Dugga excursion. Excursion to Dugga in Tunisia. Ancient ruins of Dougga

The Capitol served many different functions in a Roman city. Food warehouses were located here in case of a siege, temples of the main gods were located here, and the administration of the settlement worked.

The temples of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva were located here, which can be considered a “standard set” for Roman colonies in Africa.

In terms of size, the Douggi Capitol can be considered modest; in Udna it is several times larger, but the local temple has preserved the pediment (in the photo on the left, it crowns the columns). This pediment is believed to depict Emperor Antony Pius being carried by an eagle. This is exactly what the deification of emperors after death looked like in Rome. Anthony Pius died in 161, therefore the structure was erected a few years after his death. Scientists date it to 166-167 AD.

Wind area

It's very close. A compass is drawn on the square and all the winds that blow in the area are named. northern Africa. Such a structure causes some bewilderment, because Dugga is located 100 kilometers from the coast, and even large river not nearby. The functions of the “wind area” are still being debated. Also nearby are the ruins of a Byzantine-era citadel.

Forum

The Forum is a square in the center of a Roman city. This is the center of social life of the settlement. Most of the time, markets functioned in the forums of Roman cities. Also at the forum there was political life and citizen voting on various issues of city governance.

The Douggi Forum has been perfectly preserved despite the fact that it was actively used by the Byzantines during the construction of the fortress as a source of building materials.

The podium for speeches, the comitia (place for citizens to vote) and the curia (place of meeting of the representative assembly) have not survived to this day.

Punic Mausoleum

As we already said, this is an exclusive part of the attraction. You won't see anything like this anywhere else.

The first thing worth seeing is the dolmens. These are burial structures that were built here presumably 2000 BC. They look like piles of stones and are easy to recognize.

The second notable structure is called the “basina”. This is also a funerary structure, but from the reign of the Numidians. The bazina has a round shape, you will not confuse it with anything else.

And the most famous building of the pre-Roman period of Duguia is the Mausoleum of Ateban (pictured on the left). This tomb was intended for one of the Numidian kings. The construction is a joint work of the masters of Numidia and Carthage, as evidenced by a plaque in two languages.

You will not be able to see this famous tablet, since it was removed and taken to London back in 1842. It is now kept in the British Museum.

We will not describe everything interesting at the excavation site, but will simply limit ourselves to listing. On the territory there are ruins of houses of rich townspeople, several baths, a brothel, a temple of the god Mercury, a temple in honor of the victory of Emperor Caracalla over the Germans and temples of Pluto and Saturn.

There are a lot of attractions at the Duggie excavations. Plan to spend a full day to see them all. There is no place to hide from the sun on the territory. Stock up on water and don't forget hats, as it is very hot in summer.

Happy excursions, and read our articles about Tunisia ( links below).

In time immemorial, more than 25,000 people lived here; 12 Roman temples have been preserved here in excellent condition to this day (three of them were converted into Christian churches), three baths, numerous reservoirs and fountains, two carefully restored theaters, a nymphaeum, an aqueduct, a market, a circus, several necropolises and mausoleums.

Even the traces of chariots on the cobbled streets have not been erased since time immemorial, and this gives the city an incomparable charm. Today we can easily imagine the majestic infrastructure of a prosperous ancient city.

Numidian rulers lived here in the 2nd century BC, even before the Roman invasion. Here are also the ruins of a Carthaginian tower dating back to the 2nd century BC. This structure reaches a height of 21 m and towers over the southern part of the city. The mausoleum tower has three tiers; on the top there is a pyramidal roof, previously decorated with four harpies; the second tier is with horsemen, and the first is with bas-reliefs with images of quadrigas. The tiers are separated from each other by steps and decorated with Ionic columns. A stele with the names of the builders was placed near the tower.

The Capitol, with its impressive peristyle, or courtyard with columns, is also a must see. In front of the Capitol there is a boulevard connecting the Compass of the Winds Square and the Forum.

The ruins at Dougga are a fantastic opportunity to find yourself in a major Roman city. This place will be visited with pleasure by both history buffs and those who are just planning to get into archaeology.

The ruins are located 110 km southwest of Tunis, 72 km east of Kef and 8 km from Tebursouk.

The former Numidian capital of Dougga is located, having survived Roman and Byzantine rule, Vandal raids and destruction by time. However, the complex, located far from large cities, managed to avoid restructuring, unlike Carthage, which was rebuilt many times. Dougga is listed by UNESCO as the best-preserved Roman city in the world. These days, its arenas host the summer Douggi Festival.

Myths and facts

Dugga was important center Numidian kings until the 1st century. During the Punic War, the Romans destroyed Carthage and established a Roman province in Africa there. Two Roman generals - Pompey and Cato - rebelled against Julius Caesar and enlisted the support of the Numidian king Juba I. Caesar defeated the rebels, capturing most Numidian kingdom.

Dugga became provincial town Roman colony, which was home to about 5,000 inhabitants in the 2nd-3rd centuries. It was a prosperous and wealthy region, with many buildings erected during Roman rule. Many of them have survived to this day.

In the 5th century, the current territories were captured by the Vandals, and a century later they were taken over by the Byzantine Empire, which established its fortresses here. By this time, most of the residents had left Dugga. And when the Arab Caliphate came in 670, Dugga was already a deserted abandoned region. Probably thanks to this, she managed to avoid Arab intervention and restructuring.

What to see

There are many well-preserved Roman buildings in Dugga, including twelve temples, several houses, baths, and a theater.

The Capitol is a fine example of a 2nd century Roman temple dedicated to the Roman triad: Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The roof of the building was destroyed, but otherwise the structure remained virtually unchanged. Is it true, giant statue Jupiter, which was here before, is now in the Bardo Museum in Tunisia.

The Roman theater is located on a high hillside, offering beautiful views of the city and surrounding area. The theater was built in 166-169 and was designed for 3,500 spectators. Interesting feature- the upper part of the structure was built from clay pots built into the walls, which was probably supposed to increase the acoustics of the theater. At the end of July, the Douggi theater festival takes place here.

Below are residential buildings from the Roman period. One of the notable buildings is the Trifolium, a private residence that housed a high-class brothel.

The only fully preserved Numidian structure is the Mausoleum of Ateban, built around 200 BC. e. The three-tier mausoleum, 21 m in length, is crowned with a pyramidal roof.

In Tunisia, in addition to Dougga and the famous Roman ones, you can see the imprints of the Romans in many Islamic buildings, in the construction of which columns and other fragments of Roman structures were used, such as in

Ruins of the former Numidian capital in the north; home to the annual summer Douggi Festival. This city managed to be both a Berber settlement and the Numidian capital. Dougga is considered the best preserved site from the Roman colonization of Africa. It is included in the version of our website.

In contrast, it has never been rebuilt. Despite the fact that the city survived the Byzantine conquest, attacks by vandals, and destruction by time, it is well preserved. In the II-III centuries. about 5,000 people lived there. Many of the buildings of that time have survived to this day. During Byzantine rule, majestic fortresses appeared here.

To the most interesting objects Duggi includes public baths and a theater arena, and one of the most ancient attractions is the Mausoleum of Ateban, built around the 3rd century. BC. during the Punic Wars. A fine example of a Roman temple dedicated to the gods is the Capitol (2nd century AD). The roof of the building has long since collapsed, but the rest is perfectly preserved.

You can get to the ancient city by taxi from nearby Tebursuk. They go all the way to Tebursuk intercity buses from almost any resort in Tunisia.