Timgad, Algeria, Oct 2024

Timgad, Algeria, Oct 2024

Djemila

On the following morning, when we were going to Timgad, we learned the reason for police protection. Some Islamist in Janet attacked a Swiss tourist with a knife while she was sitting with her children in a popular café and cut her throat. The woman died and the attacker escaped. While he was on the run, the authorities introduced extraordinary measures to provide security for foreigners in the country for which we were very grateful.

A quick stop for coffee at a roadside café
A quick stop for coffee at a roadside café

We visited another mausoleum. Algeria has 3 of them. Medracen Mausoleum was built for the family of Berber Numidian kings in the 3rd century BC.

It is easy to see that the Mausoleum is in poor condition and falling apart.
It is easy to see that the Mausoleum is in poor condition and falling apart
Timgad is another UNESCO World Heritage site in Algeria. It was founded for Roman war veterans around 100 AD and it looks very much like other Roman cities - with temples, markets, baths and of course a theater.
Timgad is another UNESCO World Heritage site in Algeria. It was founded for Roman war veterans around 100 AD and it looks very much like other Roman cities – with temples, markets, baths and of course a theater.
Mosaics in Timgad are excellent but I found Djemila mosaics more interesting.
Mosaics in Timgad are excellent but I found Djemila mosaics more interesting

I was getting tired from visiting Roman ruins. I did not realize that I spent the past 4 months in the countries that were parts of the Roman Empire: Bulgaria, Lebanon, Syria, France and now, Algeria, moving from one place to another but staying on the shores of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. This was not intentional, but rather for convenience of travel logistics. That is why when we got to Constantine, I was glad to see something different.

Constantine

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