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MAHDIA (also spelt Mehdia, Mehedia, &c.)
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See also:MAHDIA (also spelt Mehdia, Mehedia, &c.) , a See also:town of See also:Tunisia, on the See also:coast between the gulfs of Hammamet and See also:Gabes, 47 M. by See also:rail S.S.E. of See also:Susa. Pop. about 8000. Mandia is built on a rocky See also:peninsula which projects eastward about a mile beyond the normal coast See also:line, and is not more than a See also:quarter of a mile wide. The extremity of the peninsula is called See also:Ras Mandia or Cape See also:Africa—Africa being the name by which Mandia was designated by See also:Froissart and other See also:European historians during the See also:middle ages and the See also:Renaissance. In the centre of the peninsula and occupying its highest point is a citadel (16th See also:century); another See also:castle farther See also:west is now used as a See also:prison and is in the centre of the native town. The European quarter and the new See also:port are on the See also:south-west See also:side of the peninsula. The port is available for small boats only; steamers See also:anchor in the roadstead about a quarter of a mile from the See also:shore. On the south-See also:east, cut out of the See also:rock, is the See also:ancient See also:harbour, or cothon, measuring about 48o ft by 240 It., the entrance being 42 ft. wide. There are manufactories of See also:olive oil, but the See also:chief See also:industry is sardine fishing, largely in the hands of Italians. Mandia occupies the site of a Phoenician See also:settlement and by some authorities is identified with the town called Turris Hannibalis by the See also:Romans. See also:Hannibal is said to have embarked here on his See also:exile from See also:Carthage. After the Arab See also:conquest of See also:North Africa the town See also:fell into decay. It was refounded in 912 by the first Fatimite See also:caliph, 'Obaidallah-al-See also:Mandi, after whom it was named. It became the port of See also:Kairawan and was for centuries a See also:city of considerable importance, largely owing to its See also:great natural strength, and its position on the Mediterranean. It carried on an active See also:trade with See also:Egypt, See also:Syria and See also:Spain. The town was occupied by the See also:Normans of See also:Sicily in the 12th century, but after holding it for about twelve years they were driven out in 1159 by the See also:Almohades. In 1390 a See also:joint See also:English and See also:French force vainly besieged Mandia for sixty-one days. In the See also:early See also:part of the 16th century the See also:corsair Dragut seized the town and made it his See also:capital, but in 1550 the See also:place was captured by the Spaniards, who held it until 1J94. Before evacuating the town the Spaniards dismantled the fortifications. Under the See also:rule of the See also:Turks and, later, the beys of See also:Tunis Mandia became a place of little importance. It was occupied by the French in 1881 without opposition, and regained some of its former commercial importance. During 1908 See also:numbers of bronzes and other See also:works of See also:art were recovered from a See also:vessel wrecked off Mandia in the,5th century A.D. (see Classical See also:Review, See also:June 1909). Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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