Djémila

Djémila

Djemila is a Roman ruin town on the Mediterranean coast, has been a World Heritage site since 1982. Known as Cuicul in antiquity, Djémila is an establishment of an ancient Roman colony founded during the reign of Nerva (96 - 98 A.D.). The Roman city occupied a unique defensive position. Cuicul is a flower of Roman architecture in North Africa. The city was remarkably adapted to its mountainous location, on a rocky promontory 900 m above sea level, between the wadi Guergour and the wadi Betame, two mountain torrents. Around the beginning of the 3rd century, the city expanded beyond its bastions with the construction of the temple of Septimius Severus, the Arch of Caracalla, the market and the civic basilica. The site was also marked by Christianity in the form of several cult buildings: a cathedral, a church and a baptistery are among the greatest of the Paleochristian period. The site at Djémila has an impressive collection of mosaic tiles depicting mythological stories and scenes from everyday life.