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DOUGGA
Roman ruins 
PANORAMA PICTURE
The theatre of Dougga. CLICK HERE
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Dougga is situated in the mountains inland of Tunisia, at about 550 metres above sea level, in an area that was densely populated by the Numidians. The city served as one of the capitals of Massinissa, an Roman ally, and one of the contenders to Carthage.
The location was ideal, as it was fairly close to the heartland of the Carthaginian territory. It first served as an important military post and with the arrival of the Romans it became a regional administrative centre. Still there can hardly have been much more than 10,000 inhabitants in its heyday.
Dougga was abandoned and deserted with the Vandal invasion, and since then there has only been a small village on the other side of the hills.
The site of Dougga offers some nice ruins, where some have been restored. But as is the case for many archaeological grounds in Tunisia, the finest statues and mosaics have been transferred to the Bardo Museum in Tunis.
The whole area is about 3 km², and among the most important ruins are the Capitol with a peristyle in very good condition. The theatre, not one of the biggest, has been restored to an excellent condition.
The Libyco-Punic mausoleum to the south is perhaps the finest structure to survive from the time before the Romans.
Also there are a fine selection of temples around Dougga, some in fine condition.
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