Timgad, Algeria | Information

One of the most wonderful Roman existing places, ruins of Timgad stretch almost as far as there are enough eyes on the plain which is cold and desert and in the summer hot and dry a tinder in the winter. Its fine preservation made it, the UNESCO world heritage site - takes time slowly to walk, inhabit the place, and Timgad will be spring to life.

From an entrance the way conducts by the museum which was closed many years for general public and the reserve only of scientists. It is a shame because it contains especially impressive collection of more than 200 mosaics found here some of which are nearly a size of the modern house. Among masterpieces there is a big still life with the groups showing various products; Triumph of Venus (right number) surrounded with great decorative border; and a mosaic Filedelfis of Vita in whom god pursues Jupiter Anti-opened.

Excellent bathtubs

From the museum the way leads on the northwest to Excellent Bathtubs of the North, the huge public place about 40 numbers constructed out of original walls of a camping. Bathtubs were intended symmetrically, with the same bathrooms, warm and hot rooms on both sides from a complex, having brought into the central frigidary, cold number with the ice deep pool and number from any end for relaxation after a bathtub. Only out of it the remains of a big private country house, proofs of wealth which Timged enjoyed. Except many large rooms, the owner of this desirable residence had own bathtubs in which hot room once there was Filadelfis mosaic (exposed in the museum now).

Town Centre & Library

Back to the museum, the way which was the road to Konstantina once (then Cirta) proceeds in a northern exit of the city. The original Roman city was intended as the beautiful square 355 m long on each party, with this set of an exit in the middle of its northern wall. From here you strike Maximus's cardo, the basic between the North and the South the street, a long direct extent of the paving laid furrows by the chariot which runs uphill to the downtown. Five meters wide and 180 m long, it covered one of the main leaks, and at its beginning colonnaded was limited to galleries or porticoes.

The first building on the left internal part, an exit was one of 14 bathtubs or Spa Timgeda while the house in the neighborhood, one of at least hundred which were dug out here provides the proof of to be turned into a Christian chapel is later. The most interesting creation on this street is all the time five islands of Reylya or blocks, in from a northern exit before reaching the center. Intended in the 4th century, using earlier structure again, it is only one of two known Roman periods Public libraries, at the same time another in the Hilt (Turkey). The most easily recognized part of Public library - bookstore, semicircular number which still shows niches in which 'books' were saved (actually pages of the manuscript or rolls of parchment). Only out of here, cardo comes to an end at the T-shaped intersection of decumanus with Maximus, the main artery of the city the East - the West. There is a beautiful view of ranks of columns of the West along the street, and, at distance, Traian's Arches.

In east direction the paved way leads to east bathtubs finished in 146 AD and the Exit of Mascula which noted east end of the city and the beginning of the road to what to be now Khenchela. But continue immediately the South, through decumanus, to big open space which was a forum. The street party of a forum was lifted with a number of shops and, to the left of you was public bathrooms, the large room with 24 stocky openings on open leak, lengthways which, everyone hopes, water constantly flowed. The forum, 50 m by 43 m and surrounded with limestone of a column of the Corinthian, a statue, the temple, municipal offices and, later a big basilica, would provide some desired open space in the city. It, apparently, also inspired worthy feeling of wellbeing of envy because the following slogan engraved on steps, Venare, lavari, ludere, ridere, occ vivere assessment - hunting, bathe, play, laugh which is life.

Theater and Fort

The due South of a forum, theater was one of civil pleasures of Timged. It was created in with 160, having interrupted a slope and had placement for the whole 3500 people in its ranks. The French archeologists restored the majority from what us we see today; the original was got by soldiers of the emperor Justinian when they constructed the next fortress in 539. Regardless of the fact that the main show for visitors today - a beautiful view of the whole place from 'gods', the top placement of theater proceeded here in old times.

From theater it it is worth going in a corroded way and through a bush to a fort. Byzantines made the decision to construct out of the initial settlement in the territory of earlier shrine to divinity of the trustee of a water source. Unlike an original camping of Timgad which was never surrounded, a fort - large military structure, 112 m by 67 m, its walls of limestone 2.5 m thick, protected by towers in each corner and at the exit. In a fort the officials were divided into four parts around the pool related to the water deity and soldiers on the right at the left. The remains of barracks and many other numbers can be sorted among excessively rapid growth. The earth around a fort as the most part of Timgad, has to be dug completely out nevertheless.

Capitol & Market

Return to the center, the change of the direction left by the remains of the Capitol which is easily determined by two extensive columns which are still standing on its lifted platform. The Capitol was devoted as the temple which it repeated which stood in the center Rome, to gods to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. It was the most sacred place of pagan religion and when it was finished in 160 AD, the most impressive, having put the bigger place, than the forum reached by flight of 28 steps. Remains a little out of this two restored, 14m-high columns and some fragments which fell nearby. This external road proceeds by the 'new' Sertius market with its plates where dealers laid out the equipment to one of the main monuments of Timged.

Traian's arch

When it was the first, the constructed Timgad had western exit in many respects as exits in other countries of light. But at the beginning of the 3rd century when the city already extended to the West out of its original grid and was closed by a new triumphal exit, an original internal exit was replaced with Traian's Arch. Increase, a heap with three arches helps to connect the new city to old and is the most graceful of the surviving Timged's structures. High central pass was reserved for chariots, their pass smoothing along bumpy stones reduction of the leading deepenings. Arches which any party was for pedestrians who passed lower than couple of high flank columns and a stare of imperial statues.

Timgad, Algeria | Information, North Nfrica