Thamugadi (Timgad)

THAMUGADI, (Timgad), ancient Numidia, modern Algeria.

COORDINATES: 32º29’02.99’’N // 6º28’08.21’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: Half II A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 3.500 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing west. 63,6 m. diameter. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 8 rows of seats in 6 cunei. Media cavea with 12 rows of seats in 6 cunei. Summa cavea with more than 6 rows of seats in unknown number of cunei. Porticus in summa cavea remains.

ORCHESTRA: 21 m. diameter. 19 m., without balteus, and 15 m. without subsellia. Subsellia with three steps. It is paved in stone.

STAGE BUILDING: Pulpitum was 30,4 x 6,8 m. 1,27 m. high. Proscaenium with 3 curved and 2 rectangular niches. 12 square slots for aulaeum masts.

LOCATION: Thamugadi ancient city is 35 klm. east from modern Batna.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006. // Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995. // Lancel, Serge; “L’Algérie antique”. Paris, Mengès, 2003. // Blas de Roblès, Jean Marie; Sintes, Claude; “Sites et monuments antiques de l’Algérie”. Aix-en-Provence, Édisud, 2003.

OUT OF PRINT: I visited Thamugadi in 2010, an evening in winter. Thamugadi was a military roman city, the layout of its streets is totally square and the remains are in an excellent condition. It´s small theatre is really wonderful, I was lucky of laying off the day from their steps. I slept that night in Batna, a big and modern city, 35 klm. west from Thamugadi; when I arrived to the city nobody were in the streets, a big silence had seized the city, suddenly I listened: “Goooollllll”, Algerian national football team had scored Mali in Africa Cup, that meant that Algeria, not losing its last match, could still qualify for the next round. At night, when the match was finished, everybody in Batna, thousands of people, went out to the streets, shouting and celebrating the victory in a way I never had seen, like if they were won the World championship. Algerian passion, something more that I love from these absolutely marvelous country.

Rusicade (Skikda)

RUSICADE (Skikda), ancient Numidia, modern Algeria.

COORDINATES: 36º52’46.55’’N // 6º54’18.76’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: II A.D. Probably in Hadrian times or later.
TRANSFORMATIONS: III A.D.
CAPACITY: 5.000 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing East. 82,4 m. diameter. Ima cavea was built against hillside but summa was on radial walls that still survives.
ORCHESTRA: The theatre was hardly restored in modern times, there is not too much remains and nothing about the orchestra.
STAGE BUILDING: The place were the stage building was built is now occupied by a school.
LOCATION: The ancient theatre is in the centre of the modern Skikda, east of Algeria.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006. // Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995. // Lancel, Serge; “L’Algérie antique”. Paris, Mengès, 2003. // Blas de Roblès, Jean Marie; Sintes, Claude; “Sites et monuments antiques de l’Algérie”. Aix-en-Provence, Édisud, 2003.

OUT OF PRINT: There is not too much remains of Rusicade´s ancient theatre, but there is a special charm, maybe because in in the meddle of an Algeria modern city, full of life; when I visited the theatre I could listening boys and girls giving the lesson in class, where the orchestra were built there´s now a modern school. While I was walking and taking pictures of the theatre, my Algerian friend Nordine was taking spearmint that grew between the upper radial walls of the theatre; when we left the theatre we were to drink a tea, and Nordine asked the owner of the coffee shop that made the tea with the spearmint that he took... I will not forget that tea, a tea that grew in  a roman´s  theatre cavea.

Madauros (M´Daourouch)

MADAUROS (M´Daourouch), ancient Africa Proconsularis, modern Algeria.

COORDINATES: 36º04’39.97” N  /  7º54’05.04” E

TIPOLOGY : Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: First III A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS: First V A.D.

CAPACITY: 600 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south-east. 33 m. diameter. Maenianum: 8 rows of seats in five cunei (smallers each side)

ORCHESTRA: 17,7 m. diameter. Including balteus. Bisellia with three steeps.

STAGE BUILDING: The sacenae frons´s wall is at the same time the bottom wall of the portico of the forum. Proscaenium with only one curved niche. Pulpitum is 20,2 x 4,06 m.

LOCATION: The ancient theatre is close to the forum. M´Daourouch remains are about 120 klm. south-east from Calama.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006. // Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995.  // Lancel, Serge; “L’Algérie antique”. Paris, Mengès, 2003.

 // Blas de Roblès, Jean Marie; Sintes, Claude; “Sites et monuments antiques de l’Algérie”. Aix-en-Provence, Édisud, 2003.

OUT OF PRINT: An argelian archeologist that I found in the ancient mausoleum of La Chrétienne, near roman Tipasa, assured me that Madauros´ ancient theatre was the smaller roman theatre in the world. Maybe, it seems more like an odeon than a theatre in fact. In photograph you can see my argelian close friend Nordine, all what I love Algeria is for what he showed me. Algeria is truly amazing, in fact one of my favourite countries, one of my best travels, marvellous people and land, I really hope all the political revolts of these days will give Algeria all the best, all what people want and was removed. There are theatres that invites you to make a classical play, other ones suggest you to make a loud laughter... Madauros invites you to whisper... a real close theatre.

Cuicul (Djemila)

CUICUL (Djemila), ancient Numidia, modern Algeria.

COORDINATES: 36º19'14.59"N // 5º44'15.75" E
TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Not urban.
DATE: First half II A.C.
CAPACITY: 3.500 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing nort-east. 62 m. diameter. Partially rest in hill. Two maenianum: Ima cavea 6 cunei and 9 steps; summa cavea 6 cunei and 15 steps.
ORCHESTRA: 24 m. diameter. Subsellia: three steps.
STAGE BUILDING: 34 x 7,2 m. Proscaenium: three curve and two rectangular niches. Scaenae Frons with three doors, much of it survives. Postcaenium: four rooms. Porticus post scaenium remains.

LOCATION: Cuicul remains are in modern Djemila, 50 klm north-east Setif. In ancient times it was a provincial market town, not very large, founded by veterans in 96 A.D. though with probably native origin.The theatre is 150 m. south-east of forum.

BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006. // Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato. Rome: SEAT, 1995. // Lancel, Serge; “L’Algérie antique”. Paris, Mengès, 2003. // Blas de Roblès, Jean Marie; Sintes, Claude; “Sites et monuments antiques de l’Algérie”. Aix-en-Provence, Édisud, 2003.

OUT OF PRINT: Djemila is on of the most wonderfull view I have ever seen, very well preserved, a place with a very special energy, a place for spend days and days, walking slowly in their ancient streets. I could not resit the temptation of playing a monologue in his stage; one of my favourites ancient theatres, one of these where you have the physical sensation of being hugged. The museum has a big collection of the African´s roman mosaic style.