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Timgad - Algeria

Website Category: Frontiers of the Roman Empire Area: 0.9km


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Inscribed: 1982 Criteria: (ii) interchange of values (iii) cultural tradition (iv) icon of an era Location and Values: Timgad is located on the northern slopes of the Aures Massif, about 60 km east of Batna, and 170 km south of the Mediterranean coast. It was built in 100 AD by the Roman Emperor Trajan, as a military garrison town, controlling one of the main passes through the Aures Mountains to the Sahara. Established on a perfect square grid, it is a prime example of Roman town planning. The town soon outgrew its original plan, and additional structures were added outside the grid. But it was a relatively short-lived settlement, invaded by Vandals in 430 AD and sacked by local tribes at the end of the 5 century. It was revived briefly by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian from 539 AD, but was finally abandoned after the 7 century Arab invasion. Today the archaeological site is striking for its perfect layout, and includes all the usual elements of a classic Roman settlement public baths, a library, forum, Capitol, and triumphal arch. Outside the original town stands the later Byzantine Fort, a massive military structure yet to be fully excavated.
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Slideshow of Timgad: None of our team has visited Timgad, so we are still searching for suitable photos for a slideshow. If you have any that you would be willing to share through this website, please Contact Us! In the meantime, take a quick tour by clicking on the Google Earth link below.

Timgad
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Timgad *
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Country

Algeria

Type

Cultural

Criteria

ii, iii, iv

Reference

194

Region **

Arab States

Inscription history

Inscription

1982 (6th Session)

* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Timgad (Arabic: , called Thamugas or Thamugadi) was a Roman colonial town in North Africa founded by the Emperor Trajan around 100 AD. The full name of the town was Colonia Marciana Ulpia Traiana Thamugadi. Trajan commemorated the city after his mother Marcia, father Marcus Ulpius Traianus and his eldest sister Ulpia Marciana.
Coordinates: 352903N 62807E35.484237N 6.468666E

Located in modern-day Algeria, about 35 km east of the town of Batna, the ruins are noteworthy for representing one of the best extant examples of the grid plan as used in Roman city planning.

Contents

1 History 2 Description 3 World Heritage Site 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] History
The city was founded ex nihilo as a military colony by the Emperor Trajan around 100 AD. It was intended to serve, primarily, as a bastion against the Berbers in the nearby Aures Mountains. It was originally populated largely by Parthian veterans of the Roman army who were granted lands in return for years in service. The city enjoyed a peaceful existence for the first several hundred years and became a center of Christian activity starting in the 3rd century, and a Donatist center in the 4th century. In the 5th century, the city was sacked by the Vandals before falling into decline. In 535 AD the Byzantine general Solomon found the city when he came to occupy it. In the following century, the city was briefly repopulated as a primarily Christian city before being sacked by Berbers in the 7th century and being abandoned.

Because no new settlements were founded on the site after the 7th century, the town was partially preserved under sand up to a depth of approximately one meter. The encroachment of the Sahara on the ruins was the principal reason why the town is so well preserved. After the Berber sacking in the 7th century the city disappeared from history until its excavation in 1881.

[edit] Description

The Arch of Trajan in a late 19th century postcard. Located at the intersection of six roads, the city was walled but not fortified. Originally designed for a population of around 15,000, the city quickly outgrew its original specifications and spilled beyond the orthogonal grid in a more loosely-organized fashion. At the time of its founding, the area surrounding the city was a fertile agricultural area, about 1000 meters above sea level. The original Roman grid plan is magnificently visible in the orthogonal design, highlighted by the decumanus maximus and the cardo lined by a partially-restored Corinthian colonnade. The cardo does not proceed completely through the town but instead terminates in a forum at the intersection with the decumanus. At the west end of the decumanus rises a 12 m high triumphal arch, called Trajan's Arch, which was partially restored in 1900. The arch is principally of sandstone, and is of Corinthian order with three arches, the central one being 11' wide. The arch is also known as the Timgad Arch. A 3,500-seat theater is in good condition and is used for contemporary productions. The other key buildings include four thermae, a library, and basilica.

The Capitoline Temple is dedicated to Jupiter and is approximately the same dimensions as the Pantheon in Rome. Nearby the capitol is a square church with a circular apse dating from the 7th century AD. Southeast of the city is a large Byzantine citadel built in the later days of the city.

[edit] World Heritage Site


Timgad was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.

City Planning and Colonization


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During the course of a military campaign, the Romans would colonize key locations in conquered territory. The constructed colony would be established in one of two places- on top of a pre-existing city or urban center, or built up from a nearby military camp. Because time played such an important role in both the safety and success of a Roman colony, multiple steps were put into place to ensure a smooth operation. Rather than send in skilled labor from Italy, they relied on slave labor from captured locals. Because they depended on the slaves cooperating, the first civilians sent to the colonies were always veteran soldiers because they could be trusted, and because they would be well prepared for any sort of resistance. Similarly, because both time was a factor and because there was a deficit of laborers with

any professional training, the colonies were constructed out of Roman Concrete, which, despite the fact it was aesthetically unappealing, was much faster and easier to build with than dressed stone. Finally, all cities were constructed from a single, universal design- rather than spend time and money developing a unique layout for each individual installment, city planners ascribed to the plan detailed below. A normal city, in the eyes of the Romans, was laid out in a square or a rectangle crossed by two perpendicular roads which met in the middles of the four outside lines (Grimal, 10). The two perpendicular roads were aligned with one, the cardo, always on the north/south axis, and the decumanus on the east/west. Developers first determined due East by using observational tools and the rising sun, and then tracing out the decumanus. From there, they calculated the length of the cardo, which was the same length as the cardo, and met at perpendicular angles in the center. Once that was established, they built up the outer perimeter, and built gates where the cardo or decumanus intersected. The standard layout for a city would have looked something like this:

Figure 1:The preliminary layout of a Roman colony.

After these figures were determined, the remaining quadrants, the white areas of the diagram, would be segmented with smaller roads into a checkerboard pattern. Within the quadrants, housing, temples, and other public buildings would be constructed. All secondary roads within the quadrants were built parallel to their corresponding main road. The placement of buildings and residencies was determined by

military rank or political office, similar to our modern day address system. Often times however, temples, stadiums, and other large works would also be constructed within the city (as seen in Figure 4 below) that would cause the layout to be altered for it to fit. It should be noted however, that this set-up was not always applicable. Terrain irregularities and other buildings often required builders to take some liberties with construction. The construction plan was a direct adaptation of the way military camps were set up, which is why so many times rather than building atop another site, the Romans would build where they had set up camp during the campaign, if the location was not too far from water and other necessary resources.

I have provided maps from three different cities. By identifying either a gate at the perimeter or the center of the city, it is simple to locate both the primary cardo and the primary decumanus. In some situations, such as seen in Figure 3, there sometimes more than one cardo or (in that case) decumanus. This is sometimes optimal for cities with a large river or canal that runs near or through the city, or cities that see large amounts of trade. In all of the below charts, but especially Figure 4, you can see some degree of the checkerboard pattern that comprised urban life, and was similar to our city blocks today. One flaw of the roadway systems at the time, however, was the general lack of width that would make the many roads seem much more cramped than we are accustomed to today.

Figure 2: A map of the city Capua, the dotted lines provide an example of the "checkerboard" pattern.

Figure 3: The famous Roman city of Pompeii, notice the two prominent decumani in the map (both have gates)

Figure 4: The Timgad colony of Roman Africa, a well documented example of city planning.

TIMGAD

I have just watched again a "Lost Worlds" documentary on Timgad in North Africa, a Roman city founded by Trajan in 100AD. It was sometimes called the Pompeii of North Africa and also a 'miniRome'. The Roman Empire connected countries by 9000km of paved roads.

Timgad (called Thamugas or Thamugadi by the Romans) was destroyed by the Berbers in the 7th century and, thanks to 19th century archaeologists, the city began to be uncovered in 1881. Uncovered to reveal a fabulous Roman city, complete with a triumphal arch, public baths, fountains, a theatre, a library, a forum, more than 200 beautiful mosaics and sophisticated town planning; the engineers had thought of everything. An underground reservoir collected every drop of water for the bathhouses, pools and fountains and there was also a modern drainage and sewage system that many cities still don't have today.

They even had lavatories that could be heated in Winter - modern day luxuries in 100AD! Timgad was only one of the Roman cities in North Africa.

Pompei - Town Plan - Aerial Photo

Pompei - Forum - Aerial Photo

Pompei - Forum - Axo Drawing Reconstruction

Cloth Dyer's Shop

Villa of Mysteries - exterior

St. Gall - Plan

St. Gall - Axo Drawing Reconstruction

Ten Books - Block Walls

Ten Books - Military Engine to Assail Walls

Timgad - Town Plan

Timgad - Trajan's Arch

Timgad

From Conservapedia Jump to: navigation, search

Timgad

Timgad, called Thamugas by the Romans, was a Roman colonial town in North Africa founded by the emperor Trajan around 100 A.D., probably as an encampment for the 3rd Augustinian Legion. The ruins demonstrate one of the best extant examples of the grid plan as used in Roman urban planning. Obviously a strong and affluent colony, Timgad would have served as an idyllic image of the grandeur of Rome on Numidian soil, and its stone-constructed buildings were frequently restored throughout the course of the Empire. The streets were paved with large rectangular slabs of limestone, and the buildings were decorated with intricate mosaics, probably to offset the absence of marble decor. The city had a Forum and associated public buildings (the Basilica and Curia), several temples, a 3500-seat theatre, a market, 14 public baths, and a public library. When Timgad was built, it was declared that only Roman citizens would be allowed to live there. Roman citizenship was granted to "any man completing 25 years of military service and his son". People wanting to benefit from comfortable living conditions and for the sake of their children willingly joined the army. Timgad was a city built for soldiers who gained citizenship by fighting for Rome. The reward for enduring a harsh military life was the prospect of leading an elegant life in Timgad. In the corner of the Public Square are the remains of some ancient graffiti which reads: "To hunt, bathe, play games and laugh. This is life!".[1] Later, the city became a bishopric, and the Christian basilica and baptistry are still evident. The city was severely damaged after the Vandal invasion at the end of the 5th century, but saw a revival of activity after the Byzantine reconquest. In rebuilding the fortifications however, the Byzantines robbed a large amount of stone from the original Roman monuments. Following the Arab invasion, the city was again ruined and ceased to be inhabited after the 8th century. The remains were rediscovered buried beneath sand in 1881.

Being considered "an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design; bear[ing] a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a civilization... which has disappeared" and as "an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history",[2] UNESCO listed the ruins as a World Heritage Site in 1982.

Caption
Fig 2 A sketch drawing showing gridiron layout in the ruined city of Timgad, Algeria, and orientation of two primary street access in Roman town, Cardo dan Decumanus. (Redrawn from an illustration in a book titled Architecture: From Prehistory to Post-Modernism/The Western Tradition

Extracts from the Article What's this?

Figures 1 and 2 show that the gridiron layout was possible to be built efficiently and in accurate dimensions because its design was supervised by town planners and land surveyors. .

as illustrated in Fig. 2 .

The Romans had upgraded the pattern by adding two primary streets which were Cardo and Decumanus (Fig. 2 ), two intersecting streets at 90 angle (Houghton-Evans 1975 ).

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