Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis


World Heritage Identification Number: 332

World Heritage since: 1985

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇹🇳 Tunisia

Continent: Africa

UNESCO World Region: Arab States

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Kerkuane: An Ancient Punic City in North-Eastern Tunisia

The Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis, located in north-eastern Tunisia near Cape Bon, is a significant archaeological site that offers a unique glimpse into the Phoenician civilization. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, this ancient city stands as the sole surviving example of a Phoenicio-Punic urban settlement.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

This Phoenician city was probably abandoned during the First Punic War (c. 250 B.C.) and as a result was not rebuilt by the Romans. The remains constitute the only example of a Phoenicio-Punic city to have survived. The houses were built to a standard plan in accordance with a sophisticated notion of town planning.

Encyclopedia Record: Kerkouane

Kerkouane or Kerkuane is the site of an ancient Punic city in north-eastern Tunisia, near Cape Bon. Kerkouane was one of the most important Punic cities, with Carthage, Hadrumetum, and Utica. This Phoenician city was probably abandoned during the First Punic War and was not rebuilt by the Romans. It had existed for almost 400 years.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 0.1119 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition

Coordinates: 36.94639 , 11.09917

Image

Image of Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

Archaeological Site of Carthage
70 km — Tunisia
Medina of Tunis
84 km — Tunisia
Ichkeul National Park
129 km — Tunisia
Medina of Sousse
131 km — Tunisia
Kairouan
167 km — Tunisia

Country Information: Tunisia

Flag of Tunisia

Official Name: Tunisian Republic

Capital: Tunis

Continent: Africa

Population (2024): 12,277,109

Population (2023): 12,200,431

Population (2022): 12,119,334

Land Area: 155,360 sq km

Currency: Tunisian dinar (TND)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Kerkouane, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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