The Historical Roman Ruins Of Dougga, Tunisia

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Dougga is situated in the northern part of Tunisia in the mountain inlands of the country. The city was originally a tiny Berber village that had been fortified to protect it from being invaded by the other tribes in the region. Dougga became the capital of Massinissa, a Roman ally and also one of the candidates to the Carthage throne. The reason for this was also the close proximity of the village to the centre of the Carthaginian territory. The village later became a military post until 2nd century BC when the Romans took over the village and transformed it into a traditional Roman town.

The village began to decline during the Byzantine occupation and it was completely abandoned when the Vandals from East Germany stormed the place. It remained deserted making the town of Dougga fall to ruins with age. The town still remains uninhabited with only a tiny village just across the hills on the other side. The three kilometer town is full of beautiful Roman ruins, some of which have been restored to their original grandeur. Although most of the artifacts, statues and mosaics have been shifted to the Bardo Museum in Tunis, the Roman structures still stand in place and tourists can explore these wonderful sites.

The Capitol is the most significant of all ruins in Dougga, while the Libyco-Punic Mausoleum is one of the finest works of architecture. The Theatre although not very large has been restored to its former look and is typical of all Roman theatre architecture. There are several temples in the vicinity that can be visited as they are also attractive structures of the past. Some of the temples are still in good condition with the Saturn and Juno Caelestis temples reflecting a remarkable piece of architecture. The Victoria Church is the only Christian structure and is located below the Temple of Saturn.

Apart from these structures there are the cisterns and aqueducts, the cobbled streets, Roman baths, Triumphal Arches, Roman Sepulchers, dolmens, Numidian and Patrician houses. The historical site of Dougga was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 and is definitely worth visiting when in Tunisia. Due to its strategic location, it is easily accessible and is a great tourist destination. Dougga has a typical Mediterranean climate with hot, dry and long summers while the winter months are seen to be wet and mild though the region near the coast has a slightly different climate condition.