House of Tanit

The most revered temple in Kerkouane, the House of Tanit, located in 3 rue de l' Apotrophiom, was dedicated to the Punic moon goddess Tanit. Brought to Africa by the Phoenicians about 800 BC, she is believed to have absorbed an older Berber goddess. It encloses a courtyard with columns and a bath supplied with a seat and armrests. The temple's floor is ornamented with a simple white Tanit sign, as an amulet that provides some protective power. A technique called opus signinum was applied to decorate the floor; it was made by inserting fragments of white stone amongst the red paving as an early form of mosaic.