"Dougga" Roman city located in northwestern Tunisia

Located in the northwest of Tunisia, 120 km west of the capital, the Tunisian town of Dougga, which means "rocky mountain",  the most prominent witness to the effects of a whole Roman city, which was a distance of 70 hectares.

It was founded in 500 BC and was part of the Carthaginian Empire. It was then occupied by the Romans and became one of the most important cities in the world and the second most important Roman city in North Africa after Carthage, in the northern suburb of Tunis.

UNESCO qualified Dougga as a World Heritage Site in 1997. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in Tunisia and North Africa. It has ruins that represent a period of historical history, starting with the Carthaginian monuments, such as the tomb of Ativan Ibn Abtimtah, a prince of Numidia, who lived in the third to second centuries BC, and Roman temples and ending with the Byzantine fortifications.

History indicates that the historical city of Dougga was an ally of Rome against the Carthaginians and was therefore not destroyed by the Roman forces that invaded Carthage in 146 BC. The city of Rome was annexed by Caesar to his empire about a century later, and witnessed an unparalleled rise and prosperity until the middle of the third century AD. The architecture of the city of Dougga differs from the traditional Roman city architecture, such as the city of Pompeii in Italy and Jerash in Jordan. The Roman architect seems clear and clear.

In the center of the city of Dougga, there is the square, market, corridors, hot baths, Roman theater, private houses and modest temples.

Dougga was founded in the 4th century BC, then became the capital of Numidia kings, and a seat for local princes and indigenous people. During its early stages of development, Dougga was influenced by the Phoenician city of Carthage, coming from the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. The 21-meter-long Libyan mausoleum of the Carthaginian tomb bears witness to this phase of the city under the influence of two different civilizations. King Masinisa (148 BC) was said to have hoped to unite all the Mamluks under his leadership, but he could not fulfill his dream. When the Romans invaded Carthage, they annexed the city of Dougga to their rule without destroying it.

The original inhabitants of Dougga were influenced by the Roman architectural style and adopted it. The wealthy and powerful families established monumental monuments such as the Romans. Therefore, many of these monuments are found everywhere in the city.

The site, in which Tunisia turned it into the most important archaeological site in the country, contains in a large number of the most beautiful monuments, where the Roman Theater, which can accommodate more than 3500 people, one of the most beautiful of these features, and the theater is located in the entrance to the ancient city.

In addition, the capitol is a Roman temple from the 2nd century CE, principally dedicated to Rome’s protective triad: Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Juno Regina et Minerva Augusta. It has a secondary dedication to the wellbeing of the emperors Lucius Verus and Marcus Aurelius; judging by this reference, the capitol must have been completed in 166-167 CE.

The archeological site includes a number of rock idols, each of which reflects the features of the people who lived in that city, which includes the Phoenician history and Roman architecture. The idols are characterized by their large size and light robes worn by kings and city men.

The houses in this Romanian city are distinguished by the fact that its floor is furnished with large mosaic panels, which indicates the artistic spirit enjoyed by the inhabitants of that city, which today has become a tourist landmark.

Dougga buildings are very regular in structure and shape, and it is the richness and diversity of the historical and natural landscape of Dougga that explains their inclusion in the World Heritage List.