Béja
Encyclopedia
Beja is a town in Tunisia
, Africa. It is the capital of the Béja Governorate
. It is located 105 km (sixty miles) from Tunis
, between the Medjerdah River and the Mediterranean, against the foothills of the Khroumire
, the town of Beja is situated on the sides of Djebel Acheb, facing the greening meadows, its white terraces and red roofs dominated by the imposing ruins of the old Roman
fortress.
which have been unearthed in 1887. The Carthaginians, recognizing the importance of maintaining their authority in this area, built a garrison and fortified the town. Beja was extremely desirable, not only because of its fertile soil but because
of its geographic location. It was at the doorway of the mountains and it was the crossroad for Carthage
and Tunis going toward Cirta
and Hippone.
, the Numidians
, the Romans
, and, later on, by the Vandals
. The Numidian king Jugurtha
made the town his governing headquarters. Originally the town was named Waga, which became Vacca and then Vaga under the Romans and eventually Badja under the Arabs and Béja under the French
.
The Romans destroyed the old Carthaginian citadel and replaced it with a new one; they built fortifications that are still standing today. Under the Roman domination, Beja became prosperous and was the center of a diocese. According to Sallust
, who relates the details of the Jugurthine War
between Jugurtha and Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus
to possess Beja, Beja was the wealthiest warehouse of the kingdom and the center of intense commerce.
The town was taken and destroyed by the Vandals. The citadel and ramparts were demolished. The abandoned town remained in that state for a century until the arrival of the Byzantines
. They renovated the fortress and took real pleasure in beautifying the town.
Beginning with the 7th century, Beja was under Arab domination. Along with the rest of Tunisia, Béja was annexed to the Umayyad
Caliphate
during the Umayyad conquest of North Africa
.
In 1880 France occupied Tunisia. On April 24, 1881 Beja in its turn was occupied by the column led by Logerot who had arrived from Algeria
through the Kef
.
Beja remains a picturesque town with wide horizons, a healthy climate and rich and fertile soil. Another distinctive feature is its family life, its traditional friendliness and hospitality towards foreigners.
The next day, Friday November 20, Beja was furiously bombed by German airplanes for many hours, because of its key position leading to the roads of Tabarka, Mateur, Bizerte and Algeria. The town became the stage for ferocious battles between the Germans and the Allies
who fiercely defended it, at the expense of severe military and civil losses. The final German assault was launched from Mateur and was halted 15 km from Béja, on the night of 28 February 1943.
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, Africa. It is the capital of the Béja Governorate
Béja Governorate
Béja Governorate is one of the twenty-four governorates of Tunisia. It is situated in northern Tunisia. It covers an area of 3,558 km² and has a population of 305,000 . The capital is Béja....
. It is located 105 km (sixty miles) from Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, between the Medjerdah River and the Mediterranean, against the foothills of the Khroumire
Khroumire
Khroumire is a mountainous region with extensive forests of cork oak in northwestern Tunisia...
, the town of Beja is situated on the sides of Djebel Acheb, facing the greening meadows, its white terraces and red roofs dominated by the imposing ruins of the old Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
fortress.
Geographical features
Famous for its fertile soil, Beja drew all the masters of the Mediterranean. The Phoenicians set up important trading posts. Their presence is felt through numerous Punic necropolisNecropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
which have been unearthed in 1887. The Carthaginians, recognizing the importance of maintaining their authority in this area, built a garrison and fortified the town. Beja was extremely desirable, not only because of its fertile soil but because
of its geographic location. It was at the doorway of the mountains and it was the crossroad for Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
and Tunis going toward Cirta
Cirta
Cirta was the capital city of the ancient Kingdom of Numidia in northern Africa . Its strategically important port city was Russicada...
and Hippone.
History
The town endured brutal assaults by the CarthaginiansCarthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
, the Numidians
Numidians
The Numidians were Berber tribes who lived in Numidia, in Algeria east of Constantine and in part of Tunisia. The Numidians were one of the earliest natives to trade with the settlers of Carthage. As Carthage grew, the relationship with the Numidians blossomed. Carthage's military used the Numidian...
, the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, and, later on, by the Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
. The Numidian king Jugurtha
Jugurtha
Jugurtha or Jugurthen was a King of Numidia, , born in Cirta .-Background:Until the reign of Jugurtha's grandfather Masinissa, the people of Numidia were semi-nomadic and indistinguishable from the other Libyans in North Africa...
made the town his governing headquarters. Originally the town was named Waga, which became Vacca and then Vaga under the Romans and eventually Badja under the Arabs and Béja under the French
French occupation of Tunisia
The French conquest of Tunisia occurred in two phases in 1881: the first consisting of the invasion and securing of the country before the signing of a treaty of protection, and the second consisting in the suppression of a rebellion...
.
The Romans destroyed the old Carthaginian citadel and replaced it with a new one; they built fortifications that are still standing today. Under the Roman domination, Beja became prosperous and was the center of a diocese. According to Sallust
Sallust
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, generally known simply as Sallust , a Roman historian, belonged to a well-known plebeian family, and was born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines...
, who relates the details of the Jugurthine War
Jugurthine War
The Jugurthine War takes its name from the Berber king Jugurtha , nephew and later adopted son of Micipsa, King of Numidia.-Jugurtha and Numidia:...
between Jugurtha and Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus was the leader of the conservative faction of the Roman Senate and a bitter enemy of Gaius Marius....
to possess Beja, Beja was the wealthiest warehouse of the kingdom and the center of intense commerce.
The town was taken and destroyed by the Vandals. The citadel and ramparts were demolished. The abandoned town remained in that state for a century until the arrival of the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. They renovated the fortress and took real pleasure in beautifying the town.
Beginning with the 7th century, Beja was under Arab domination. Along with the rest of Tunisia, Béja was annexed to the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
Caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
during the Umayyad conquest of North Africa
Umayyad conquest of North Africa
The Umayyad conquest of North Africa continued the century of rapid Arab Muslim expansion following the death of Muhammad in 632 CE. By 640 the Arabs controlled Mesopotamia, had invaded Armenia, and were concluding their conquest of Byzantine Syria. Damascus was the seat of the Umayyad caliphate....
.
In 1880 France occupied Tunisia. On April 24, 1881 Beja in its turn was occupied by the column led by Logerot who had arrived from Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
through the Kef
Kef Governorate
Kef Governorate is one of the twenty-four governorates of Tunisia. It is situated in north-western Tunisia, bordering Algeria. It covers an area of 4,965 km² and has a population of 259,000...
.
Beja remains a picturesque town with wide horizons, a healthy climate and rich and fertile soil. Another distinctive feature is its family life, its traditional friendliness and hospitality towards foreigners.
World War II
On November 16, 1942 a German military delegation came to our town to give our Mayor Jean Hugon a 24 hours ultimatum to surrender the town. As a reaction to the ultimatum the latter informed our civil governor Mr Clement who in turn sent the message to Algiers. The next day, November 17 the first parachuted British battalion landed on the hills north of the town. Thursday November 19 German planes bombed our town for the first time, as a warning. This broke the long period of peace Beja had known for many centuries.The next day, Friday November 20, Beja was furiously bombed by German airplanes for many hours, because of its key position leading to the roads of Tabarka, Mateur, Bizerte and Algeria. The town became the stage for ferocious battles between the Germans and the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
who fiercely defended it, at the expense of severe military and civil losses. The final German assault was launched from Mateur and was halted 15 km from Béja, on the night of 28 February 1943.