I had never heard of Dougga nor did I know of Tunisia's importance throughout history. Being on this trip enlightened me about a part of history that I'd never studied. It has caused me to have more respect for the contributions of the native Berbers and the Arabs who came to North Africa in the 7th century and to want to learn more about this fascinating part of the world, which, quite frankly, I find charming. I can better understand why French artists were so attracted to life here.
Anas, our guide, says that travel is important because we learn about the world and become more tolerant of each other. In fact, Tunisia has been a multicultural country since its early history. It has incorporated many cultures simply because people appeared on the scene, borrowed from each other, and just lived together. One example of this is in Testour (click here to see my blog post on this town) where the tower of the Mosque was built by Andalusian Moors and Jews after they were kicked out of Spain and immigrated to Tunisia in the 1600's. A Star of David was also put on the tower as a deliberate statement about the solidarity that existed between Islam and Judaism simply because they believed in the same God.
In fact, Dougga saw six different cultures live here over the centuries where the people built on and
incorporated their values--and their buildings--into the place. Only the abandonment of the city allowed erosion and dust to cover it up.
Then in the 1800s, French archeologists found what was once a 10,000-person city by
digging deep down into the earth. The French had colonized Tunisia, and they made this tremendous contribution to the country's patrimony and
the world's understanding about the blend of cultures.
Dougga's history goes back to the Paleolithic period (10,000 years ago) when people were hunters and gatherers, makers of stone tools, and artists of cave paintings. The Neolithic period (9,000–4,500 BCE) was characterized by the
domestication of animals, farming, and the
manufacture of pottery and textiles.
Dougga proved to be a prized location by many peoples because it offered water, fertile land, natural protection, and stone for building.
The city was founded in the 6th century BCE by the Numidians, who descended from the Berbers, among the earliest native tribes to trade with the Phoenician settlers of Carthage. The Sicilians captured Dougga in the 4th century BCE and held the city until the Romans arrived around the 2nd century BCE. However, the Romans lived along side the Berbers who remained in the area and jointly governed the city. As time went on, the city became more and more romanized because the Berbers adopted Roman culture, behavior, law, and became Roman citizens. In 205 CE, the two communities came together to form one municipality.
By the 4th century, Dougga began to decline and was taken over by Byzantium. Many buildings were destroyed so that the stone could be used to build a fort. The Muslim invasions (647-709) reduced the size and population of the city, but it remained in tact and functioning. The city as it exists today consists essentially of remains from the Roman era dating for the most part to the 2nd and 3rd century. Many of its statues and mosaics are on display at the Bardo Museum in Tunis. Below is a sketch of the city followed by several important ruins uncovered by archeologists as well as several key sites that our travel group visited.
The Capitol, one of the most beautiful monuments of Dougga was the temple dedicated to the three god protectors of Rome: Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The giant statues of the gods were placed
in three big niches within the temple. Construction probably ended in 166-167 CE. The Capitol is exceptionally well preserved, which is a consequence of its inclusion in the Byzantine fortification. The capitol stands on an area surrounded by porticos. It dominates its surroundings because of its imposing appearance.
The gate of Dar Lacheb frames the Capitol in rather dramatic form. It is not clear what this structure was but some archeologists believe it was a temple dedicated to Aesculapius, the god of medicine. Dar Lacheb was built between 164 and 166, the same era as the capitol.
The
forum is the living center of the city where celebrations, festivals,
ceremonies, games, political speeches and proclamations took place. It
is relatively small (9,950 square feet) and better preserved in some
places than others
because construction of the Byzantine fort damaged a large section of
it.
Next to forum is the "square of the Rose of the Winds" that leads to the Temple of Mercury. The first forum was built in Rome in 616 BCE on the ground peripheral to the city. It gradually moved to the city center and eventually was covered with stone.
The "square of the Rose of the Winds"—which is named after a compass rose that is engraved on the floor. It once served as the Byzantine citadel, which reused a section of the ruins after the city's decline.
The
Temple of Mercury (right) was built between 180-192 CE near the
marketplace (below) on purpose. Mercury, the god of commerce, ushers
travelers through the universe who bring goods to the market.
The market dates from the middle of the 1st century. It took the form of a square (116 ×92 ft) surrounded by a portico and shops on two sides. The portico occupied the northern side while an exedra (semicircular architectural recess or platform) stood the southern side. The exedra probably housed a statue of Mercury, the god of commerce.
Roman
theatres were a fundamental element of a city from the reign of
Augustus (27 BCE - 14 CE). The theatre, which was built in AD 168
or 169, is one of the best preserved examples in Roman Africa. It could
seat 3,500 spectators, even though Dougga only had 5,000 inhabitants.
The theater is still used for performances of classic theater,
particularly during the festival of Dougga. Conservation work on it
continues.
The small Temple of August Piety was built during the reign of Hadrian (117-138). The temple faces the "square of the Rose of the Winds". Behind the temple, on the foundations of the Temple of Fortuna, Venus Concordia and Mercury, stands a mosque. The mosque is the last remnant of the little village that existed on the site until the creation of New Dougga.
The Licinian Baths have much of their original walls intact, as well as a long tunnel used by the slaves who worked at the baths. The baths were donated to the city by the Licinii family in the 3rd century. They were primarily used as winter baths. The frigidarium (cold water rinse) has three arcades at both ends and large windows with views over the valley beyond. The baths were pleasant places of indulgence and pampering. Incorporating the view outdoors was also important.
The cross-hatched stones of the streets were made in order to reduce slippage. Below is a manhole cover for the sewer system. Clever Romans!
These
are the public toilets. The trough at the foot is where the water
flowed to wash afterward. Of course, our group could not resist
posing together here.
This is a private toilet, probably in someone's house.
This two-story house was built in the 3rd century. It is the largest house in Dougga. It consists of a trefoil-shaped dining room, courtyard, garden, a porch facing the street, a 21-step staircase, and columnated porticoes covered with stucco that surround it. The rooms were small.
This mausoleum is surrounded by olive trees. It is 69 feet tall and was built for a Numidian prince in the 2nd century BCE by the inhabitants of the city. The monument owes its current appearance to the work of French archaeologist Louis Poinssot 1879-1967) who reconstructed it from pieces that he found strewn on the ground.
Although Dougga's history is best known from the time of the Roman conquest, numerous pre-Roman monuments, including this mausoleum as well as a necropolis and several temples show the site's importance before the Romans' arrival.
Dougga has two triumphal arches. The Septimius Severus's arch stands close to the mausoleum and opens to the route leading from Carthage to Théveste. It was erected in AD 205.
Alexander Severus' arch (222-235) is equidistant from the capitol and the
Temple of Juno Caelestis. It is 13 ft tall.
The first Western visitors came to the site in the 17th century, but it wasn't until the18th century and the start of the 19th century that European interest in archeology took off. After France established Tunisia as a protectorate in 1881, archeological interest not only led to the creation of a national antiquities institute but it made the excavation of Dougga a priority that paralleled the works going on at Carthage.
After Tunisia's independence in 1956, other buildings were excavated. Unfortunately, the last inhabitants of Dougga were evicted and relocated to a village located on the plain several kilometers away; it is named New Dougga. In 1991, the government decided to make the site at Dougga a national archaeological park. A cooperative scientific program was then established to promote the study of the inscriptions found at the site and the pagan temples. In 1997, Dougga was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dougga
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