Gulf of Gabès
The Gulf of Gabes, also Cabès, Cabes, Gaps,Tunisian Arabic: خليج قابس ḫalīǧ qābis, also known as Lesser Syrtis (from Greek Σύρτις; Syrtis Minor in Latin), contrasting with the Greater Syrtis in Libya, is a gulf on Tunisia's east coast in the Mediterranean Sea, off North Africa. The gulf roughly spans the coast from Sfax to Djerba. At the head of the gulf is the city of Gabès (Ghannouche) where the tides have a large range of up to 2.1 m at spring tides. Both Gabès and Sfax are major ports on the gulf, supporting sponge and tuna fisheries, with Gabès being the economic and administrative center.
Antiquity
The Latin name Syrtis Minor is used by Pliny the Elder, quoting an earlier description in Polybius 1.39.2, who uses the equivalent Ancient Greek: ἡ μικρὰ Σύρτις (elsewhere also Σύρτις ἡ μικρὰ, Σύρτις ἡ μικροτέρα, ἡ μικροτέρα Σύρτις).
An alternative name was Λωτοφαγῖτις σύρτις Lotophagitis surtis "Syrtis of the lotus-eaters," reported by Strabo. (Compare Syrtis Major, the ancient name of the Gulf of Sidra.)
Gabès
Gabès (Tunisian Arabic: ڨابس 
Gābis), also spelt Cabès, Cabes, Kabes, Gabbs and Gaps, is the capital city of the Gabès Governorate, a province of Tunisia. It lies on the coast of the Gulf of Gabès. With a population of 152,921 (census 2014) it is the 6th largest Tunisian city.
History
Etymology
Takapes, the ancient name of Gabes, is a Numidian-Berber name. Later, the prefix "Ta" (meaning "to" in Berber) was dropped, and the place became known as Kapes. As in Arabic the sound /p/ is unknown, Kapes became known as Kabes, and later known as Gabes.
Roman period
Gabès is the ancient Tacapae or Tacape (Τακάπη in Ancient greek) or Tacapes of the Roman province of Tripolitania.
Strabo refers to this city as an important entrepot of the Lesser Syrtis. Pliny (18.22) remarks that the waters of a copious fountain at Tacape were divided among the cultivators according to a system where each had the use of the water during a certain interval of time. The Tabula Peutingeriana shows Tacape between Marcomades and Sabratha.
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