Thread by @BaytAlHikmah1

The Carthaginians traced roots to Phoenician Semitic cities like Tyre and Arqa. Sources from Josephus to Ibn Manzur and Abu al-Fida describe Canaanites as descendants of Shem, with Phoenicians as their line. Thus Carthage is viewed as a Semitic Phoenician civilization. THREAD 🧵

Phoenicians 🇱🇧 built fortified temples with courtyards and bi-portal facades. They are said to have helped build Solomon’s Temple. Reliefs of Sennacherib show decorated city windows. They built strong walls, ports (cothons), bridges, and cities like Tyre, Arwad, and Carthage.

Carthage, a Phoenician state, was a Western Mediterranean power with a large fleet and trade empire. It used naval rams, produced thinkers like Cleitomachus, and Phoenicians built 183 ports across the Mediterranean, North Africa, and Spain.

Phoenicians founded early North African and Spanish cities like Cadiz, Lixus, Agadir, and Utica. Deserts were Berber areas, coasts Phoenician. Phoenician coastal cities like Sidon had autonomy, and Hercules was linked in tradition to Phoenician origins.

After Carthage’s fall, Phoenicians remained active in the Mediterranean under Rome, noted for advanced navigation. Marinus of Tyre founded cartography and scientific geography and produced early Roman maps reaching as far as China.

Tyre’s houses, noted by Strabo as surpassing Rome, were multi-storied and shaped Phoenician housing in the western Mediterranean, including Cadiz. Carthage, called Canaan, mirrored Phoenicia, and Phoenicians influenced Berber kingdoms and regional political systems.

Arameans influenced the East, with peoples from China to Anatolia and Egypt using their language. Phoenicians produced Roman figures like Maximus of Tyre, teacher of Marcus Aurelius, Paul and Hadrianus of Tyre, and the poet Bion of Phlosis of mixed Phoenician-Greek origin.

Among Levantine figures were Phoenicians, Arabs, and Aramaeans such as Polemon of Laodicea, Beutos of Sidon, Eusebolis of Tyre, Nicolaus of Damascus, Meleager the poet, Avienus and Athanasius of Homs, and Antipater of Manbij, secretary to Severus.

Phoenicians in the Levant, al-Andalus, and Maghreb were Roman allies, not subjects, governed by their laws and early Roman citizens (e.g., Cadiz). Figures include Balbus, Moderatus, Columella, poets Rufus and Latron, and imperial mothers Paulina and Sabina.

Phoenicians of Carthage are said to have circumnavigated Africa. Anatolian Phoenicians include Euclid and Pythagoras Levantine Phoenicians include Marinus of Tyre, founder of longitude/latitude, Mochus of Tyre linked to atomic theory, and Iliya Malko of Ugarit an early historian.

Levantine Phoenicians were maritime and land powers known for navigation, trade, shipbuilding, the alphabet, metallurgy, glass, and crafts, spreading Mediterranean commerce and knowledge. The Fertile Crescent shaped agriculture, influencing Mediterranean science and culture.

In the Islamic era, Fertile Crescent peoples spread crops to the Mediterranean, Africa, and Europe via Sicily, Cyprus, and al-Andalus. Fruits like bananas, lemons, mangoes, watermelons and crops like spinach, eggplant, rice, saffron, cotton, sugarcane, and flax were introduced.

Artaxata, Armenia’s ancient capital, was said by Plutarch and Strabo to have been planned or advised by Hannibal of Carthage under King Artaxias I, later called “Armenian Carthage.” Qusayr Amra in Jordan has an early dome star map built for al-Walid II showing constellations.