Dougga

Dougga is a whole Roman town rather than a monument: streets, houses, baths, latrines, temples, a market and a theatre for several thousand people, spread over sixty-five hectares of hillside among olive trees, with the plain opening below. Because no modern town grew on top of it, the street plan survives intact and you walk it as a town rather than a set of ruins. The capitol, with its columns and pediment standing nearly complete, is the image everyone photographs. Older than the Roman layer is the Libyco-Punic mausoleum, a tapering tower from the second century BC that belongs to the Numidian kingdom that preceded Rome here. Very few visitors come compared with Carthage or El Jem.

What you actually see

• The capitol - the temple facade standing nearly complete above the forum.
• The theatre - seating for thousands, still used for occasional performances.
• The Libyco-Punic mausoleum - a pre-Roman Numidian tower monument.
• Houses and baths - mosaicked floors, latrines and street plan across the hillside.

When to go

October to May; summer is hot and the site has almost no shade. Spring brings wildflowers among the ruins. Mornings are best for light on the capitol.

Honest expectations

There is no public transport, so a car, taxi or tour is required. The site is large and spread over a slope with uneven paving, so it takes real walking. Facilities are minimal and there is little shade or water. Signage is thin, which makes a guide worthwhile.

Nearby

Bulla Regia's underground villas are north; Tunis is two hours east.