Gafsa

Gafsa, originally called Capsa in Latin, is the capital of Gafsa Governorate of Tunisia. It lends its Latin name to the Mesolithic Capsian culture. With a population of 105,264, Gafsa is the 9th-largest Tunisian city.OverviewGafsa is the capital of the southwest of Tunisia and is both a historical oasis and home to the mining industry of Tunisia. The city had 111,170 inhabitants at the 2014 census, under the ruling of the mayor, Malek Necibi. The city lies 369km by road southwest of Tunis. Its geographical coordinates are.Ancient historyExcavations at prehistoric sites in the area have yielded artefacts and skeletal remains associated with the Capsian culture. This Mesolithic civilisation has been radiocarbon dated to between 10,000 and 6,000 BCE.6000BC years ago at Capsa the Neolithic people named Snail eaters and known for their extensive middens of snail shells are believed to be the ancestors of the modern Berbers.The city of Capsa belonged to King Jugurtha, who deposited his treasures there. It was captured by Gaius Marius in 106 BC and destroyed, but later became a Roman colonia, and was an important city of Roman Africa near the Fossatum Africae. Roman cisterns are still evident in the city ruins