Dougga

A complete Roman town on a hillside among olive groves: a 3,500-seat theatre, the Capitol, baths, temples and a Libyco-Punic mausoleum, all with almost nobody around.

History

Thugga was a Numidian town before Rome. Romans and Numidians lived side by side here for centuries, which is why the town plan is so irregular.

Customs

Wear proper shoes: the paving stones are original and uneven.

Food

Picnic among the olive trees with bread "tabouna" bought in Teboursouk.

Best time

Spring, when the site is covered in wild flowers.

The bilingual inscription from Dougga's mausoleum, in Punic and Libyan, helped scholars decipher the ancient Libyan script. The original stone is now in the British Museum.