Metline () is a commune and town on the Mediterranean coast, in the Bizerte Governorate of northern Tunisia. As of 2004, it had a population of 7,370.[ Recensement de 2004 au niveau municipal (Institut national de la statistique)] It is located approximately north of Tunis, southeast of Bizerte and northwest of Ras Jebel. The commune of Metline occupies a peninsula extending between the mountains, the sea and the forest, with a coastline of more than . Cape Zebib is to the northeast. The commune was created on May 3, 1967.
History
Founded in the sixteenth century, there are traces also of a Roman city, Benvenutum, as well as ninth century strongholds from the times of the
Aghlabids dynasty. Metline fought against the Spanish during the 1534 and 1574 conquests. Ottoman soldiers settled in the area thereafter and may have lent the name Metline to the town as many of the soldiers were from
Mytilene,
Greece. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, a second wave of settlement brought
Moors who were driven out of
Andalusia when it was reconquered by the Catholics in 1492. A World War II battery at Metline consisted of two naval turrets.
Economy
Metline has a small administrative center for services as it is a center for agricultural commercial operations of the surrounding countryside, including vegetables, wheat, and fodder. A small fishing harbor at
Cape Zebib supports the local fishing industry. A festival in June honors the
Centracanthidae, called Chawri in Metline.Handmade embroidery in original and Ottoman motifs are of similar styles to those found in the former Ottoman territories of
Eastern Europe. A
wind farm project with 46
was expected to be completed by 2011.
Culture
The population of Metline is Arab. Turkish loan words, such as that for violet (
mor ou
mour) and barracks (
kichla) have entered the language; Greek loan words are also used, such as
skala, meaning old port. Typical dishes include a traditional
macaroni. The town, built on a steep slope, is known for its "cubic, terraced dwellings and arcaded streets in the Andalusian style", as is the nearby village of
El Alia.
The most prominent landmark is the Great Mosque of Metline, with its square minaret.
See also
-
List of cities in Tunisia
