Sidi-Meskin

History

Historically, this region was important and wealthy. The historical importance becomes clear with the nearby great Roman cities of Bulla Regia and Chemtou. The Medjerda valley became Roman after the Third Punic War about 146BC and it quickly became an important region for agriculture, with the rolling plains home to numerous Imperial estates. The town is mentioned, like many other nearby settlements, in the Saltus Burunitanus document of Commodus. The Valley fell to the Vandal Kingdom around 423 and for a century was ruled by the Arian kings until in 533 the Orthodox Byzantines replaced them. The area was held by Byzantium until the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb at the end of the 7th century. During the Roman Empire, under the name of Thunusuda the town was part of Roman North Africa, Africa Proconsularis. It was on the Medjerda river between Simitthu and Bulla Regia, and like them both was the seat of an ancient bishopric, which survives today as a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.

Most-observed species

• Ocellated Bronze Skink

  Chalcides ocellatus (Forskal, 1775) · Squamata
  9
• White Stork

  Ciconia ciconia (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6
• Spotless Starling

  Sturnus unicolor Temminck, 1820 · Aves
  4
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4
• Lotus Jujube

  Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. · Magnoliopsida
  4
• Variable mirid

  Calocoris nemoralis (Fabricius, 1787) · Insecta
  4
• Large-flowered Golden Thistle

  Scolymus grandiflorus Desf. · Magnoliopsida
  4
• Moorish Gecko

  Tarentola mauritanica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Squamata
  3

Most recent

• M 4.4 — 2026-01-05
  4 km NNE of Tabursuq, Tunisia
• M 4.3 — 2024-11-28
  14 km WNW of Bou Arada, Tunisia
• M 4.2 — 2012-01-09
  25 km ENE of Souk Ahras, Algeria
• M 4.2 — 2008-04-15
  11 km SW of Tabarka, Tunisia
• M 3.2 — 2005-12-09
  20 km NNW of Béja, Tunisia
• M 4.1 — 2004-07-02
  10 km E of El Tarf, Algeria