Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World

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Gabes
(1,359 words)

Gabes (Ar. Qābis)is the last major port city in southern Tunisia before the Libyan frontier. It is situated on the Gulf of Gabes (the Little Syrte) 404 kilometers (251 miles) south of Tunis and 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Gafsa. The present city of Gabes is actually a conglomeration of four smaller towns: two ancient oases, Menzel and Djara; New Djara, dating from the era of the Arab conquest; and the port itself, El-Bihar. The development of the port area was a pet project of the French protectorate (1881–1956).

Like Qayrawān, Gabes was an important Jewish center during the Middl…

Cite this page
Haim Saadoun, “Gabes”, in: Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, Executive Editor Norman A. Stillman. Consulted online on 28 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1878-9781_ejiw_COM_0008180>
First published online: 2010



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