Who built the Carthaginian Great Harbour?

The famous Carthaginian Great Harbour was an artificial protected water reservoir. In ancient times this type of ports was called from the Greek cothon (“drinking vessel”). These types of constructions were built especially in lands controlled by Phoenicians, e.g. Sicily or Cyprus.

The Grand Harbour in Carthage consisted of a rectangular commercial harbour connected to an internal guarded military harbour. The protected section of the harbour was circular and was surrounded by an outer ring of structures in which ships requiring maintenance docked. In the middle of the water, there was an island to which ships also landed. The harbour was equipped with slipways, after which ships were released into the water.

Rapidly becoming a thriving port and trading centre, it eventually developed into a major Mediterranean power and a rival to Rome.

According to tradition, Carthage was founded by the Phoenicians of Tyre in 814 BCE; its Phoenician name means “new town.”