Gabès

Gabès
قابس
Gabès
Coordinates: 33°53′N 10°07′E / 33.883°N 10.117°E / 33.883; 10.117Coordinates: 33°53′N 10°07′E / 33.883°N 10.117°E / 33.883; 10.117
Country Tunisia Tunisia
Governorates Gabès
Population (2014)
 • Total 130,984[1]
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Website Official website

Gabès (Tunisian Arabic: ڨابس‎  Gābis), also spelled Cabès, Cabes, Kabes, Gabbs and Gaps, is the capital city of the Gabès Governorate in Tunisia. It lies on the coast of the Gulf of Gabès. With a population of 130,984, it is the 6th largest Tunisian city.[1]

History

Etymology

Takapes, the ancient name of Gabes, is a Numidian (Berber) toponym. Later, the prefix "Ta" (meaning "to" in Berber) was dropped, and the place became known as Kapes. As in Arabic the sound /p/ is unknown, Kapes became known as Kabes, and later known as Gabes.

Roman period

Gabès is the ancient Tacapae[2][3] or Tacape (Τακάπη in Ancient greek) or Tacapes[4] of the Roman province of Tripolitania.

Strabo refers to this city as an important entrepot of the Lesser Syrtis. Pliny (18.22) remarks that the waters of a copious fountain at Tacape were divided among the cultivators according to a system where each had the use of the water during a certain interval of time.

The Tabula Peutingeriana shows Tacape between Marcomades and Sabratha.

Bishopric

Tacapae became a Christian bishopric that, no longer being a residential see, is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees.[5]

Three of its bishops are known:[6]

After the Roman and Christian period

1928 map of Gabes under the French.

Education

Economy

Gabès is one of the biggest industrial cities in Tunisia. Most industries are chemical oriented, this is why the city offers one of the best chemistry degrees in Africa from the University of Gabès. The main industries are:

The fast-growing numbers of factories has resulted in fairly serious pollution of the area and of the Gulf of Gabès. In recent years the government is working on new programs and laws to decrease the amount of pollution.

Transport

Gabès – Matmata International Airport is in the city.

Gabès will soon be upgraded with one light rail system under the number 7 that will run from the railway station to the port of Gabès. Featuring rolling stock made by Alstom, Gabès will receive 15 new train sets.

Railways

Gabès is terminus of a narrow gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) branch railway from the capital, and is the nearest railway station to the Libyan border at Ras Ajdir. Gabès has also one of the biggest ports in Tunisia; it is used usually to ship the mineral products from the city of Gafsa.

Roads

Gabès will be linked soon with the national motorway A4 (Tunis - Ras Ajdir)

Climate

Gabès has a semi-arid climate, characterized by a hot and dry season and a cool and arid season.

Climate

Climate data for Gabès
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 29.3
(84.7)		 33.1
(91.6)		 41.0
(105.8)		 38.0
(100.4)		 41.9
(107.4)		 46.2
(115.2)		 46.2
(115.2)		 46.6
(115.9)		 44.2
(111.6)		 40.1
(104.2)		 34.0
(93.2)		 31.2
(88.2)		 46.6
(115.9)
Average high °C (°F) 16.5
(61.7)		 18.1
(64.6)		 19.7
(67.5)		 21.8
(71.2)		 24.6
(76.3)		 27.3
(81.1)		 30.6
(87.1)		 31.3
(88.3)		 29.5
(85.1)		 26.0
(78.8)		 21.5
(70.7)		 17.5
(63.5)		 23.7
(74.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 12.0
(53.6)		 13.3
(55.9)		 15.1
(59.2)		 17.7
(63.9)		 20.8
(69.4)		 24.0
(75.2)		 26.6
(79.9)		 27.4
(81.3)		 25.6
(78.1)		 21.7
(71.1)		 16.8
(62.2)		 13.0
(55.4)		 19.5
(67.1)
Average low °C (°F) 7.5
(45.5)		 8.4
(47.1)		 10.4
(50.7)		 13.6
(56.5)		 16.9
(62.4)		 20.7
(69.3)		 22.6
(72.7)		 23.5
(74.3)		 21.7
(71.1)		 17.4
(63.3)		 12.1
(53.8)		 8.4
(47.1)		 15.3
(59.5)
Record low °C (°F) −2.7
(27.1)		 −2.0
(28.4)		 0.9
(33.6)		 4.6
(40.3)		 8.2
(46.8)		 12.0
(53.6)		 15.6
(60.1)		 16.8
(62.2)		 10.3
(50.5)		 6.8
(44.2)		 2.6
(36.7)		 0.0
(32)		 −2.7
(27.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 24.3
(0.957)		 19.4
(0.764)		 23.2
(0.913)		 12.7
(0.5)		 6.8
(0.268)		 3.0
(0.118)		 0.7
(0.028)		 1.1
(0.043)		 22.8
(0.898)		 44.1
(1.736)		 31.5
(1.24)		 33.3
(1.311)		 222.9
(8.776)
Average precipitation days 3 3 4 3 2 1 0 0 2 4 4 3 29
Average relative humidity (%) 62 59 62 63 65 66 63 65 66 64 62 64 63
Mean monthly sunshine hours 220.1 215.6 251.1 267.0 313.1 321.0 372.0 353.4 279.0 260.4 228.0 210.8 3,291.5
Mean daily sunshine hours 7.1 7.7 8.1 8.9 10.1 10.7 12.0 11.4 9.3 8.4 7.6 6.8 9.0
Source: NOAA[8]
Gabès mean sea temperature[9]
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
16
(61)		 15
(59)		 16
(61)		 17
(63)		 19
(66)		 22
(72)		 26
(79)		 28
(82)		 27
(81)		 25
(77)		 22
(72)		 18
(64)

Tourism

Overview

Gabès is famous for its traditional Souqs in Jarah; it is known also for its attractive beach and the unusual seaside oasis (Gabès is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea). The best parts of the beach are in the south of the city (Road to Djerba). The best one is the Lemawa or Lemaya beach. The government is planning to build a tourist zone there in the coming years. Gabès has a unique feature in the world, in this city you find the mountain, the sea, the oasis and the desert. The streets of Gabès come alive at night during Ramadan, where sook's (shops) are open on the streets and parties happen almost everyday in the night during Ramadan. The most visited place in Gabès is the town Matmata.

Place to visit:

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on May 28, 2008, in the Cultural category.[10]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat 2014 – Population, logements et ménages par commune et arrondissement". National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  2. ↑ D. L. Bomgardner, Story of the Roman Amphitheatre (Routledge 2013 ISBN 978-1-13470739-3), p. 123
  3. ↑ Paul Lachlan MacKendrick, The North African Stones Speak (UNC Press 2000 ISBN 978-0-80784942-2), p. 15
  4. ↑ Trismegistos, "Tacapae"
  5. ↑ Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 980
  6. ↑ Stefano Antonio Morcelli, Africa christiana, Volume I, Brescia 1816, p. 295
  7. ↑ Mareth Line
  8. ↑ "Gabès Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Gabès Climate and Weather Averages, Tunisia". Weather2Travel. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  10. ↑ Oasis de Gabès - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
  11. ↑ Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; Professor Emmanuel Akyeampong; Mr. Steven J. Niven (2 February 2012). Dictionary of African Biography. OUP USA. pp. 89–90. ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5.
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