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Dougga, Tunisia

Alan Parker

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The Roman ruins at Dougga, 105km (65mi) southwest of Tunis, rate as the most spectacular and best preserved in the country. They occupy a commanding position on the edge of the Tebersouk Mountains, overlooking the fertile wheat-growing valley of the Oued Kalled. The site was occupied until the early 1950s, when the residents were moved to help preserve the ruins.

There's a lot to see at Dougga, and unless you're operating on a super-tight budget it's best to hire a licensed guide. The first monument you'll see is the 3500-seat theatre, which was built into the hillside in 188 AD by one of the city's wealthy residents. It has been extensively renovated and makes a spectacular setting for floodlit performances of classical drama during the Dougga Festival in July and August. Just past the theatre, a track leads to the Temple of Saturn, erected on the site of an earlier temple to Baal Hammon. Southwest of the theatre, a winding street leads down to the Square of the Winds, where the paving is laid out like an enormous compass and lists the names of the 12 winds. Another temple borders the square to the north, while the market and capitol lie to the south and west, respectively.

The capitol is a remarkable monument - one of the finest in Tunisia - that was raised in 166 AD. Six enormous, fluted columns support the portico, which is some 8m (25ft) above the ground. The frieze has an unusually unweathered carving depicting the emperor Antonius Pius being carried off in an eagle's claws. Inside was an enormous statue of Jupiter, fragments of which are now in the Bardo Museum in Tunis.