Cherchell

Cherchell stands on the site of Iol, a Punic port that Juba II rebuilt as Caesarea and made the capital of the kingdom of Mauretania, and later the capital of the Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis. The modern town sits on top of it, so the ancient city appears in pieces: a theatre, an amphitheatre, baths, cisterns and stretches of wall scattered among streets and gardens. What draws visitors is the museum, whose collection of Roman and Greek sculpture, much of it copies of Greek originals commissioned by Juba, and its mosaics, is among the best in Algeria. The seafront and the old harbour give the town its shape.

History

Punic Iol was probably founded around 600 BC, with the oldest remains so far found from the 5th century BC, and became one of the more important trading posts on this coast; in the 3rd century BC it was fortified and struck Numidia's first bronze and silver coins, with Punic text, Carthaginian gods and local produce, above all fish. After the Punic Wars it went to the Numidian king Micipsa, who made it a royal court, and it was the main capital of Bocchus I and II before Rome annexed it in 33 BC. In 25 BC Augustus made Juba II king of Mauretania with the city as his capital, renamed Caesarea in the emperor's honour, and Juba and his wife Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, rebuilt it lavishly in Roman and Hellenised Egyptian styles, with streets on a grid, a theatre, an art gallery and a lighthouse modelled on the Pharos of Alexandria (Wikipedia, Cherchell).

Highlights

• The sculpture museum - Greek and Roman work collected by the Mauretanian court.
• Mosaics from the ancient city - pavements recovered from local excavations.
• Theatre and amphitheatre remains - fragments among the modern streets.
• The old harbour - the port that made the city.

When to go

October to May; summer is hot and the sites are unshaded. Half a day. Museum hours are irregular; check before travelling. Closed on some public holidays.

Good to know

The ancient remains are fragmentary and scattered through a working town rather than presented as a site. Museum opening is unreliable. Interpretation is limited and mostly in French and Arabic. Photography rules inside vary.

Nearby

Tipasa is east along the coast; Algiers lies beyond it.