Turris Tamalleni

Turris Tamalleni was a town in North Africa,^[1] dating from the Carthageinian, Roman, Byzantine and Vandal era.^[2][3]

Map showing Turris Tamalleni

Geography

The town was west of Tacapes and South of Capsa.^[4][5][6] It is located on the oasis of Mansura, 1.5 kilometers from Telmine and 7.5 kilometers from Kebili.

History

Turris Tamalleni town was founded before Carthage, when the Nybgenii Tribe established a fortified granary and a fortified residence for the tribal head.^[7] It was renamed in the 1st century C. Civitas Nybgenorium, and remained the center of the Nybgenii Tribe^[8] and the name Turres being probably the indigenous name.^[9] It was originally a fort on the Roman Limes,^[10] and linked by Roman Road under Domitian.^[11] Later it became a municipium under Hadrian(about 105AD) taking the name Turris Tamalleni.^[12] It is mentioned in the Antonine Itinerary on the road on the borders of Tripoli and Leptis Magna.^[13] During the latter Roman era it was a Bishop's seat and a center of resistance of the Almoravids. The city was taken and destroyed by the Almohads in 1205AD.^[14] An Arab town called Torrah or telmin was built from the rubble of the Roman town and is identified as runs at ruins of Oum-Es-Samâa. Today, nothing remains of the ancient city. All that remains of the ancient town is two large irrigation basins separated by a wall, which were restored in 1780 by the Bey of Tunis, they form a lake of one hectare.^[15]

Bishopric

The Bishopric founded in the fourth century ceased to function with the arrival of the Arab forces, but remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.^[16] The current titular bishop is Linus Lee Seong-hyo, auxiliary bishop of Suwon.

Bishops

• Gaudenzio assisted the Carthaginian council called by Grato in 349.
• At the Carthage conference of 411, which saw the Catholic and Donatist bishops of Roman Africa gathered together, the Catholic Sabratius and the Donatist Jurata represented the city.
• Habetdeum intervened at the synod gathered in Carthage by Huneric the Vandal king in 484, after which Habetdeum was exiled.
• Pentasio attended the antimonotelite council of 641.
• Thomas Keogh (25 Sep 1967 Appointed - 22 May 1969)
• Francis John Dunn (1 Jun 1969 Appointed - 17 Nov 1989)
• Alphonse Liguori Chaupa (24 Jun 2000 Appointed - 4 Jul 2003)
• Paul Ponen Kubi, (24 Dec 2003 Appointed - 15 Jul 2006)
• Damián Santiago Bitar (4 Oct 2008 Appointed - 26 Oct 2010 )
• Linus Lee Seong-hyo (7 Feb 2011 Appointed - )