Français – عربي – ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ – English
This website was born from the conversations between two passionate people: a young Moroccan woman with a degree in history from Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, and a young Frenchman who lives in Morocco. While talking about this subject, we realized that most North Africans today know very little about the history of their countries before the Arab Muslim conquests. This is why we had the idea to create this website, to make those fascinating historical periods known to Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians, and Libyans. Why this website
Rock art, Tassili n’Ajjer, Algerian Sahara
The first inhabitants of North Africa prospered in the region thousands of years ago. One of the oldest known human fossiles was found in Jebel Irhoud, in the Moroccan province of Safi. Archaeological discoveries show that the customs of these first North Africans were similar to those of the Amazigh people today. Learn more about the first inhabitants of North Africa
Phoenician ship engraving, 2nd Century
A long time later, around 1000 years before our era, Phoenician traders originating from Lebanon established themselves on the North African coasts. They founded many colonies, from Leptis Magna (Khoms) in Libya to Agadir in Morocco. They maintained good relations with the indigenous people: in exchange for the natural resources they bought from them, the Phoeniciens protected them against invaders. Learn more about the Phoenician colonies in North Africa
Ruins of Carthage, Tunisia
Carthage, the most prominent Phoenician colony, became the capital of a powerful Empire that extended on the whole North African coast, and even Spain. For several centuries, Carthage was the great rival of Rome, on the other side of the Mediterranean Sea. The Carthaginian general Hannibal invaded Italy and almost destroyed Rome. Carthage was finally conquered and destroyed by the Romans. Learn more about the Cartaginian Empire
Coin with the effigy of Massinissa
After the fall of Carthage, the Romans took control of the surrounding region. The other parts of North Africa were independent Amazigh kingdoms, like Numidia and Mauretania. The peak of Amazigh civilization amazighe was during the reign of King Massinissa of Numidia. His grandson Jugurtha fought the Romans, until he was defeated and exiled in Rome. Learn more about the Amazigh kingdoms before the Roman conquest
Map of the Roman provinces in North Africa
The Roman ambition to conquer all of North Africa was finally accomplished after the death of Jugurtha and his successors. The Roman provinces in North Africa were Africa, Numidia, and Mauretania. New cities, like Tipasa, Thamugadi (Timgad), and Sitifis (Setif), were founded as a home for Roman military veterans. Several Roman Emperors had North African origins, including Septimius Severus, who was born in Leptis Magna (Khoms). Learn more about Roman North Africa
El Ghriba Synagogue, Djerba, Tunisia – the oldest synagogue in North Africa
The Jews, who have lived in North Africa since Antiquity, were different from all other people the Amazigh knew, as they never seeked to dominate them. They came as families, exiled from the land of their ancestors, to live amongst the Amazigh in their own villages. The Amazigh welcomed them out of solidarity against their common ennemy. At the same time, they earned their hosts’ respect through their profound faith, their honesty, and the new skills they brought with them. Learn more about Jews in North Africa
St-Cyprian Basilica, Carthage
From the 1st Century on, a new religion, born in Palestine, spread quickly around the whole Roman Empire: Christianity. North Africa proved to be an especially fertile ground for the Christian Gospel. Carthage, one of the Empire’s major cities, was also an influential Christian center. Many prominent Christians from the first centuries were North African, including Tertullian, Cyprian, Lactantius, and the greatest of all: Augustine. Learn more about Christianity in North Africa
Dihya, Queen of the Aures
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Carthage was invaded by the Vandals, and then reconquered by the Byzantine Empire. Elsewhere in North Africa, new Amazigh kingdoms reformed. Those kingdoms fought against the Islamic califate soldiers, during their conquest of North Africa. The most famous figure of this time certainly was Dihya (Kahina), the Queen of the Aures, who led an alliance of Amazigh tribes to war against the Umayyad army. Learn more about the Amazigh kingdoms around the time of the Arab conquests