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Arab Capture of Carthage
In 698 CE, Umayyad general Hasan ibn al-Nu'man led an Arab–Berber army to besiege and capture Carthage, the last Byzantine stronghold in North Africa…
Timeline
- 697Gulf of Carthage · TunisiaAfter reorganizing the expeditionary force, Hasan ibn al-Nu'man besieged Carthage; Byzantine emperor Tiberius III ordered John the Patrician to bring a fleet from Constantinople. The Arab forces set an ambush near the harbor, preparing to meet the Byzantine naval relief.
- 698Off Carthage · TunisiaThe Byzantine fleet engaged the Arab forces off Carthage, was routed after attacks including fire ships, and John the Patrician was killed or went missing. The destruction of the naval relief left Carthage's defenders without hope, and the siege entered its final phase.
- 698Carthage · TunisiaWith naval support lost, Carthage's defenses collapsed and Arab forces entered the city. Byzantium's last stronghold in North Africa fell, and the remaining garrison retreated or surrendered. The administrative center gradually shifted inland to Kairouan, and ancient Carthage fell into ruin.
Sources
- Byzantium and the Arabs in the Sixth Century — Irfan Shahîd (1995)
- The Cambridge History of Africa, Vol. 2 — J. D. Fage (1978)