Von der Statt und künigreich Thunis so nach der Statt Carthago in Africa erstanden ist. / Das sechst buch

Title

Von der Statt und künigreich Thunis so nach der Statt Carthago in Africa erstanden ist. / Das sechst buch

mage shows a coat of arms depicting a naked man on a black background. This coat of arms is titled 'Thunis, an old city.' The reverse side contains German text.

ca. 1574

Artist

Münster (1489-1552)

Sebastian Münster (1489–1552) was a leading Renaissance cosmographer. His most famous work, the Cosmographia (1544), was a comprehensive description of the world with 24 maps, based on research dating back to 1528. Continuously revised, the 1550 edition already included many new maps. It was the first scientific yet accessible world description published in German, illustrated with numerous woodcuts by artists such as Hans Holbein the Younger. Between 1544 and 1650, the Cosmographia appeared in 46 editions (27 in German) and was translated into several languages. Münster’s work combined the knowledge of scholars, artists, and travelers and remained influential long after his death.

Historical Description

Tunis is the capital of Tunisia and provincial capital of the governorate of the same name. Tunis is one of the oldest cities on the Mediterranean. It was only after the Arab conquest and the destruction of Carthage at the end of the 7th century that Tunis achieved supra-regional importance. After being a modest village in the shadow of Carthage, Kairouan and then Mahdia, the city was named capital in 1159 during the Almohad reign. Its status was then confirmed by the Hafsids in 1228. Tunis came under Ottoman rule for the first time in 1534. From 1705 onwards, Ottoman control was increasingly loosened in favor of local rulers, and the country fell into the maelstrom of growing national debt. Following the annexation of Tunisia in 1881, France made Tunis the seat of the protectorate administration. A European-style new town was built between the old town and the sea, and the city port was connected to the newly built port of La Goulette via a shipping canal through Lake Tunis. In addition to French colonists, many Italians also lived in the city, mostly from nearby Sicily. In March 1956, France confirmed the country's independence. Today, Tunis is the economic and commercial capital of Tunisia.