Place:Gabès, Gabès, Tunisia

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Gabès, also spelled Cabès, Cabes, Kabes, Gabbs and Gaps, is the capital city of the Gabès Governorate in Tunisia. It is located on the coast of the Gulf of Gabès. With a population of 152,921, Gabès is the 6th largest Tunisian city.^[1] Gabes is 327 km away from Tunis and 113 km away from Sfax.

History

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Etymology

Takapes, the ancient name of Gabès, is a Numidian (Berber) toponym. Later, the prefix "Ta" (meaning "to" in Berber) was dropped, and the place became known as Kapes. As in Arabic the sound /p/ is unknown, Kapes became known as Kabes, and later known as Gabès.

Roman period

Gabès is the ancient Tacapae or Tacape (Τακάπη in Ancient greek) or Tacapes of the Roman province of Tripolitania.

Strabo refers to this city as an important entrepot of the Lesser Syrtis. Pliny (18.22) remarks that the waters of a copious fountain at Tacape were divided among the cultivators according to a system where each had the use of the water during a certain interval of time.

The Tabula Peutingeriana shows Tacape between Macomades and Sabratha.

Bishopric

Tacapae became a Christian bishopric that, no longer being a residential see, is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees.

Three of its bishops are known:^[2]

• Dulcitius, legate of the bishops of Tripolitana to the Council of Carthage (403) and present at the Conference of Carthage (411);
• Servilius, exiled by Huneric in 484;
• Caius or Gallus, legate of the bishops of his province to the Council of Carthage (525).

After the Roman and Christian period

• 7th century: The Umayyad Caliphate conquest. Muhammed's companion Sidi Abu Lubaba Al'Ansari settles in Gabès.
• 1574: Gabès becomes part of the Eyalet of Tunis after the Ottoman conquest.
• 1881: Gabès comes under a French protectorate.
• 1940: Following the Fall of France, Gabès comes under German control.
• 1941: Gabès pogrom
• 1943: Gabès returns to French control with the help of the British (in the Mareth Line). The operation results in serious damage to the city infrastructure.
• 1945: The rebuilding of Gabès starts.
• 1956: Gabès reverts to Tunisian control with the independence of Tunisia from the French.

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