Bizerte or Bizerta ( ar, بنزرت, translit=Binzart , it, Biserta, french: link=no, Bizérte) the classical Hippo, is a city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia. It is the northernmost city in Africa, located 65 km (40mil) north of the capital Tunis. It is also known as the last town to remain under French control after the rest of the country won its independence from France. The city had 142,966 inhabitants in 2014.

Names

Hippo is the latinization of a PunicPerseus Digital Library
Perseus.tufts.edu name ( xpu, 𐤏𐤐𐤅𐤍, ), probably related to the word ''ûbôn'', meaning "harbor". To distinguish it from

Hippo Regius Hippo Regius (also known as Hippo or Hippone) is the ancient name of the modern city of Annaba, Algeria. It historically served as an important city for the Phoenicians, Berbers, Romans, and Vandals. Hippo was the capital city of the Vandal King ...

(the modern Annaba, in Algeria), the Greeks and Romans used several epithets.

Scylax of Caryanda Scylax of Caryanda ( el, Σκύλαξ ὁ Καρυανδεύς) was a Greek explorer and writer of the late 6th and early 5th centuries BCE. His own writings are lost, though occasionally cited or quoted by later Greek and Roman authors. The p ...

mentions it as and ("Hippo the City").

Polybius Polybius (; grc-gre, Πολύβιος, ; ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , which covered the period of 264–146 BC and the Punic Wars in detail. Polybius is important for his analysis of the mixed ...

mentions it as ( grc-gre, Ἱππὼν διάρρυτος, ''Hippōn Diárrhytos''), "Hippo Divided-by-the-Water", in reference to the town's prominent canal. It also appears in Roman, Vandal, and Byzantine sources as .Hippo Zarytus(in Perseus Digital Library)
Perseus.tufts.edu Its Arabic name Banzart () and the French and English forms derived from it all represent phonetic developments of its ancient name.

History

Later history

Arab armies took Bizerte in 647 in their first invasion of the area, but the city reverted to control from Constantinople until the Byzantines were defeated and finally driven from North Africa in 695–98. The troops of Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire captured the city in 1535; the Turks took it in 1574. The city then became a

corsair A corsair is a privateer or pirate, especially: * Barbary corsair, Ottoman and Berber pirates and privateers operating from North Africa * French corsairs, privateers operating on behalf of the French crown Corsair may also refer to: Arts and ...

harbour and struggled against the French and the Venetians. With its occupation of Tunisia in 1881, France gained control of Bizerte and built a large naval harbour in the city. In 1924, after the French government officially recognized the Soviet Union (USSR), the western military fleet of White Russia that had been kept in the port of Bizerte was returned to the Soviet government. The ships were never moved from the port and finally were sold there as scrap metal. In March 1939, towards the end of the Spanish Civil War, Spanish Republican Navy Commander

Miguel Buiza --> Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael. It may refer to: Places *Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands *São Miguel (disambi ...

ordered the evacuation of the bulk of the Republican fleet. Three cruisers, eight destroyers and two submarines left Cartagena harbor and reached Bizerte, where the French authorities impounded them. During the Second World War, the German and Italian armies occupied Bizerte until Allied troops defeated them on 7 May 1943. During the fighting between the Allied forces and the German Army, many of the city's inhabitants fled to the countryside or to Tunis. The city suffered significant damage during the battle. Vue aérienne de Bizerte - 1959

Due to Bizerte's strategic location on the Mediterranean, France retained control of the city and her naval base after Tunisian independence in 1956. In 1961 Tunisian forces

blockaded A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are leg ...

the area of Bizerte and demanded French withdrawal. The face-off escalated when a French helicopter took off and drew fire. The French brought in reinforcements; when these were fired upon, France took decisive military action against the Tunisian forces. Using superior weapons and decisive force the French took Bizerte and

Menzel Bourguiba Menzel Bourguiba ( ar, منزل بورقيبة, Manzil Būrgībah, lit=House of Bourguiba), formerly known as Ferryville, is a town located in the extreme north of Tunisia, about from Tunis, in the Bizerte Governorate. Toponymy The town's ...

. During three days in July 1961, 700 Tunisians died (1200 wounded); the French lost 24 dead (100 wounded). Meetings at the UN Security Council and other international pressure moved France to agreement; the French military finally abandoned Bizerte on 15 October 1963.

Geography

File:Circonscription de Bizerte.png, ''Circonsciption of Bizerte.''

Location

Bizerte is on a section of widened inlet and east-facing coast of the north coast of Tunisia, 15 kilometres from

Ras ben Sakka Ras ben Sakka (Arabic for "Cape Ben Sakka"), the tip of Cape Angela in northern Tunisia, is the northernmost point of the African continent. It is located from Bizerte and to the northeast of Ichkeul Lake World Heritage Site. It is located ...

(the northernmost point in Africa on the Mediterranean Sea), 20 kilometers northeast of the Ichkeul lake (a World Heritage Site), 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the archaeological site of Utica and 65 kilometers north of Tunis. West of the city there are coastal hills forming an outcrop of the Tell Atlas with well-conserved woods and vantage points. Its associated beaches include Sidi Salem, La Grotte, Rasenjela, and Al Rimel. It is on a section of Mediterranean climate coastline, close to Sardinia and Sicily, as opposed to coasts in the south of the country which have a year-round dry desert climate. The city is centered on the north shore of the canal of Bizerte linking the Mediterranean Sea to a tidal lake, the

Lac de Bizerte Lac is the resinous secretion of a number of species of lac insects, of which the most commonly cultivated is ''Kerria lacca''. Cultivation begins when a farmer gets a stick that contains eggs ready to hatch and ties it to the tree to be infes ...

which is larger than all parts of the town combined, to the immediate south. Built-up areas are in three directions: *South-west along the widening canal with jetties at Pecherie and Jarrouba, the latter associated with

Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed Air Base Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed Air Base is a Tunisian Air Force base located approximately 7 km west of Menzel Abderhaman, and 9 km west-southwest of Bizerte. Units stationed at the base are: * No. 11 Squadron : Jet trainer squadron, Aermacchi M ...

adjoining the opening of the lake and military/rescue heliport. *North are Sidi Salam and Corniche. They are within meters of the coast and on coast-facing slopes of the Ain Berda, a range of hills toward Cap Blanc, a small headland in the Ain Damou Plage natural conservation area. *Zarzouna,

Menzel Jemil Menzel Jemil (Tunisian Arabic: منزل جميل ) is a coastal town and municipality in north-eastern Tunisia, 60 km north of the capital, Tunis. Administratively it is located in the Menzel Jemil Delegation of the Bizerte Governorate Bize ...

and

Menzel Abderrahmane Menzel Abderrahmane () is a town and commune in the Bizerte Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 16,824.Menzel Jemil Menzel Jemil (Tunisian Arabic: منزل جميل ) is a coastal town and municipality in north-eastern Tunisia, 60 km north of the capital, Tunis. Administratively it is located in the Menzel Jemil Delegation of the Bizerte Governorate Bize ...

and

Menzel Abderrahmane Menzel Abderrahmane () is a town and commune in the Bizerte Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 16,824.isthmus on which they stand is the gently rising Foret de Remel, reaching a high point east of its forest area at Cap Zebib.

Transport

The bridge leads to the motorway A4 leading to Tunis–Carthage International Airport and the capital. On the town side the P11 passes semi-rural Louata, hugs Ichkeul Lake and branches into a western route, the P7, leading directly to Tabarka on the coast next to the Algerian border. The P11 leads south-west to Béja, a governorate center, in the foothills of the Tell Atlas, forks into several roads at

Bou Salem Bou Salem (بوسالم) is a town and commune in the Jendouba Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 20,098.hot-summer mediterranean A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The Mediterranean Sea breeze makes summers cooler and more humid than in the interior of Tunisia.

Demography

In 2020, the estimated population of Bizerte is 182,662, with a density of 392.4/km².

Population structure

In 2014, the Males reprensent 50.3% of the population and the Females 49.7%. The population aged to 60 years and more has reached 12.4%, while the urban population represents 60.4% of the population.

Demographic evolution

Architecture and landscape

Vieux Port

Le vieux port (the old port) of Bizerte is a port with its small pool surrounded by white houses, cafes and large boats in bright colors. The old port is the most charming place in Bizerte. The quay stretches in an arc along the Siena earth ramparts of the Kasbah and the low white houses. A modest boat painted in red and green slices through the calm water, a fisherman unloads his fish for the nearby market, another weighs anchor... Bizerte presents the familiar spectacle of a small Provençal or Spanish port which would have traded its bell tower for a minaret. The old port of Bizerte comes alive particularly at the end of the day, when the terraces of the bistros invade the quays.

Medina

The medina corresponds to the old town of Bizerte. It stretches north of the modern city, above Avenue Bourguiba, and runs along the old port to the Kasbah (the fortress). Once protected by a rampart facing inland, it was brought down during the French protectorate to assert its power over the city. The medina is a sort of labyrinth of narrow streets that intersect in all directions. In the souks, the smells change from one alley to another, according to the shops of craftsmen and their products. We do not hesitate to negotiate for any object. The names of the streets correspond to the old corporations present here: rue des armuriers, rue des carpenters, weavers, jewelers ... In narrow stalls you can see a craftsman at work. The tall octagonal-shaped minaret of the Great Mosque (dating from the 17th century) rises above the medina. At his side, the zaouïa of Sidi Mokhtar Dey, boss of Bizerte. The Medina of Bizerte is an old town that surrounds the picturesque Old Port district. It is a bustling center of traditional crafts. In its winding labyrinth of narrow alleys and covered souks are the workshops of metalworkers and carpenters, and butchers and grocery stores. The streets are named after the artisans who live and work there: the blacksmiths on rue des Forgerons, the gunsmiths on rue des Armuriers, carpenters on rue des Menuisiers and butchers on rue des bouchers. It is a very atmospheric place to walk, and unlike the Medinas of Hammamet and Monastir, it has not been restored so it oozes with all the exotic charm of the Orient.

Kasbah

The Kasbah is located in north of the old port, it has a single entrance from the West side. It has small dimensions: approximately 175m by 120m and has 8 towers and a walkway. It was built in the 17th century. On the other side of the canal, the kasbah rises its ramparts above the medina: it is accessed for the beautiful view of the city, the port, the lake and the sea. The origins of this fortress go back to the time of the Byzantine occupation: rectangular in shape, a tower occupies each corner. The entrance to the kasbah is a narrow arched passageway designed to slow down any invaders attempting to enter it at the time. The interior of the fortress is a maze of small alleys lined with houses. At the foot of the north-west rampart, the market place comes alive with the cry of the merchants, and the stalls give the impression of an organized jumble. Beyond stretches the Andalusian quarter, where the Moors from Spain took refuge in the 17th century. Further along, linked by a rampart of the kasbah, we can see the silhouette of the fort of Spain, which overlooks Bizerte at an altitude of about 40 meters on a height to the north. This fort dates from 1573, built during the Turkish domination by the Pasha of Algiers. It is built so as to be able to face the artillery, composed of thirteen sides with re-entrant angles. Now far from any threat, the fort has since been redeveloped into an open-air theater, which notably hosts the Bizerte International Festival (music, dance, film).

Education

Bizerte is served by the ISG (Institut Supérieur de Gestion)

Health

There is in Bizerte a large hospital ''Hôpital Régional de Bizerte'', one of the biggest in the region.

Economy

Bizerte's economy is very diverse. There are several military bases and year-round tourism. As a tourist centre the region is however not as popular as the eastern coast of Tunisia. There is manufacturing (textile, auto parts, cookware), fishing, fruits and vegetables, and wheat.

Miscellaneous

* The port of Bizerte is being developed into a significant Mediterranean yachting marina that was scheduled to open in May 2012. The superyacht section of the marina will be called Goga Superyacht Marina, and will have berths for yachts of up to 110m in length. It is expected that this will give a significant boost to the local economy as the yacht owners and also the hundreds of professional crew will become year-round consumers. The service industries supplying the yachts will gradually develop and bring additional employment. * The actor Abdelmajid Lakhal was born in Bizerte. * The Teapacks song "Lo haya lano klum" is about how bandleader Kobi Oz' family were expelled from Bizerte by the Nazis in 1942.

Titular see

Hippo Diarrhytus is a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1989–2002 it was held by

Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz Tadevuš Kandrusievič ( be, Тадэвуш Кандрусевіч; pl, Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz; born 3 January 1946) is a Belarusian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Minsk–Mohilev from 2007 to 2021. He has been a bish ...

, then by Jose Paala Salazar, O.P. in 2002–2004 and by Manfred Grothe since 14 October 2004. The city and see of Hippo Diarrhytus should not be confused with those of

where Saint Augustine of Hippo was the bishop.

Serbian Army in Bizerte 1915–1919

Army

After the Serbian army's retreat through Albania in 1915, during World War I, part of the army was transported by the French navy to their naval base in Bizerte. Serbian soldiers, and a small number of civilians, arrived in Bizerte on three occasions. In December 1915 and early 1916, after the Albanian Golgotha, then later in 1916 after the first clashes on the Salonica front in Greece and in the early 1917 when Serbian volunteers began to gather in Bizerte. During the entire war, the soldiers were transported to the Salonica front while the wounded were transported back to Tunisia. It is estimated that over 60,000 Serbian soldiers passed through the camp. The training of the volunteers was organized in the camp, education of the disabled but also the cultural events. French-Serbian dictionary was compiled and published by Veselin Čajkanović in Bizerte. Out of 7,000 copies, 5,000 and 1,000 were distributed to Serbian and French soldiers, respectively, while the remaining 1,000 copies were sold, with money being donated to the war invalids. Serbian wounded soldiers were originally placed in the Lambert barrack. Few days later they were relocated to the away camp Lazouaz. Almost 200 barracks were built in the camp complex. Citizens of Bizerte, French soldiers and administration were highly obliging to the Serbs, especially the Bizerte governor, admiral

Émile Guépratte Émile Paul Aimable Guépratte (30 August 1856 – 21 November 1939) was a French admiral. Biography Guépratte was born in Granville to a family of naval officers. He studied at the ''Lycée impérial'' in Brest from 1868, and joined the Écol ...

. He was involved in the care of the soldiers on daily basis and organized ceremonial greetings for every ship upon arrival. The last Serbian soldiers left Bizerte on 18 August 1919. Admiral Guépratte directly disobeyed the order from the French High Command by which he was ordered to dislocate Serbs into the Sahara's hinterland. When Guépratte visited

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

for the first time in 1930, he was awaited by the crowd which carried the admiral on their shoulders from the

Belgrade Main railway station The Belgrade Main railway station ( sr, Железничка станица Београд Главна, Železnička stanica Beograd Glavna) is a former train station in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It was built between 1882 and 1885 accord ...

to the Slavija Square. The street where the admiral was carried, today bears his name ( sr, Улица адмирала Гепрата, Admiral Guépratte Street).

Hospitals

In Northern Africa, Serbian wounded soldiers were treated in the hospitals in Bizerte, Tunis,

Sousse Sousse or Soussa ( ar, سوسة, ; Berber:''Susa'') is a city in Tunisia, capital of the Sousse Governorate. Located south of the capital Tunis, the city has 271,428 inhabitants (2014). Sousse is in the central-east of the country, on the Gulf ...

, Sidi Abdala,

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...

and Annaba. From December 1915 to August 1919, a total of 41,153 Serbian soldiers were treated. In Tunisian hospitals, 833 soldiers died ( typhus, malaria, wounds, hunger and frostbites). In Sidi Abdala, local population helped the Serbs providing food, medicines and nurture. A total of 1,722 people died there.

Cemeteries

The dead in Bizerte, Sousse and Tunis were buried in the memorial ossuary on the Christian cemetery in Bizerte. Those who died in Sidi Abdala were interred on the joint French-Serbian military cemetery. Those two cemeteries are the largest of all in Northern Africa where Serbian soldiers were buried – a total of 24 cemeteries in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, with 3,005 buried soldiers.

Notable residents

* Georges Madon (1892–1924), ace pilot * Claude Pujade-Renaud (born 1932), writer * Maurice Poli (born 1933), actor * Abdelmajid Lakhal (1939–2014), actor and theatre director * Nikita Mandryka (1940–2021), cartoonist * Lionel Duroy (born 1949), writer * Pierre Cohen (born 1950), politician *

Jean-Marc Luisada Jean-Marc Luisada (born 3 June 1958) is a French pianist born in Bizerte, Tunisia. He started on the piano at six years old, "the normal age". Biography At the age of 16 he began studies at the Conservatoire de Paris under Dominique Merlet and Ma ...

(born 1958), pianist *

Nabil Karoui Nabil Karoui ( ar, نبيل القروي; born 1 August 1963) is a Tunisian people, Tunisian politician and businessman. One of the key figures in the Tunisian media landscape, Karoui is CEO of Karoui & Karoui World and owner of the Tunisian tel ...

(born 1963), politician and businessman *

Mondher Kebaier Mondher Kebaier ( ar, منذر الكبير; born 2 April 1970) is a Tunisian former football player and the current coach of Raja Club Athletic. Career Formerly a player at hometown club CA Bizertin, Kebaier became manager of the club in 2000 ...

(born 1970), football coach *

Hassen Bejaoui Hassen Béjaoui ( ar, حسن بيجاوي) (born 14 February 1975) is a Tunisian former football goalkeeper. Career Bejaoui played for a few clubs, including CA Bizertin, Stade Tunisien and CS Sfaxien. He last played for CA Bizertin and part ...

, (born 1975), former footballer * Malek Jaziri (born 1984), tennis player *

Hamdi Harbaoui Hamdi Harbaoui ( ar, حمدي الحرباوي; born 5 January 1985) is a Tunisian footballer who plays as a striker. Club career Harbaoui started his career in his home country with Espérance Tunis. In the winter transfer window in season 2 ...

(born 1985), footballer * Souheïl Ben Radhia (born 1985), footballer * Farouk Ben Mustapha (born 1989), footballer *

Hamza Mathlouthi Hamza Mathlouthi ( ar, حمزة المثلوثي; born 25 July 1992) is a Tunisian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Zamalek SC and the Tunisia national team. Club career Mathlouthi started his career playing for CA Bizertin ...

(born 1992), footballer * Bilel Saidani (born 1993), footballer

International relations

Sister cities

Bizerte is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with:

Cooperation agreement

* Clermont-Ferrand, France, (a program of rehabilitation of historic centers) *

Dunkerque Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France. Bizerte (132040767).jpeg Pilsum leaving Bizerte.jpg Ksiba, Bizerte3.jpg Vieux port by night.JPG Bizerte jarzouna.jpg RouteCornicheBizerte.jpg RouteCornicheBizerte2.JPG Bizerta-downtown.JPG Bizerte2020.jpg

Notes

References

Bibliography

* . * .

External links

"Bizerte"
in the ''Encyclopedia of the Orient'' * * {{Authority control Bizerte, 2nd-millennium BC establishments Catholic titular sees in Africa Cities in Tunisia Communes of Tunisia Populated coastal places in Tunisia Phoenician colonies in Tunisia Populated places in Bizerte Governorate Populated places established in the 2nd millennium BC Ports and harbours of the Arab League Transport in the Arab League