Kelibia (Kélibia) ( ar, قليبية, link=no '), often referred to as Klibia or Gallipia by European writers, is a coastal town on the Cap Bon peninsula,

Nabeul Governorate Nabeul Governorate ( aeb, ولاية نابل ' Tunisian pronunciation: ) is one of the 24 governorates of Tunisia. It is situated in north-eastern Tunisia. It covers an area of 2,788 km2 and has a population of 787,920 (2014 census). T ...

in the far north-eastern part of

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. Its sand beaches are considered some of the finest in the Mediterranean.

History

Known in Roman times as Clypia or Clupea,George Sale, ''An Universal History'' (1760), vol. 19, p. 200
/ref>C.A. Schwetschke, ''Allgemeine Literatur-Zeitung '' (1822), Volumes 1–2, No. 134, col. 197
/ref>Pauli Iovii Novocomensis Episcopi Nucerini Historiarum sui temporis (1552), p. 363
/ref> ( grc, Κλυπέα) Strabo, Geography, §6.2.11
/ref> the town was founded by the

Carthaginians The Punic people, or western Phoenicians, were a Semitic people in the Western Mediterranean who migrated from Tyre, Phoenicia to North Africa during the Early Iron Age. In modern scholarship, the term ''Punic'' – the Latin equivalent of the ...

as the fortified town of Aspis ( grc, Ἀσπίς) in the 5th century BC. The

Siege of Aspis The siege of Aspis or Clupea was fought in 255BC between Carthage and the Roman Republic. It was the first fighting on African land during the First Punic War. Background After defeating the Carthaginian navy sent to stop them from reaching Afric ...

in 255BC was the first African battle of the

First Punic War The First Punic War (264–241 BC) was the first of Punic Wars, three wars fought between Roman Republic, Rome and Ancient Carthage, Carthage, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the early 3rd century BC. For 23 years ...

Clupea was also the

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair, a chair ...

of an ancient Christian

bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

. At the

Council of Carthage (411) The Councils of Carthage were church synods held during the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries in the city of Carthage in Africa. The most important of these are described below. Synod of 251 In May 251 a synod, assembled under the presidency of Cyprian ...

, which brought together Catholic and Donatist bishops, Clypia was represented by Bishop Leodicius and the Donatist Geminius. Aurilius was one of the bishops whom the

Arian Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God ...

Vandal king

Huneric Huneric, Hunneric or Honeric (died December 23, 484) was King of the (North African) Vandal Kingdom (477–484) and the oldest son of Gaiseric. He abandoned the imperial politics of his father and concentrated mainly on internal affairs. He was m ...

summoned to Carthage in 484 and then exiled. Two other bishops of Clypia took part in the

Council of Carthage (525) The Councils of Carthage were church synods held during the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries in the city of Carthage in Africa. The most important of these are described below. Synod of 251 In May 251 a synod, assembled under the presidency of Cyprian ...

(Bishop Crescentius) and Council of Carthage (645) (Bishop Stephanus). No longer a residential bishopric, Clypia is now listed by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

as a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...

.''Annuario Pontificio 2013'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ), p. 872

Sports

Kelibia has one of the best Tunisian volleyball clubs with the Kelibia Olympic Club, founded in 1957 and active since 1959. The club scored two Tunisian championship titles in 1977 and 2003, eight cups in 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1989, 2004 and 2011 and an Arab Cup of clubs' champions in 1998.

Culture

Since 1964, Kélibia has hosted the Kelibia International Amateur Film Festival, the oldest of its kind in the country.

Kelibia today

The main landmark of Kelibia is the recently restored Kelibia Fort overlooking the harbor. Kelibia is a fishing port and is home to Tunisia's National Fishing School. The town has a population of 52,000 (2014 census). The 'Muscat de Kélibia', a fruity regional white wine is widely recognized as one of the best of the country.

Climate

Twin towns — sister cities

Almuñécar Almuñécar () is a Spanish city and municipality located in the southwestern part of the comarca of the Costa Granadina, in the province of Granada. It is located on the shores of the Mediterranean sea and borders the Granadin municipalities ...

, Spain *

Marsala Marsala (, local ; la, Lilybaeum) is an Italian town located in the Province of Trapani in the westernmost part of Sicily. Marsala is the most populated town in its province and the fifth in Sicily. The town is famous for the docking of Gius ...

, Italy *

Pantelleria Pantelleria (; Sicilian: ''Pantiddirìa'', Maltese: ''Pantellerija'' or ''Qawsra''), the ancient Cossyra or Cossura, is an Italian island and comune in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and east of the Tunisi ...

, Italy

References

Notes

External links

Kelibia.net - Kelibia city web portal

{{Authority control Populated coastal places in Tunisia Populated places in Tunisia Communes of Tunisia Phoenician colonies in Tunisia Catholic titular sees in Africa Ancient Greek geography of North Africa