Ethel Davies, author of Bradt‘s North Africa: The Roman Coast, has travelled the region extensively. It’s a fascinating area, full of well-preserved Roman ruins, as Ethel enthused in her interview with Heritage Key. The Romans signalled their arrival and dominance in North Africa with the destruction of Carthage in 146 BC. By the third century AD, there were as many as 600 Roman cities at the northern end of the African continent. Prior to this expansion of the Roman empire, the northern coast had been home to Phoenician, Punic and Greek settlers and traders.
Here, she gives us her top 10 Roman sites in North Africa.
1. Leptis Magna (Libya)
Originally a small town of no particular importance, the backwater’s standing soared to prominence when one of its natives, Septimius Severus, rose to the rank of Emperor in AD193. Compelled to make the location worthy of its favourite son, Septimius poured money and effort into the city. Italian archaeologists of the early 20th century also put a great deal of work into reconstruction. Today, the location is one of the few remaining that projects a sense of what an Imperial city was really like in its day, from the glorious arch standing at the crossroads of the Cardo and Decumanus, to the wonderful theatre with the sea backdrop, with markets and bathhouses en route.
2. Sabratha (Libya)
Despite its history that goes back before the Phoenicians, the dominant and most wonderful feature is the Roman theatre. Constructed in the pink stone of the region, with its intact semi-circular seating area facing the stage and three-story columned backdrop, the blue of the Mediterranean peaks through the gaps to add yet more scenery. At the base of the stage are friezes depicting mythological figures, rare objects today. There are many other wonderful aspects of the site, my favourites include the Seaward Baths, with coloured mosaics that edge the sea.
3. Dougga (Tunisia)
This delightful place sits high in the heart of fertile rolling hills, overlooking grain fields and olive groves. The lower part shows its ancient origins (one of two Punic mausoleums in North Africa is here – the other is in Sabratha) and the upper, shows off elements of classical Rome. Meandering through the well-preserved site is a constant discovery. The Forum has a superb collection of temples wedged together, with later Byzantine fortifications backing them up, while the bathhouses, theatre and temples at the edges of the excavated area are definitely worth the ramble.
4. El Djem (Tunisia)
This spectacular amphitheatre, third largest in the Roman world and arguably the one in the best condition, is stunning, Rising up above the flat, fertile, inland plane, this enormous round structure dominates the scene and the small town.
Wander around inside taking in the view from the top tier and then underneath the arena, where combatants, both animal and human, were kept before the main events. Nearby is the House of Africa, a museum built around an actual villa.
5. Cyrene (Libya)
The prime glory of this complex is its location, high up on a hill overlooking fields and the Mediterranean Sea below, although its secondary features, such as the enormous Temple of Zeus, the gymnasium/Agora/Forum and the House of Jason Magnus with its wonderful mosaics are attractions in their own right. Most important is the Sanctuary of Apollo, the location of the city’s original Greek founding, a section located down the hill, with its own series of temples and sites.
6. Timgad (Algeria)
Dating from Trajan’s fortified establishment for retired army veterans in AD100, this settlement is built to an archetypal template of a regional Roman town. Constructed on a flat plane, the grid system works perfectly and virtually all the features needed for Roman life are here. From the preserved theatre, note the Triumphal Arch and the Forum as reference points. It’s hard to find a better example of a provincial city.
7. Sbeitla (Tunisia)
The most striking feature here is the golden pink look of the buildings. A large city with virtually all the remains dating from its Roman period starting about AD100, the best complex is around the Forum. Here, the capitoleum, a temple dedicated to the three main deities, Jupiter/Saturn, Juno and Minerva, found in most Roman towns, is unusually divided into thirds, with three different adjoining buildings, each a beautiful construction in its own right. Ironically, also an important Christian site, there are remains of early churches, basilicas and baptismal fonts.
8. Volubilis (Morocco)
The site of the Numidian/Mauretanian client King Juba II’s dream city and impressive in its own right, this place is one of the few Roman ruins in Morocco. Its far flung location meant that the constant attacks of foreign invaders proved too much for the Roman and they let the province go much sooner than the rest of the region. The buildings around the Forum, especially the basilica, are impressive and some of the best mosaics still situated in their original villa homes are located here.
9. Djemila (Algeria)
Situated at 900m on a rolling hillside, the greenery and the views add to the wonderful preservation of the town giving an excellent impression of how provincial Romans really lived. There are many features of a thriving settlement, but some of the most impressive are the dominant Arch of Caracalla, the centrally located Temple of the Severans (an excellent example of the deifying of an imperial family) and the Cardo Maximums, the main highway that seems to stretch into the horizon.
10. Bulla Regia (Tunisia)
Remains (dolmens) indicate the site was inhabited as early as 1000BC, but it’s the Roman aspects that make this place odd, if not unique. Most of the city lies underground, with elaborate, catacomb-like residences situated beneath the earth. Many of the villas are intact and contain superb mosaics, particularly the one in the eponymous House of Amphitrite. Explanations as to the subterranean nature of the town include harsh weather, but I’m not convinced, as the climate in this part of Tunisia isn’t worse than other above ground settlements. The Forum, and other areas including the large, elaborate thermal baths of Julia Memmia (the wealthy niece of the Emperor Septimius Severus’s second wife) are above ground.
