Rhapsody Shore & Land Excursions > Tunisia - Tunis > Journey to Dougga

Journey to Dougga

Punic Thugga or Dougga as is better known today lies inland, a very short distance from the town of Teboursouk some 110kms southwest of Tunis. Numidians, Punic-Libyans, Romans and Byzantines left their mark on the city but it was the Romans who gave Dougga its architectural grandeur.

A prosperous city even before the arrival of the Romans is built on a mountainside 550 meters above sea level covering more than 65 hectares of land. The sloping ground forced the Roman builders to change their standard city plans and adapt their monuments to the existing terrain.

Overlooking the valley and wheat fields below, well preserved Dougga is all one dreams a Roman site should be.

A guided walk through the stone paved labyrinthine streets still bearing the grooves of chariots will lead you to the splendidly preserved theatre.

The Capitol built around 166AD is one of the most beautiful built by the Romans in Tunisia. Some 30,00 people lived here and their grandiose temples, theatres, forum, markets, shops, stores, gymnasiums, baths, washrooms and latrines are testament to an illustrious society. See the temple of Celetis, the town’s square called the rose of Windsand, the Licinian baths and the Libyan-Punic mausoleum from the 2nd century BC, restored in 1908.

Standing 21 meters high at the edge of town was once ornamented by a stele bearing the names of its builders. It is believed Numidian princes lived here.

Enjoy lunch at a local hotel in Teboursouk before commencing the return drive to Tunis.

 

Special Notes:
Comfortable clothing and walking shoes recommended. A considerable amount of walking is involved on stone paved uneven ground within the ruins.

Participants must be able to walk and stand long periods of time.

Not wheelchair accessible.

Toilets available at Dougga and hotel

 

Tour Timings:

Tours begin at times suitable for the ship's arrival in port. The breakdown of the excursions is as follows:
00hr00 -> Depart from Tunis Port

00hr00 -> 02hr00 Driving to Dougga
02hr00 -> 04hr00 Visiting Dougga
04hr00 -> 04hr15 Driving to hotel for lunch
04hr15 -> 05hr45 Serving set menu lunch

05hr45 -> 07hr45 Drive to the port

 

 

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