The remains of the ancient Roman city of Thamugadi, also known as Timgad, are located northeast of present-day Algeria, in the Batna province. Originally called Colonia Marciana Ulpia Traiana Thamugadi, it was founded as a Roman military colony around AD 100, during the reign of Emperor Trajan. Often described as Africa’s Pompeii, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered one of the best urban examples from Roman times, featuring all the elements of a large Roman town, including an orthogonal grid plan, two main oriented streets, a large forum, baths, markets, a library, a theatre, and an imposing Capitol.
The founding of Thamugadi was closely linked to the presence and activities of Legio III Augusta, which had been stationed at Lambaesis since AD 81. Under the command of the legatus augusti pro praetore Lucius Munatius Gallus, the Third Augustan Legion received orders from Trajan to establish a colony for its veterans. The new city lay on the road coming north from Cirta (Constantine), and on the west-east road stretching from Lambaesis to Theveste (Tébessa), then north-east to Ammaedara (Haïdra) and Carthage. The city was named after Trajan’s sister, Ulpia Marciana (AD 48-112), and the name Thamugadi likely originated from the Berber word for the location where the city was established.
The Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajan Augustus Germanicus, son of the Divine Nerva, High Pontiff, holding the Tribunician power for the fourth time, Consul for the third time, Father of the Country, founded the Colonia Marciana Trajana of Thamugadi, through the efforts of the Third Augustan Legion (under the command of) L. Munatius Gallus, Imperial Propraetorian Legate. Dedication marking the founding of the city, AD 100
Together with Lambaesis, Diana Veteranorum and Mascula, Thamugadi formed part of a network of military settlements responsible for monitoring and controlling the military routes through the mountains.
Roman Rule in North Africa (146 BCE to 395 CE). Hadrian ordered the soldiers of the Third Legion to pave the military road between Carthage and Theveste (CIL VIII 10081) and to construct a road from Rusicada to Cirta (CIL 08 10296). Map created by Simeon Netchev (link)
Initially, Thamugadi occupied an area of 12 hectares. Its regular grid, inscribed in a square with sides of 355 meters, was divided into four parts by two intersecting main streets that run north–south (cardo maximus) and east–west (decumanus maximus). Over the next 300 years, the city expanded beyond the original grid, increasing from 12 hectares to 50 hectares, and added new quarters, totalling 111 blocks (insulae), each measuring 20 meters square. At its peak, the city’s population reached 15,000. An inscription in the forum sums up life in Timgad: “venari lavari ludere ridere occ est vivere” (“to hunt, to go to the baths, to play, to laugh: this is to live”).
Christianity prevailed in Thamugadi in the 4th century AD, and it was one of the most prominent centres of the Donatist movement, a Christian sect that challenged the Catholic Church and the Roman Empire. The Vandals destroyed the city in 430. Some years later, in 484, it suffered attacks from the Mauri, causing the population to leave. The Byzantines recaptured and rebuilt the city, integrating it into Byzantine North Africa until the Arab invasion devastated the region. By the 8th century AD, Thamugadi had become uninhabited.
The museum, located at the site’s entrance, features a collection of over 80 mosaics, including the mosaic of Neptune on his chariot, Artemis and Actaeon, and Venus riding on the back of a marine centaur.
PORTFOLIO
The Cardo Maximus (north–south-oriented street), looking towards the North Gate. The Cardo Maximus was 180 m long and 5 m wide. It was paved with slabs of bluish limestone and lined with porticoes.Side street with wheel ruts.The Small Northern Baths, one of the fourteen public bathing establishments which have been identified in the city.The Public Library, built in the late 3rd century or early 4th century AD on the site of a pre-existing private house.A certain Marcus Julius Quintianus Flavius Rogatianus donated 400,000 sesterces to his hometown to fund the Public Library.Inscription recording that M. Quintianus Flavius Rogatianus left the sum of 400,000 sesterces in his will for the construction of the Public Library. (AE 1908, 0012). The inscription, which once surmounted the entrance to this building, now lies against the rear wall of the courtyard.One of the small city blocks measuring 20 square metres.A secondary street separating two small city blocks near the Forum.A very well-preserved public latrine next to the Forum with seat armrests carved in the form of dolphins.The Forum, a vast square (50 × 43 m), paved with blue limestone and surrounded on all four sides by Corinthian colonnades raised two steps above the central area.Laid out when the colony was founded, the construction of the Forum took place progressively during the first half of the 2nd century AD. In the Forum were important buildings such as the curia, a basilica and a small tetrastyle temple dedicated to Victoria.Board game carved into the pavement with Latin inscription Venari, lavari, luderi, rideri, occ (=hoc) est vivere (to hunt, to bathe, to play, to laugh, that is life). CIL VIII 17938.The Forum was full of statues, of which a number of bases remain in position.Statues in the Forum included those of the gods Mercury, Marsyas, Fortuna Augusta, Victoria Augusta, Concord, as well as several statues of emperors, including those of Trajan, Antoninus Pius, Septimius Severus, and Caracalla.Building/dedicatory inscription in the Forum dedicated to Antoninus Pius and set up by consul designatus Lucius Matuccius Fuscinus, dated AD 158/9.The East Market lining the decumanus maximus with an internal courtyard featuring two intersecting semicircles, each adorned with its own portico.The peristyle, featuring Corinthian porticoes, of the House of the Raised Flower-Beds, which was accessed from the decumanus maximus adjacent to the Forum.View from the Forum looking south.The Theatre, located south of the Forum. Cut into the side of a natural hillock, it had a capacity of 3,500 to 4,000 spectators.The lower part of the cavea of the theatre is reasonably well preserved, as is the orchestra. Nothing, however, remains of the stage building (scaenafrons).View of the city from the theatre with the so-called Arch of Trajan in the background.One of the small city blocks with the Capitolium and the so-called Arch of Trajan in the background.The Great South Baths, founded in the 2nd century AD and enlarged in AD 198 by decree of the decurions.The caldarium of the Great South Baths with the remains of the hypocaust underfloor heating system. Twelve statues decorated the baths, including portraits of the emperors Valerian and Gallienus (left statue base) and Crispina, the wife of Commodus (right statue base).Semi-circular latrine in the Great South Baths. It had 28 seats and was originally paved with a fine mosaic of aquatic creatures.The Great South Baths, located at the intersection of four roads, featured a fountain at the corner where the southbound cardo curves to the west.One of the streets running parallel to the Cardo Maximus.View of Thamugadi looking north with the so-called Arch of Trajan on the west side.The road leading towards the Capitolium and the so-called Arch of Trajan.The ruins of the Capitolium, dedicated to the Capitoline triad of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, built outside of the Forum in the mid-2nd century AD. The temple was not part of the original city layout.The Capitolium stood on a massive podium (53 × 23 m in plan and 6.7 m high) approached by a flight of 38 steps. The cella (17 × 11 m), of which only the foundations remain, was surrounded on three sides by columns 14 m high, on top of which were huge Corinthian capitals (in two parts) 1.6 m high.View of Thamugadi from the area of the Capitolium, looking north.Columns from the east portico of the Capitolium.View of Thamugadi from the area of the Capitolium, looking north.View of Thamugadi from the area of the Capitolium, looking northeast.Market of Sertius, built in the beginning of the 3rd century AD.The rectangular peristyle court of the Market of Sertius terminating in an apse. Three permanent stalls with stone counters stood on either side of the entrance at the north end, while nine more were arranged around the apse.Shop counters in the apse of the Market of Sertius. The roof of the apse was supported by the columns of the main portico, extending across the diameter and around the hemicycle, via engaged colonettes and architraves, which were in turn supported by elaborately carved console brackets.The rectangular peristyle court of the Market of Sertius with the theatre in the background.Temple dedicated to the Genius of the Colony, built in AD 169 under Marcus Aurelius.The so-called Arch of Trajan, a triple arch built on the Decumanus Maximus at the beginning of the 3rd century AD during the reign of Septimius Severus, on the site of the West Gate of the Trajanic colony. Its modern appellation is the result of an erroneous interpretation of an inscription at the beginning of the twentieth century.The so-called Arch of Trajan was 12 metres high and had three arches, with the central one used for wheeled traffic, while those on the side were for pedestrians.View from the Decumanus Maximus towards the Forum and the Theatre.The Great North Baths.View of the city from the Great North Baths.
Timgad Museum
The museum of Timgad is located at the entrance of the site. It features a particularly impressive collection of over 80 mosaics and other significant artefacts discovered at the site.Mosaic of the Philadelphi. The central panel depicts the pursuit of Antiope (represented as a Maenad) by Zeus, disguised as a satyr, and bears the inscription “FILADELFIS VITA” (Long life to the Philadelphians). Dated early 3rd century AD.Neptune in his chariot, from the East Baths of Thamugadi. The god brandishes his trident as he stands in his chariot, which is drawn by four sea horses. Dated 3rd century AD.Artemis and Actaeon Mosaic, from a private house in Thamugadi. Dated 3rd century AD.Mosaic with vegetal and floral designs.Museum of Timgad.Marine Venus mosaic, depicting the goddess as naked, seated on the back of a marine centaur, accompanied by another sea centaur. From a private house in Thamugadi. Dated 3rd century AD.Mosaic with vegetal and floral designs.Mosaic with fruits.Funerary stelai dedicated to Saturn.Carved offering table from a stele dedicated to Saturn.
Blas de Roblès, Jean-Marie; Sintes, Claude; Kenrick, Philip. Classical Antiquities of Algeria: A Selective Guide (p. 127). Society for Libyan Studies. pp. 375-444
The UNESCO World Heritage site of Djémila, meaning “beautiful” in Arabic and also known by its Berber name Cuicul, is located near the northern coast of Algeria, east of Algiers. Nestled between two deep ravines at an elevation of 900 meters above sea level, Djémila features streets with wheel ruts that are lined with elaborate houses, a forum, temples, markets, and triumphal arches. The site exemplifies Roman town planning adapted to its mountainous location.
Cuicul was a veteran colony founded under Nerva (r. AD 96-98). It was a prosperous commercial city during the 2nd and early part of the 3rd centuries AD, outgrowing its original defensive wall and reaching a population of over 12,000. Under the Antonine Dynasty (AD 96-192), the town had a forum, a capitol, several temples, a curia (town hall), a market, and a theatre. Under the Severan dynasty (AD 193-235), new districts were laid out around a new forum. Cuicul became a city where retired soldiers enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle.
Latin inscription mentioning the Numen Caesaris of Cuicul and the name of the colony. ILAlg II.3
Christianity came to Cuicul early, with the first bishop recorded in AD 255. Religious buildings appeared by the end of the 4th century AD as the southern extension of the city, known today as the Christian quarter, with its baptistery, chapels, and basilicas. The city fell to the Vandals and had a brief renaissance under the Byzantines during the first half of the 6th century AD, only to be abandoned after the Arab invasion of North Africa.
The Museum of Djémila is located within the site and contains beautiful Roman mosaic pavements found on the site. They cover around 1700 m², almost the whole of the wall space of the museum. Highlights include a hunting scene mosaic – the 10-metre-long so-called Mosaic of the Ass and the Toilet of Venus.
PORTFOLIO
View of Cuicul from above.The Roman theatre, constructed into the side of the hill overlooking the valley, was built in AD 161 at the initiative of Caius Julius Crescens and Caius Julius Didius Crescentianus, who decorated it with statues of Fortuna and Mars, patrons of Cuicul. Its two tiers of seats could have accommodated 3,000 spectators.
The Old City/Forum
The Cardo Maximus leading to the North Gate. This street, which averaged 5 m wide, was bordered on both sides by a 3.50 m wide pavement sheltered by porticoes and a Tuscan Doric colonnade.The Tuscan Doric colonnade of the Cardo Maximus.An arch on the Cardo Maximus next to the Temple of Genetrix. Crowned by an elaborately carved cornice, this monument features a single archway flanked on either side by two engaged Corinthian columns.The Temple of Genetrix. This sanctuary is enclosed within a trapezoidal courtyard surrounded by porticoes on three sides.The Temple of Genetrix stands on top of a podium approached by twelve steps.The Forum was located at the heart of the original settlement. It was a paved square measuring 48×44 m with porticoes on two sides. It included the curia, judicial basilica and Capitoline Temple.Dedications in the Forum dedicated to Hercules (AE 1914, 0236) and the Genius of Cuicul (AE 1908, 0241).Purification altar in the Old Forum decorated with carving in relief. One side shows the requirements for a sacrifice, the other a winged genius from whom sprouts vine tendrils and ears of corn.Dedication set up and paid for by the city of Cuicul to the Pietas of Antoninus Pius. AE 1916, 0017Building dedication to Hadrian. ILAlg-02-03, 07777The Market of Cosinius was put up by the brothers C. and L. Cosinius, who spent 30,000 sesterces for its construction during the reign of Antoninus Pius (AD 138-161).The Market of Cosinius was a square building with a portico on all sides and a circular tholos in the middle of its central courtyard. There was a circular kiosk in the courtyard’s centre and eighteen shops around the market perimeter fronted with stone counters adorned with animal heads and garlands.Torso of a statue of Jupiter from the Capitolium. This temple was dedicated to the Capitoline Triad: Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. Due to the slope’s decline, the temple was built on arches and piers of a massive basement, which is the only part that remains today. The Capitolium was probably built in the second half of the 2nd century.
The New Severan City/Forum
View of the New Severan Forum from above.The back side of the Temple of the Gens Septimia in the Severan Forum and the western colonnade.The Severan Forum was located in the heart of the new city of the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. The new Forum was a large quadrilateral square covering 3,200 sq.m, dominated by the Temple of the Gens Septimia.The square had porticoes on its two long sides. It was paved throughout; in front of the basilica, a dedication records that the god Mars was the natural protector of this city founded by military veterans.The dedicatory inscription recording that the god Mars was the protector of the city founded by military veterans. AE 1912, 0026The Severan Forum.The Temple of the Gens Septimia was dedicated in AD 229, during the reign of Alexander Severus, to the gens Septimia (the imperial family of the Severii).The Temple of the Gens Septimia stood on top of a podium approached by a second flight of 13 steps, the uppermost of which passed between the four columns of the pronaos. The interior of the building was adorned with marble. Inside, colossal heads of Septimius Severus and his wife, Julia Domna, were discovered.Colossal head of Septimius Severus found inside the Temple of the Gens Septimia.The North portico of the Severan Forum.The double eastern entrance to the Severan Forum along the road leading to the theatre and eventually to Cirta.The western side of the Severan Forum with the Arch of Caracalla.The Arch of Caracalla. The monument was erected in AD 216 by the people of Cuicul in honour of the reigning emperor Caracalla, his mother Julia Domna and his deceased father, Septimius Severus.The north portico of the Severan Forum that separated the old and new city.
The Christian Quarter
The entrance to the Christian Quarter.The entrance to the Basilica of Cresconius.The Basilica of Cresconius, a huge church (40x28m) with a central nave flanked on either side by two aisles.The Basilica of Cresconius.The North Basilica. Measuring 30x15m, it has a nave with two aisles separated by reused columns.The Baptistery, a circular pavilion built of bricks and surmonted by a dome.The interior of the Baptistery, an annular corridor with a square basin surmounted by a ciborium of stone, provided for baptism.The seating recesses inside the Baptistery. Originally rendered with stucco, recesses (36 in total) provided the neophytes with seats and space for clothing.
The Western Quarter
The Western Quarter with the House of Bacchus. The lavish middle-fifth-century House of Bacchus included a peristyle court embellished with four basins and mosaics, a huge banqueting hall paved with a mosaic of hunting in the amphitheatre, two gardens, and a fish pond.View of the Western Quarter with the House of Bacchus (left) and the Great Baths (right).The northern side of the Cardo Maximus.The southern side of the Cardo Maximus.A conical fountain on the Cardo Maximus. This monument takes the form of a 5 m high cone. A lead pipe delivered water into a circular basin adorned with pinecone finials on its rim.
The Djemila Museum
The courtyard of the museum housing the colossal head of Septimius Severus, geometric mosaics, architectural fragments, votive stelai dedicated to Saturn and other inscriptions.The interior of the museum with mosaic pavements covering almost the whole of the wall space, from floor to ceiling.Two funerary statues of a couple.
Model of the ruins of Cuicul.Mosaic depicting the Toilet of Venus from the House of the Ass. Crowned with a diadem and sitting in a shell supported by two tritons, Venus gazes at her reflection in a mirror. At the four corners, nereids riding marine creatures escort the goddess. Dated to the late 4th or beginning of the 5th century AD.The Rape of Europa, mosaic from the House of Europa. Dated to the late 4th century or 5th century AD. Above a sea inhabited by dolphins, fishes and other marine creatures, Jupiter, disguised as a bull, is carrying off Europa on his back.Great Hunt Mosaic, from the banqueting hall in the House of Bacchus. Dated to the mid-4th century AD.
Blas de Roblès, Jean-Marie; Sintes, Claude; Kenrick, Philip. Classical Antiquities of Algeria: A Selective Guide (p. 127). Society for Libyan Studies. pp. 100-137
following hadrian photography 