About Tunisia - Tunisia Guide & Information

After the Almohads (a Muslim Berber movement that developed into the leading political power in North Africa and Spain in the 12th and 13th centuries) took Tunis from the Normans in 1159 and established control throughout Tunisia, they put it under control of the Hafsid family, a wealthy family with strong connections with the Almohads.

However, in 1229 the Hafsids declared independence from the Marrakech-based Almohads after rejecting their religious doctrines. Tunisia blossomed under the schism, and entered what is known as the ‘golden age’, with an explosion of new architecture and other cultural characteristics, and Tunis at its sparkling centre.

The empire then went into a temporary decline, twice conquered by the Merinids in Morocco in 1347 and 1357. However, the empire wasn’t quite defeated and the Hafsids did regain control. However, concurrent with this were outbreaks of plague which caused a considerable drop in the population, weakening the Hafsids' hold on its people.

Under the 14th century Hafsids there was a considerable rise in cases of piracy against Christian ships, particularly under Abd al-Aziz II (1394-1434), and the yield of this booty was put into a programme supporting art and culture.

In the 16th century the Hafsids increasingly became caught up in the power struggle between Spain and the Corsairs, French privateers supported by the Ottoman Empire, and the latter conquered Tunis in 1574, ending the Hafsid reign permenantly.