Dougga Things to Do

Let's be technical ! The solid and liquids matters fell in a large cistern standing under he building. In front, a channel allowed easy cleaning of what might have fallen outside the cistern. From time to time, when the cistern was full, the content was pumped and used as a fertilizer for the crops. That was organic food !

The theater of Dougga is one of the best preserved of Roman Africa. Moreover, it has been in permanent repair for the last 50 years. These repairs allow it not only to stand as a testimony of the genius of the Romans as builders but also to work as an actual theater.

This part of the theater, with its columns, has not been subjected to any repair, except for security reasons, in order to avoid any stone to fall inadvertently on visitors ! On the contrary, the scene has been completely rebuild with the original stones and using the same techniques as the Romans used, in order to allow an actual use as a scene.

The theater has been undergoing repairs for decades. If you compare this picture with some of the previous ones, taken about 5 years earlier, you can notice that the lowest tiers have been rebuilt. I guess that more has now been done. In July and August, during the Dougga Festival, classical dramas are performed in the theater and day trips are organized from Tunis.

By the side of the Capitol, what remains of the forum is still impressive. Most columns are still standing though most are half broken but that is enough to give a good feeling of what it looked like when it was the center of every day's life in Dugga.

This is one of the main streets in the city. The pavement has polished by the passer bys along the centuries. It leads down to the Arch of Septimus Severus (not shown). On the right, behind the Cyclops Baths, an amazing small building, on a square pattern. What is that ? Let us have a closer look !

At the entrance of the latrine, a stone washbasin is standing, awaiting for visitors to wash their hands (when going IN or OUT ? I hope it was in AND out). If it were to be polished, its style would fit perfectly in many modern bathrooms ! Isn't that amazing ?

There remain most of the columns from the temple of Caelestis, heir of Tanit, the major goddess of Carthage. It seems that the temple of Caelestis was later alloted by the Romans to Junon or better Caelestis and Junon were considered as two names for the same goddess..