This paper will deal with the first collections of antiquities in the Regency of Tunis, their role as a cultural expression of authority, specifically their use in the assertion of local power and international distinction. The Campaign of Egypt demonstrated the will of expansion of the colonial empires not only in economic and military terms, but in cultural and scientific as well. It generated and validated interest in the most fascinating treasure of Egypt: its archaeological heritage. Uncovering this kind of cultural heritage had a similar relevance in other Arab countries of the Mediterranean, and it became one of the reasons for colonization, just as diffusion of Western civilization was for the Roman Empire before. In Tunis, the first collections of antiquities were established in the 19th century. European Consuls, foreign fellows, and international traders acquired most of the archaeological remains from the old city of Carthage and from the rest of the Regency. However, whether it was an instrument for economic gain, personal taste, or prestige, this occidental practice of collecting antiquities was not limited to foreigners; it also touched the local ruling class. Ministers, and probably the Bey himself, established rich collections of antiquities. The most famous belonged to the main politicians of the 19th century: Mustapha Khaznadar and Khayr Al-Dîn Pacha. Thanks to strong determination and occasional use of the army for excavations, this collection gained renown outside the country and guaranteed the fame of their owners on a transnational level when it was exhibited at the World’s Fair of 1855 and 1873. In a Muslim country with an iconoclastic tradition, collecting antiquities transformed the local culture. Based on unpublished documents from the National Archives of Tunis, London and Paris, this paper will show how collecting antiquities, which was at the center of diplomatic and financial interests, also moved to the center of cultural expression and social distinction among the local elite. Through the interaction and the influence of different political entities collections became a testimony of political superiority that lead the ruling class to become for the first time invested in a cultural heritage, formerly ignored, and to make it referent of a national identity than existed prior to the French colonization in 1881.