To the carefree Tourist that visits Ibiza, the dotted references to the Goddess Tanit may not interest them. But to the many spiritual people who make Ibiza their home, she is a very important infulence on the Island. Not much is certain about her background, as the Romans completely destroyed all records of her existence.
What we do know is that she was associated with the Phoenicians, who are credited with the discovery of Ibiza in 650BC. She is also linked to the City of Carthage, which was founded by a group of Phoenician separatists led by a lady named Dido, daughter of the King of Tyre, Belus. Dido and her followers established the settlement of Byrsa, which became a thriving center of trade and commerce. Following the conquest of the Phoenician empire by the Assyrians, Phoenician refugees settled in Byrsa which then grew into the city of Carthage.
After Carthage and Cadiz, Ibiza was the third largest center of the Carthaginian Empire. The Island was an important port of call for the sea faring row boats of the Empire. Even back over 2500 years ago, Ibiza was regarded as a liberal and cosmopolitan city, where ancient worship and rituals were practiced and protected. The pivotal Phoenician goddess Astarte, who the Greeks and Romans worshiped as Venus, is closely associated with the spirit of Tanit.
The Ancient Egyptian God Bes
Many historians argue that Ibiza was the last refuge for Astarte worship after the rise of Christianity which banned all pagan Deity's and Gods. Through Tanit, the Carthaginians worshiped her glory and power which included ritual acts of fertility, sex and orgy's, similar to Dan Browns Priory of Sion characters in the Da Vinci Code.
That special Ibiza vibe ,that many visitors to the Island claim to connect with, is said to be Tanits unique spiritual energy at play. She is still worshiped on Ibiza and along with the Islands close connection to the God of protection and dance Bez, its no wonder that a spirit of fun, hedonism and partying exists there today.
