Algeria - Roman Mauretania

We start our day at the Setif Archaeological Museum, home to some unusual artefacts, but also some exceptional Roman mosaics including the ‘Triumph of Dionysus’. Afterwards we visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Djémila, our first ancient city, which has been described as ‘one of the most perfect expressions of the meeting of Roman power and African beauty’. We continue to Constantine, one of the splendours of Ancient North Africa.

Our morning is spent first at the beautifully situated ruined city of Tiddis, an authentic Berber site modified by Roman civilization. On to Constantine, the city has always been a natural fortress, dramatically situated on a plateau by a deep ravine. Here we’ll see its museum, kasbah, suspension bridge and the Palace of Ahmed Bey, one of the finest Ottoman-era buildings in the country.

We depart this morning to visit the theatre and museum at Guelma. The Numidian Jugurtha won an important battle against the Romans here. First, we stop at Hammam D’Bagh, home of a thermal complex once appreciated by the Romans who called this place ‘Aqua Tibatanae’. After lunch in the city centre, we continue to Annaba.

St. Augustine ended his days at Hippo Regius, and we visit the splendid ancient city and the basilica dedicated to him in the 19th century. This was once a port, situated on an inlet which has since silted over, leaving the ruins isolated and complete. We travel north into the foothills of the Atlas Mountains to Madaure. This was the birthplace of Apuleius in the 2nd century AD, and later, where the 4th century churchman St. Augustine was educated. The impressive ruins reflect this mixed Numidian, Roman and Christian history. Khemissa is a huge ancient city set in glorious surroundings. We also travel through Souk Ahras, the birthplace of Augustine.

Timgad is the text-book Roman town: the entire layout survives, retaining its playing-card shape and strict grid of streets. The World Heritage list of sites describes it as ‘an excellent example of Roman town planning‘. Trajan ordered its construction in AD100 for veterans of the Third Legion Augusta. Afterwards we continue on to the Roman garrison town of Lambaesis, the main military base of the legion which held the whole of North Africa at the beginning of the 2nd century AD.

We spend our day travelling southwards through the spectacular scenery of the Aurès Mountains to the Biskra province which lies on the northern edge of the Sahara. In the town of El Kantara visits include the mosque and tomb of Sidi Okba, the abandoned mud-brick village of Thouda and canyon village of Rhoufi and lastly the Gorge of Tighanimine.

This morning we fly to Algiers, but before lunch we visit the Bardo Museum housed in a neo-Moorish villa and the Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Arts. After lunch in a private home in the Casbah, a unique kind of medina or Islamic city but also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we end our day with a visit to local mosque and an Arts and Crafts Museum.

We spend the whole of today along Mediterranean west of Algiers. Driving west we reach Cherchell, Phoenician Iol and Roman Caesarea, which was once the capital of the Numidian client King Juba II and his wife Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. Our afternoon is spent at the Roman city of Tipasa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site overlooking the sea, with impressive remains both of the high Roman Empire, and of the early Christian period. We also stop at the huge cylindrical tomb, variously called the ‘Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania’ or the ‘Tomb of the Christian Woman’.

Our tour comes to an end today and we make our independent onward journeys.