|Feb record low C = 0.2|Mar record low C = 2.0|Apr record low C = 1.2|May record low C = 0.9|Jun record low C = 4.9|Jul record low C = 11.0|Aug record low C = 9.0|Sep record low C = 8.0|Oct record low C = 7.0|Nov record low C = 3.0|Dec record low C = 0.1|year record low C = 0.1|precipitation colour = green|Jan precipitation mm = 37.7|Feb precipitation mm = 33.6|Mar precipitation mm = 33.0|Apr precipitation mm = 18.4|May precipitation mm = 18.9|Jun precipitation mm = 5.9|Jul precipitation mm = 1.5|Aug precipitation mm = 9.4|Sep precipitation mm = 67.1|Oct precipitation mm = 44.5|Nov precipitation mm = 41.3|Dec precipitation mm = 47.3|year precipitation mm = 385.6|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 4.6|Feb precipitation days = 4.1|Mar precipitation days = 3.8|Apr precipitation days = 3.4|May precipitation days = 2.6|Jun precipitation days = 0.8|Jul precipitation days = 0.2|Aug precipitation days = 1.2|Sep precipitation days = 4.8|Oct precipitation days = 4.1|Nov precipitation days = 3.8|Dec precipitation days = 4.8|year precipitation days = 38.3|Jan humidity = 74.6|Feb humidity = 74.8|Mar humidity = 76.0|Apr humidity = 74.7|May humidity = 74.0|Jun humidity = 71.0|Jul humidity = 68.8|Aug humidity = 68.7|Sep humidity = 75.0|Oct humidity = 76.0|Nov humidity = 72.2|Dec humidity = 76.0|year humidity = |source 1 = Institut National de la MÃ©tÃ©orologie (humidity 1961â€“1990)WEB,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191219211209weblink">weblink 19 December 2019,weblink Les normales climatiques en Tunisie entre 1981 2010, MinistÃ¨re du Transport, fr, 3 January 2020, WEB,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191221032155weblink">weblink 21 December 2019,weblink DonnÃ©es normales climatiques 1961-1990, MinistÃ¨re du Transport, fr, 3 January 2020, WEB,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191221032448weblink">weblink 21 December 2019,weblink Les extrÃªmes climatiques en Tunisie, MinistÃ¨re du Transport, fr

group=note

The Station ID for Mahdia is 34242111.HTTP://DATA.TRANSPORT.TN/DATASET/RESEAU-DES-STATIONS-METEOROLOGIQUES-SYNOPTIQUES/RESOURCE/9D68C101-4789-4E6A-BDFF-8952D727C0C1 >TITLE=RÃ©SEAU DES STATIONS MÃ©TÃ©OROLOGIQUES SYNOPTIQUES DE LA TUNISIE

LANGUAGE=FR, 3 January 2020, }}|source 2 = NOAAWEB,weblink Climate Normals 1991-2020, NOAA.gov, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 18 September 2018, }}

Gallery of images

Fuerte Bordj el Kebir, Mahdia, TÃºnez, 2016-09-03, DD 31-33 HDR.jpg|Bordj el Kebir Fortress.Cementerio marino, Mahdia, TÃºnez, 2016-09-03, DD 16.jpg|Marine cemetery.Old Harbor.jpg|Port of Mahdia.Mezquita Slimane Hamza, Mahdia, TÃºnez, 2016-09-04, DD 02.jpg|Slimane Hamza Mosque.Mahdia pendant la nuit..jpg|Mahida in night.Mahdia5.jpg|Mahida beach.Antiguo puerto, Mahdia, TÃºnez, 2016-09-03, DD 17.jpg|Old port.Vue depuis la Skifa Kehla, Mahdia (01).jpg|Aerial view of Mahida.

References

Notes

External links

tourismtunisia.com {{in lang|en}}
LookLex / Tunisia
weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20181116050000weblink">Mahdia Portal
EB1911, Mahdia, x,

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Mahdia

History

Antiquity

Islamic era

Transport

Climate

Gallery of images

See also

References

Notes

External links