[2] The account in Procopius's History of the Vandal War of an ancient Punic inscription near the town, which read "We fled here from the face of Joshua the Robber, son of Nun",[3] could be the earliest reference to its national identity.

Known as Tījis during the Islamic Middle Ages, the city was captured by a Kutama Berber force led by Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i in the winter of 907–908, during the latter's campaign against the Aghlabid emir in Kairouan.

Proceeding eastward along the northern of the two main Roman roads to Kairouan, Abu Abdallah's army laid siege to Tijis and eventually got the 500-strong Aghlabid garrison to surrender in exchange for safe passage.

[4] Tijis was later involved in the founding of the Hammadid dynasty: in 1014, the Zirid emir Badis ibn Mansur designated his son al-Mansur as the crown prince and heir to the throne.

Attempting to create a principality for al-Mansur, Badis demanded that his governor Hammad ibn Buluggin hand over the cities of Tijis and Constantine.