Visit Douga - Come to Tunisia

Dougga or Thugga in Arabic: is a Roman ruin in northern Tunisia located on a 65 hectare site. Dougga was originally a fortified Berber village (the name Thugga meant 'pastures'). Later, it served as the seat of the Numidian king Masinissa in the 2nd century BC. The Romans occupied the city in the late 2nd century BC.

Dougga is all that one dreams a Roman site should be and was deservedly designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

The grandiose temples and theatres, forums and markets stand in remarkable repair on a mountainside overlooking wheat fields and valley. Imposing Dougga spreads over 65 hectares, its position on the slopes forced Roman builders to renounce their standard city plan and adapt their monuments to the terrain.

The Capitol is certainly one of the most beautiful built by the Romans in Tunisia. Some 20 to 30,000 persons lived here and their shops, stores and baths, latrines, wash room and gymnasiums bring them to life. Stone streets bear the grooves of chariot wheels and in the silent, windswept afternoon one can almost hear their clatter. Dougga was a prosperous city even before the coming of the Romans.

A well-preserved theatre was built around 168 AD, it is in such good condition until recently that it is used to stage concerts during the Dougga Festival held every summer.