QABIS

also spelled Gabs, Latin Tacapa, town, southeastern Tunisia. The town is located at the mouth of the Qabis River, which has its source 6 miles (10 km) upstream at the Ras al-Oued (springs), the town's main water source. Situated on a Mediterranean oasis along the Gulf of Gabes, Qabis was founded as the Roman trading centre of Tacapa. Declining somewhat under Turkish rule, it experienced a modest revival during the French Protectorate (18811955) when a railway, a road network, and a port were constructed. The modern town is still an important oasis and trade centre, with some fishing, fruit growing, and textile milling in the vicinity. Industrial developments include a chemical complex and iron and cement works. The surrounding area embraces much of semiarid south-central Tunisia. It contains the settlements of Matmatah (Matmata), which is the home of Berber olive growers, al-Hammah (el-Hamma), which is a trading centre of the Beni Zid nomads, and several other important oases. Pop. (1984) town, 92,298.