Gafsa: Difference between revisions

[[File:Fossatum.png|thumb|left|200px|Capsa in Roman times was near the "limes romanus" called [[Fossatum Africae]].]][[File:Piscines romaines de Gafsa, juin 2013.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ancient Rome|Roman]]s [[ruins]] at Gafsa, 2013.]]

The [[Vandals]] conquered the Roman city and ruled it until the death of [[Genseric]] (477). The Berbers then occupied it, making it the capital of a [[Romano-Berber states|Romano-berberBerber kingdom]] until subjected to [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantium]] under [[Justinian I]] (527–565). He made Capsa the capital of the province of [[Byzacena]]. The Duke of Byzacena resided there. In 540, the Byzantine governor general [[Solomon (Byzantine general)|Solomon]] built a new city wall, naming the city Justiniana Capsa.<ref name=CE/>

Historians such as Camps and Laverde consider Gafsa the place in [[North Africa]] where [[African Romance]] last survived, until the [[13th century]], as a spoken language.

In the [[3rd century]], Donatulus took part in the council that Saint [[Cyprian]] convoked in [[Carthage]] in 256 to discuss the problem of the ''[[lapsi (Christianity)|lapsi]]''.

In the [[4th century]], at the [[councilsCouncil of Carthage|council of Carthage(349)]] of 349, Fortunatianus of Capsa was present, mentioned as the first among the bishops of [[Byzacena]]. A [[Donatism|Donatist]] bishop of Capsa called Quintasius was at the council held at [[Cabarsussi]] in 393 by a breakaway group of [[Donatists]] led by [[Magnus Maximus|Maximianus]].

In the [[5th century]], at the joint [[ConferenceCouncil of Carthage (411)]] in 411 attended by [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]s and [[Donatist]]s, Gams and Morcelli say Capsa was represented by the Donatist Donatianus, and that it had no Catholic bishop.<ref name=Gams/><ref name=Morcelli/> According to the more recent Mesnage, Donatianus was instead the Donatist bishop of Capsus in Numidia, and Capsa in Byzacena was represented by the Catholic Fortunatus and the Donatist Celer, whom the earlier sources attributed to Capsus.<ref name=Mesnage/> All three sources agree in attributing to Capsa the Vindemialis who was one of the Catholic bishops whom [[Huneric]] [[Council of Carthage (484)|summoned to Carthage in 484]] and then exiled. However, the latest editions of the [[Roman Martyrology]], which commemorates Vindemialis on 2 May, call him bishop of Capsus in Numidia.<ref>''Martyrologium Romanum'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2001 ISBN 978-1274930071)</ref>

Capsa still had resident bishops at the end of the [[9th century]], being mentioned in a ''[[Notitia Episcopatuum]]'' of [[Leo VI the Wise]] (886–912).<ref name=Mesnage/> but a community may have lasted until the early [[12th century]]<ref name="orthodoxengland">{{cite web|url=http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/maghreb.htm|title=The Last Christians Of North-West Africa: Some Lessons For Orthodox Today|publisher=orthodoxengland.org.uk|accessdate=2016-03-27}}</ref>

In the [[Second World War]], Gafsa suffered heavy [[bombardment]] from both the [[Nazi Germany|German]] and [[Italy|Italian]] side and the Allies. Part of its [[Kasbah]] was destroyed.

In January 2011 Gafsa was the centre of a spontaneous popular uprising against President [[Zine El Abidine Ben Ali]]. The government was swift and brutal in attempting to suppress the uprising, but this movement is credited with sowing the first seeds of the revolution that removed [[Zine El Abidine Ben Ali]] from power and ignited the [[Arab Spring]] in the rest of [[North Africa]] and the [[Middle East]].

Radio Stations stations:

*Radio Gafsa (Governmentalgovernmental) | Frequencies : 87.8 FM, 93.5 FM and 91.8 FM,

*Mines FM or Sawt Elmanajem (Privateprivate) | Frequencies : 90.9 FM

and other Governmentgovernment and Privateprivate Tunisian Radiosradios Broadcastbroadcast in Gafsa as Shems FM, RTCI, Youth Radio, Culture Radio, Zitouna, and the National Radio.