Utica, Tunisia

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This article is about the ancient city of Utica in Tunisia. For other places with this name, see Utica.

Utica is an ancient city northwest of Carthage near the outflow of the Bagradas river (al-Majrada) into the Mediterranean Sea.

The city of Utica was one of the first ports in Africa founded by the Phoenicians around 1100 BC, long before the establishment of Carthage, which would eventually become its rival. Utica served as a re-supply port for boats making the long trip from Phoenicia (ancient Lebanon) to two other Phoenician cities also founded around 1100 BC: Gadir (modern Cadiz, Spain) and Lixis (modern Larache, Morocco). The remains of Utica are now located 10 km from the coastline.

Utica sided with Rome against Carthage in the Third Punic War and, consequently, the city became the capital of the Ancient Roman province of Africa between 146 and 25 BC.

Utica is celebrated as the place where Cato the younger, the last remaining opponent of Julius Caesar in the Roman Civil War, made his final stand at the battle of Thapsus (6th April 46BC) and killed himself. For this, he is known as "Cato Uticensis" (Cato of Utica).

Utica has been partially excavated and the remains include a market and temples to Baal and Tanit.