The Baths of Antoninus or Baths of Carthage, located in
Carthage
Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...
,
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
, are the largest set of Roman
thermae
In ancient Rome, (from Greek , "hot") and (from Greek ) were facilities for bathing. usually refers to the large Roman Empire, imperial public bath, bath complexes, while were smaller-scale facilities, public or private, that existed i ...
built on the
African continent
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
and one of three largest built in the Roman Empire. They are the largest outside mainland Italy. The baths are also the only remaining Thermae of Carthage that dates back to the
Roman Empire's era. The baths were built during the reign of Roman Emperor
Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius (Latin: ''Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius''; 19 September 86 – 7 March 161) was Roman emperor from 138 to 161. He was the fourth of the Five Good Emperors from the Nerva–Antonine dynasty.
Born into a senatoria ...
.
The baths are at the South-East of the archaeological site, near the presidential
Carthage Palace
Carthage Palace ( ara, قصر قرطاج), is the presidential palace of Tunisia, and the official residence and seat of the President of Tunisia. It is located along the Mediterranean Sea at the current city of Carthage, near the archaeologic ...
. The archaeological excavations started during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and concluded by the creation of an archaeological park for the monument. It is also one of the most important
landmarks of Tunisia.
The baths are today part of the
Archaeological site of Carthage
Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...
on the
list of World Heritage sites
This is a list of the lists of World Heritage Sites. A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as having special cultural or physical significance.
General lis ...
of UNESCO. On 17 February 2012, the Tunisian government proposed the Roman hydraulic complex
Zaghouan
Zaghouan (or Zaghwan; ar, زغوان '' ; ber, ⵣⴻⵖⵡⴰⵏ / Zeɣwan)'' is a town in the northern half of Tunisia.
Situated on a low ridge of the Dorsale Mountains, the town has a mild climate and presents a green aspect. Cold water ...
-
Carthage
Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...
, that the baths are part of, as a future World Heritage site.
[Dossier du complexe hydraulique romain de Zaghouan-Carthage (Unesco)]
/ref>
Location
See also
* List of Roman public baths
This is a list of ancient Roman public baths (''thermae'').
Urban baths
Algeria
* Timgad
* Guelma (Calama)
* Héliopolis
* Hammam Meskoutine (Aquae Tibilitanae)
* Hammam Righa (Aquae Calidae)
* Hammam Essalihine (Aquae Flavianae)
...
References
{{coord, 36.8543, N, 10.3351, E, source:wikidata, display=title
Ancient Roman baths