“To find your purpose in life, you must set a goal, draw a map, and start the journey…” - Debasish Mridha
 |
| (The Arch of Caracalla, Djemila) |
Day 06: 09 October 2016 (Sunday)
Route: Algiers - Djemila - Constantine
Distance: 300 km
Hotel: Ibis Hotel, Constantine
Breakfast was early today as we had to start our journey by 7.00 am to Constatine via Djemila.
The journey to Djemila took more than 4 hours. We stopped for lunch at Marino Restaurant in Setif and had beef, mutton and turkey kebab and fries. After lunch we performed our prayers and some ladies had time to do some shopping around the area.
 |
| (Leaving the city of Algiers) |
 |
| (Capturing the views along the route) |
 |
| (New roads and tunnels cut across mountains) |
 |
| (Taking Highway A1 to Constantine) |
 |
| (The view of the Atlas mountain range) |
 |
| (Crossing through barren mountainous land) |
 |
| (Passing through small villages in the desert) |
 |
| (Preparing for winter, storage for bales and fodder) |
 |
| (A helicopter hovering over us during the journey) |
 |
| (Arriving at a small town for a short pit stop) |
 |
| (Exiting the highway to look for a place to eat) |
 |
| (Marino restaurant serving beef, mutton and turkey kebabs) |
 |
| (Customers having lunch in a busy restaurant) |
The Historical Ancient City of Djemila was only 40 km away but the journey was through winding narrow mountainous road with beautiful panoramic scenery. The archaeological site was at an altitude of 1000 meter above sea level.
 |
| (Beware of flocks of sheep on the road) |
 |
| (Small villages on the mountain) |
 |
| (Preparing vegetable fields for replanting) |
 |
| (Another 40 km of uphill winding road) |
 |
| (The weather is getting cooler on the mountain) |
 |
| (Panoramic view of the valley) |
 |
| (Arriving at the mountain town of Djemila) |
 |
| (A patriotic local scene, Algerian flag on the wall) |
Djémila, formerly Cuicul, is a small mountain village, near the northern coast east of Algiers, where some of the best preserved Berbero-Roman ruins in North Africa are found. In 1982, Djémila became a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique adaptation of Roman architecture to a mountain environment.
 |
| (The entrance to Djemila Archaeological Site) |
 |
| (Statues and mosaics from ancient houses of the Roman City) |
 |
| (A walk to the Roman Ancient City) |
 |
| (The view of the ancient city from far) |
 |
| (Cardo maximus - north-south main road) |
 |
| (Ruins around the Christian baptism area) |
 |
| (Garden baths and House of Bachus) |
 |
| (Bath house and ancient latrines) |
 |
| (A rock with ancient inscription) |
 |
| (The Roman Theater hidden in the background) |
Significant buildings in ancient Cuicul include a theatre, two fora, temples, basilicas, arches, streets, and houses. The exceptionally well preserved ruins surround the forum of the Harsh, a large paved square with an entry marked by a majestic arch.
 |
| (The Museum Curator explaining the layout of the ancient city) |
 |
| (Two of us among the ancient ruins) |
 |
| (Ancient Roman pillar, still standing strong) |
 |
| (Explorers of Ancient Roman Cities) |
 |
| (Pillars and columns of the Ancient Roman City) |
 |
| (A large area still under excavation works) |
 |
| (Panorama of Cuicul in the background) |
 |
| (View from the upper stairs of the Temple of Gens Septimi) |
 |
| (Columns at the Forum) |
 |
| (More columns and pillars in a neat row) |
 |
| (The many arches of the ruins) |
 |
| (Panorama of Cuicul) |
 |
| (Another entrance to The Christian Quarters) |
 |
| (Majestic Temple of Gens Septimia) |
 |
| (Temple of Gens Septimia seen from the Arch of Caracalla) |
 |
| (Walking along the Christian Quarters) |
 |
| (Absorbing the view of the ancient temple from afar) |
 |
| (A UNESCO World Heritage, well preserved) |
 |
| (The Macellum ruins still standing) |
 |
| (A visit to the souvenir shop) |
It is one of the world's most beautiful Roman ruins. The archaeological site is an outstanding example of a type of architectural ensemble illustrating a significant stage in Roman history of North Africa, from the 2nd to the 6th centuries. At the site we were met by the museum curator who gave some explanation of the museum artefact and the ruins site.
 |
| (Driving the same mountainous road back to the highway) |
 |
| (Water encatchment on the mountain) |
 |
| (A glimpse of the Minaret of a mosque in Constantine) |
 |
| (The main tram station in town) |
 |
| (The town of Constantine at dusk) |
After visiting the historical site, we drove to Constantine, 90 km away. We arrived in Constantine near dusk. After we checked in Ibis hotel, we had buffet dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Tonight we slept early as I was having a bad sore throat and feeling feverish.
No comments:
Post a Comment