Tiddis

Tiddis, the Castellum Tidditanorum, was built on a steep red limestone slope above the Rhumel valley, and its builders never levelled it: streets run as ramps and stairways, houses sit on terraces cut into the hill one above another, and the whole town climbs the face in stages, which makes it unlike the flat grid towns of Timgad or Djemila. It was Numidian before it was Roman, and both phases are visible, along with a Mithraeum, cisterns, olive presses, a forum on a terrace and pre-Roman tombs on the slopes above. The red rock gives the site its colour, and the views over the valley are part of the point.

What you actually see

• Streets built as stairways - a town with no level ground.
• Terraced houses cut into the hill - the stepped residential quarters.
• Numidian and Roman phases - both periods visible on the same slope.
• Cisterns and olive presses - the working infrastructure of the town.

When to go

October to May; summer is hot and the climb is unshaded. Half a day. Morning light brings out the red stone. A guide is useful; signage is minimal.

Honest expectations

The site is steep throughout and involves continuous climbing on uneven stone. There is no shade and no water. Interpretation is very limited. Opening hours are irregular and it is sometimes closed without notice.

Nearby

Constantine is south-east; Djemila lies west.