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Gafsa, Tunisia, is one of the most ancient North African cities. It was the center of a very old civilisation: the Capsian civilisation. In the Roman era, it was called Capsa. Several of the most beautiful mosaics of Roman Africa were found in the region of Gafsa.
Venus, the goddess of love and beauty in Roman mythology, was especially popular in Roman African art. Several mosaics depicting Venus were found in Tunisia, at Carthage, Hadrumetum (Sousse) and elsewhere. The above mosaic was found in the Talh region, close to El-Guettar, in the governorate of Gafsa. It goes back to the 4th Century, and represents Venus fishing, surrounded by two Amours. It can now be seen at the Gafsa Archaeological Museum.
The Tunisian photographer Zaher Kammoun published a series of pictures of Venus in Roman African mosaics in Tunisia. We share his pictures here with his permission.
This mosaic, just like the previous one, was found in Talh and is dated from the 4th Century. It is one of the largest mosaics in North Africa, with a surface of 24.3m. It represents the various sports practiced in the Roman world at the time: running races, wrestling, discus throwing, and jump, as well at the prizes won by the winners of the competitions. This mosaic is also kept at the Gabes Archaeological Museum.
This mosaic is more recent than the previous ones, and only partly conserved. It was discovered in 1888 in Gafsa, and shows a horse race. It is exceptional in that it also represents the spectators in a stylized way. It is kept at the Bardo Museum, Tunis.
