Sbeitla

Sufetula, now Sbeitla, was a Roman town that grew rich on olive oil in the second and third centuries, and the reason to come is the capitolium: instead of one temple to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, three separate temples stand side by side along one end of the forum, an arrangement found almost nowhere else in the Roman world. Beyond the forum are Byzantine churches with mosaic floors, baths, an arch and the remains of olive presses.

Background

The modern town lies in west-central Tunisia and had 23,844 residents in a 2014 estimate. Placed 28 km east of Kasserine, it is also 200 km SSW of Tunis. It is the seat of the largest delegation of the Kasserine Governorate, which covers 1133.5 km². The ruins of Sufetula nearby hold Roman forum temples that are the best preserved in Tunisia. In Roman times it became a bishopric in the province of Byzacena. Norman Douglas wrote in Fountains in the Sand that junipers and Aleppo pines still wooded the area in the 19th century, though early in the 20th century he described the surroundings as "bleak and bare". Since 2000 the town has held a Spring International festival every year.

Source: Wikipedia, "Sbeitla"

Highlights

• The three temples - a capitolium of three separate buildings rather than one, a rare arrangement.
• The forum arch - the Antonine gateway into the forum square.
• The Byzantine churches - basilicas with baptisteries and mosaic floors.
• The olive presses - the industry the town's wealth was built on.

When to go

October to April is comfortable; summer in central Tunisia is very hot. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light on the temples. The site is open daily.

Good to know

There is almost no shade on the site and summer visits are punishing. Interpretation is limited. Public transport to Sbeitla is slow and infrequent.

Nearby

Kasserine is west, and Kairouan is northeast.