Tunisia
throughout its history had been ruled by great empires of the Mediterranean . Each empire was leaving behind many fascinating vestiges that attract the attention of many people in the world . Tunisia was the choosen place of the mighty city-state of
Carthage
for six centuries . Then the country was taken over by the Roman empire where it remained at this state for about eight centuries . After that , it was opened by Arab-Islamic armies who ended Tunisia's
Byzantine
and Berber rule and bring the country into the Arab influence . A thousand years later , for which the last three centuries the county was at least under nominal Ottoman rule , Tunisia became a protectorate under the French influence . The country finally gained its independence in I956 when it was ruled for the next three decades by the well-known modernizer , Habib Bourguiba .
