Thuburbo Majus

Thuburbo Majus was a Punic settlement that became a Roman colony under Augustus and prospered in the second century on grain and olives. What survives is spread over a hillside: a capitol on a high podium with columns still standing, a forum, the Palaestra of the Petronii with its restored portico, temples to Mercury and to Caelestis, baths and a set of houses whose mosaic floors were lifted to the Bardo museum.

What you actually see

• The capitol - columns standing on a high podium above the forum.
• The Palaestra of the Petronii - a restored colonnaded exercise ground.
• The Temple of Mercury - a circular court behind the forum.
• The house floors - the remains of the villas whose mosaics went to the Bardo.

When to go

October to April is comfortable; summer is very hot with no shade. Spring brings wild flowers across the site. Mornings are best for light.

Honest expectations

The best mosaics were removed to the Bardo and what remains on site is fragmentary. There is little shade or shelter. Public transport is poor and a car is effectively needed.

Nearby

Zaghouan is northeast, and Tunis is north.