Tunisian Olive Oil in History : A Rich Past
For thousands of years olive oil has been prominent in all the great civilizations that have prospered in Tunisia. The olive tree was cultivated by the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Romans and the Arabs, in a tradition that has been passed down from father to son ever since.
Olive cultivation in Tunisia dates back to the 8th century BC, even before the founding of Carthage by Queen Dido. The Phoenicians were the first to introduce this crop to North Africa.
In the Carthaginian period, olive cultivation started to spread on account of several advantages granted to olive-growers.
Romans continued the expansion of olive-growing stepped-up irrigation, olive oil extraction technique. Excavations at Sufeitula (present-day Sbeitla) and Thysdrus (El Jem) and Roman mosaics discovered in Sousse attest to the widespread culture of olive-trees throughout Tunisia.
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Andalusian arabs settled in Tunisia to take advantage of olive cultivation opportunities. Helps granted to olive-growers with low-fat imposition, encouraged them to bring out a huge territory by planting olive trees.
Since Phoenicians and through great civilizations that have prospered in Tunisia, olive cultivation occupied a prominent place in the country’s culture and economy.
Tunisian olive oil origin \ O. N. H. Tradition \ Quality & Packaging \ Export experience
