Tophet of Salammbô
توفاة قرطاج
Carthage's Punic sanctuary and cemetery, with rows of stelae and urns that bear witness to the controversial sacrificial rituals.
The Tophet was an open-air sanctuary dedicated to the gods Baal Hammon and the goddess Tanit, and was in use for about six hundred years from the 8th century BC. Excavations have yielded thousands of clay urns containing the ashes of infants and animals, along with stelae carved with the Tanit sign. Classical sources say the Carthaginians sacrificed children, and scholars still debate whether the site was a place of sacrifice or a cemetery for children who died young. Visitors can see rows of stelae and underground chambers, and the atmosphere is solemn. It is included in the combined Carthage ticket and is about a 5-minute walk from Carthage Salammbô station on the TGM light rail.
Opening hours
About 08:30–17:00
Nearby sights
- Punic Ports of Carthage
- Acropolium of Carthage
- Carthage
- Antonine Baths
- Ennejma Ezzahra
- Sidi Bou Said
- La Marsa Beach
- Gammarth