Borj Gourbata

Borj Gourbata was an ancient Roman-Berber town in Qafşah, Tunisia. It is located at latitude 34°16'22.01", longitude 8°32'56" and 135 meters above sea level.^[1][2] The town is in the Sahel region of Tunisia, but at the junction of the Oued ech Cheria and the Oued el Jemel Wadis,^[3] making it an important oasis in the Sahara. It is situated between Gafsa and Chott el Jerid.^{[citation needed]}

Map of Borj Gourbata in Tunisia.

History

In Roman times the town^[4][5] was on the Roman Limes in the Roman Province of Africa proconsularis and latter Byzacena.^[6] The town was known as Castellum Thigensium or just Thiges.^[7] As the name suggest it was a fortification,^[8] and was probably the first fort on the limes being built in 75AD.^[9]

The town appears on the Tabula Peutinger and was also the seat of a Christian bishopric, which survives today as a titular see of the Roman Catholic church.^[10] The current Bishop is Stanislaw Gębicki of Poland.^[11][12]

In the Middle Ages the town was known as Tgiws^[13]

The French excavated ruins s in the 19th century^[14]

The town was taken in the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb in 647AD,^[15] though Roman and Berber populations remains the majority till the 9th century when there were revolts in the area.