TunisiaTourismTV - Somewhere on the Northern shore of Tunisia, between
Tabarka and
Cap Serrat, strange remains stand on a rock above the clear water… That is what is left of the former
French trading post of
Sidi Mechreg.
This establishment dates back to the
16th century. At the same time, Italians settled in Tabarka: they left there the famous
Genoese Fort.
Just like the Italians in Tabarka, the French came for fishing coral, the “red gold of the Mediterranean”, that was abundant in Tunisian waters.
Later on, the trading post of Sidi Mechreg was used to export cereals from the fertile plains of Northern Tunisia. Indeed, during the 17th century, Europe experienced some periods of food shortage and relied on Tunisian wheat to feed its population.
The trading post included a harbor, a citadel and an arsenal, of which only fragile remains beaten by the waves are visible today.
English
