Carthage National Museum, along with the Bardo National Museum one of the two main archaeological museums in Tunisia, is a national museum displaying archaeological items; it is sited at the hill of Byrsa in the heart of the city of Carthage. Founded in 1875, it is one of the country's most extensive museums.
Located near the Cathedral of Saint-Louis of Carthage, it allows the visitor to appreciate the magnitude of the city during the Punic and Roman eras. Some of the best pieces found in excavations are limestone/marble carvings, depicting animals, plants and even human sculptures. Of special note is a marble sarcophagus of a priest and priestess from the 3rd century BC, discovered in the necropolis of Carthage. The Museum also has a noted collection of masks and jewelry in cast glass, Roman mosaics including the famous "Lady of Carthage", a vast collection of Roman amphoras. It also contains numerous local items from the period of the Byzantine Empire. Also on display are objects of ivory. The museum was founded in 1875 by Cardinal Charles Martial Lavigerie in the premises of the monastery; its name until 1956 was the Museum Lavigerie.