Tunisian mosaic “Africa”

This program presents the “Africa” mosaic, an emblematic work from the 2nd century AD discovered at El Jem. The central portrait, characterized by its headdress made from an elephant's remains, is a personification of the African continent as imagined in Roman times. This stamp underlines the strategic and cultural importance of the province of Africa (present-day Tunisia) in the Roman Empire. It testifies to national pride for an exceptional archaeological heritage and recalls the deep historical links which unite Tunisia to the identity of the continent whose original name it bore.