Sousse Archaeological Museum facts for kids
| Musée archéologique de Sousse | |
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| Established | 1951 (reopen in 2012 after reorganisation of the collections and restoration of the building were completed) |
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| Location | Sousse, Governorate of Sousse, Tunisia |
| Type | Archaeological museum |
| Collection size | Phoenician (Punic, Carthaginian), Roman, Byzantine, Christian |
The Sousse Archaeological Museum is a cool place to visit in Sousse, Tunisia. It's an archaeological museum, which means it shows off old things found from the past. You can learn a lot about ancient times here!
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About the Museum
The museum is inside the old Kasbah of Sousse. This building is part of the Medina, which is a very old city area built around the 11th century. The museum first opened its doors in 1951. It was closed for a while to get a big makeover. In 2012, it reopened with new displays and a beautifully restored building.
One of the most amazing things about this museum is its collection of mosaics. It has the second largest collection of mosaics in the whole world! Only the Bardo National Museum in Tunis has more.
Amazing Collections
The Sousse Archaeological Museum has many interesting items from different time periods.
Ancient Finds
You can see very old objects from the Punic period. These include special stone tablets called votive stelae and urns. Some of these items are from as far back as the 7th century BC! They were found by a French archaeologist named Pierre Cintas. He discovered them in ancient sites like the Tophet of Sousse and the Sanctuary of Baal Hammon.
Beautiful Mosaics
The museum is famous for its stunning mosaics. These are pictures made from tiny pieces of colored stone or glass. Many of them show figures from ancient myths. For example, you might see the "Head of Medusa" or the "Face of Oceanus". There's also a mosaic of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, riding his sea-chariot. Other mosaics show scenes from the Nile River, full of animals and plants.
Roman Statues and Artifacts
You can also find marble statues from the Roman period. One famous statue is a bust of the emperor Hadrian. There's also a statue of Periapus, a Roman god of fertility.
The museum also displays items found in ancient tombs. These items come from Hadrumetum, which was the old name for Sousse. Many were discovered in the city's two large catacombs. These underground burial places are called the Catacomb of Hermes and the Catacomb of Good Shepherd. They date back to the Roman period.
The Good Shepherd Tablet
The Catacomb of Good Shepherd is named after a special marble tablet. This tablet shows a shepherd carrying a sheep on his shoulder. It was found in the catacombs and is now a famous piece in the museum. This image is a Christian symbol of the Good Shepherd. It represents Jesus saying, "I am the good shepherd, who is willing to die for the sheep." It also reminds us of the Parable of the Lost Sheep, where God is like a shepherd looking for one lost sheep.
Christian Treasures
Besides the Good Shepherd tablet, the museum has other Christian artifacts. You can see decorative terracotta tablets with Christian themes. One shows Adam and Eve covering themselves after eating the forbidden fruit.
The museum's pride and joy is a Byzantine period baptismal font. This font is covered with colorful mosaics and was found in the nearby town of Bekalta. It's a beautiful example of ancient Christian art.
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Other Interesting Finds
The museum also has local pottery from Greece. These items were found in Punic tombs at El-Kasabah. You can see ancient oil lamps and marble funerary epitaphs. These epitaphs are special carvings on tombstones, written in Greek and Latin languages.
Images for kids
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A representation of the Good Shepherd.
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The Magerius Mosaic from the 3rd century AD. It shows a wild beast hunt in an amphitheater.
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A mesmerizing mosaic from the 2nd century. It shows the Gorgon with wings and snakes around her head.
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See also
- African archaeology
- Culture of Tunisia
- List of museums in Tunisia
