Landmark Africa
Djémila
Djémila is a very old Roman town in the mountains of Algeria. Today it is ruins: rows of stone columns, stone streets and an arch!
Djémila, called Cuicul in Roman times, is the ruins of a Roman town in the mountains of northeastern Algeria, 900 meters above sea level. It was founded at the end of the 1st century AD and has a forum, a theater, baths, houses with mosaic floors and a stone arch. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1982.
Djémila, ancient Cuicul, is a Roman colony probably founded under the emperor Nerva (96–98 AD) on a rocky spur 900 m up between two mountain streams, about 50 km northeast of Sétif. UNESCO calls it a remarkable example of Roman town planning adapted to a mountain site, with a forum, a theater for 3,000 people, an arch of 216 AD and rich mosaics; it was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982.
Photo: Alioueche Mokhtar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Djémila
Djémila is in Algeria, a country in North Africa. It sits high up in the mountains.
Long ago it was a Roman town. Now it is ruins: old stones and columns.
Djémila lies about 50 kilometers northeast of the town of Sétif, in Algeria. The Romans called it Cuicul. It was built on a rocky ridge 900 meters above sea level, between two mountain streams.
Today the ruins show how a Roman town was laid out: streets, a central square called a forum, public buildings, houses, a theater and baths. UNESCO calls it one of the world's most beautiful Roman ruins.
UNESCO locates Djémila 50 km north-east of Sétif, on a rocky spur at an altitude of 900 m between the wadi Guergour and the wadi Betame, two mountain torrents. The Roman town, Cuicul, held a strong defensive position, and ICOMOS's 1982 evaluation notes that the name of the early town is of Berber origin.
UNESCO describes the site as an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble from a significant stage of Roman North Africa, from the 2nd to the 6th centuries, with the classic plan of a Roman town bent to fit the mountain ground. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982.
- Where
- about 50 km northeast of Sétif, Algeria
- Height above sea level
- 900 m
- Roman name
- Cuicul
- World Heritage
- inscribed 1982
A Roman town on a ridge
The Romans built this town almost 2,000 years ago.
At first it sat inside walls on a narrow ridge. Later it grew bigger, with new buildings outside the walls.
Cuicul was founded as a Roman colony during the short reign of the emperor Nerva, from 96 to 98 AD. At first the town stayed inside its walls on the narrow ridge. It had its own council, called a senate, and its own forum.
There was little room inside the walls, so from the middle of the 2nd century AD the town spread south. A new quarter grew there, with an arch built in 216 AD, a theater and baths.
ICOMOS writes that the colony was probably founded during the brief reign of Nerva (96–98 AD). The early town, hemmed in by walls on its defensive site, could not prosper in that narrow space; from the mid-2nd century it expanded to the south, where a new quarter of public buildings and private houses was established.
That quarter held the Arch of Caracalla (216 AD), a theater already completed under Antoninus Pius, and baths built under Commodus. UNESCO adds the market and the civil basilica of the early 3rd century, when the town spread beyond its ramparts.
Streets, a forum and a theater
A main street ran through the town. It had a gate at each end.
In the middle was a big square called a forum. Public buildings stood around it.
The town followed the usual Roman plan, fitted to the mountain. A main street, the cardo maximus, ran through the town with a gate at each end. In the center was the forum, a square about 48 by 44 meters, with public buildings around it.
The theater held about 3,000 people. UNESCO says the market of the Cosinus brothers shows how well the town's trade was doing.
UNESCO lists the classic elements: two gates at the ends of the Cardo Maximus; in the center the Forum, which ICOMOS measured at 48 m by 44 m, with the Curia, a civil basilica and the Basilica Julia around it; and aristocratic houses richly decorated with mosaics.
The site's repertoire includes a defensive system, an arch, public conveniences, a theater with a capacity of 3,000, baths, workshops and shops, among them the market of the Cosinus brothers, which UNESCO calls remarkable evidence of the town's economic prosperity. A cathedral, a church and its baptistery from early Christian times are, UNESCO notes, considered among the biggest of the early Christian period.
Floors of tiny tiles
Rich families in Djémila had floors made of tiny colored stones. These pictures are called mosaics.
Some show people going about their daily lives.
Grand houses in Cuicul had floors covered with mosaics: pictures made from many small pieces of stone. Some of these houses are now named after the pictures on their floors.
Djémila has a large collection of mosaic floors, and some show scenes of everyday life. Several mosaics have been restored in the museum at the site in recent years.
ICOMOS notes that aristocratic houses decorated with rich mosaics, which gave the houses their names, multiplied in the central quarter during the 2nd century. UNESCO describes an impressive collection of mosaic pavings, including scenes of daily life, and records recent restoration of mosaics in the site museum.
The site was abandoned, and excavation did not begin until 1909. UNESCO says the remains have stayed surprisingly intact and show Roman building methods (roads, gates, an aqueduct) and decoration (carved capitals, bas-reliefs, mosaics).
- Founded
- probably 96–98 AD, under Nerva
- Theater
- about 3,000 places
- Excavated
- since 1909
A street of columns
In this photo, rows of tall stone columns line an old stone street. Can you find the arch far away?
This photo was taken on 13 November 2015. It shows a paved Roman street with tall stone columns standing in rows on both sides. Some columns still have their carved tops; others are broken.
At the far end of the street is a stone arch, and behind it rise mountains under a clear blue sky.
The photograph (13 November 2015, by Alioueche Mokhtar, entered in Wiki Loves Monuments 2018) looks along a paved street lined with columns, some still carrying their capitals, toward an arch at the far end, with mountains beyond.
UNESCO notes that the excavated remains show the Roman town's plan and its building materials, such as stone, mosaic and ceramics.
Amazing facts
-
This Roman town was built 900 meters up in the mountains!
Cuicul was built on a rocky ridge 900 meters above sea level, between two mountain streams.
The town occupies a rocky spur at 900 m between the wadi Guergour and the wadi Betame, two mountain torrents.
-
One old market here is called the market of the Cosinus brothers!
UNESCO says the market of the Cosinus brothers shows that the town's trade was doing well.
UNESCO calls the market of the Cosinus brothers remarkable evidence of the town's economic prosperity.
-
Some houses here are named after the pictures on their floors!
Rich houses in Cuicul had mosaic floors, and some houses are now named after the pictures in them.
ICOMOS notes that the 2nd-century aristocratic houses of the central quarter took their names from their rich mosaics.
Words to know
- ruins
- what is left of buildings after they have fallen apart over a long time
- colony
- a town set up by people from another country, which that country rules
- forum
- the main square of a Roman town, with public buildings around it
- mosaic
- a picture made from many small pieces of stone, glass or tile
- capital
- the carved top of a column
- excavation
- careful digging to uncover old buildings and objects
Discovery challenge
-
Which people built the town of Djémila long ago?
Which empire founded the town the Romans called Cuicul?
Under which empire was Cuicul founded, probably during Nerva's reign?
- The Romans
- The Vikings
- The Aztecs
Show the answer
The Romans
The Romans!
The Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire, as a colony.
-
Where was the town built?
Where was Cuicul built?
On what kind of site, 900 m up, was Cuicul built?
- High in the mountains
- On a sandy beach
- On an island in a lake
Show the answer
High in the mountains
High in the mountains!
On a rocky ridge in the mountains, 900 meters up.
A rocky spur between two mountain torrents.
-
What is a picture made of tiny stones called?
What are the pictures made of small stones on Djémila's floors called?
What kind of floor decoration did Cuicul's grand houses have?
- A mosaic
- A painting
- A photo
Show the answer
A mosaic
A mosaic!
Mosaics.
Mosaic pavings.
-
In which country is Djémila?
In which country are the ruins of Djémila?
In which country is Djémila, about 50 km northeast of Sétif?
- Algeria
- Italy
- Greece
Show the answer
Algeria
Algeria!
Algeria.
Algeria.
-
How many people could sit in the theater?
About how many people could the theater hold?
What capacity does UNESCO give for Djémila's theater?
- About 3,000
- About 30
- About 300,000
Show the answer
About 3,000
About 3,000!
About 3,000.
3,000 places.
Nearby places
-
Watch
Landmark
Qal'at Bani Hammad
Qal'at Bani Hammad is the ruin of a walled city in the mountains of northern Algeria. It was founded in 1007 as the first capital of the Hammadid rulers. Inside its 7 kilometers of walls are the remains of a great mosque, a tall minaret and several palaces.
-
Watch
Landmark
Timgad
Timgad is the ruin of a Roman town in the mountains of Algeria. It was founded in 100 AD, and its streets crossed at right angles in a neat grid. Columns, an arch, baths and rows of stone seats still stand among its stone streets.
-
Watch
City
Algiers
Algiers is the capital of Algeria, in North Africa, around a half-moon-shaped bay of the Mediterranean Sea. Its old town, the Kasbah, is a maze of narrow lanes and houses climbing a hill above the port, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 2008 census counted about 2.4 million people in the city.
-
Watch
Landmark
Dougga
Dougga, called Thugga in ancient times, is the ruin of a town on a hill in northwest Tunisia. It was a Numidian town for centuries before it became part of the Roman world, and its theater, market, baths and houses still stand. UNESCO calls it the best preserved Africo-Roman town in North Africa.
-
Watch
Landmark
Great Mosque of Kairouan
The Great Mosque of Kairouan is in the old city of Kairouan, in Tunisia. It was rebuilt in the 800s. It has a square minaret three stories high, a wide stone courtyard and a prayer hall full of columns. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 1988.
-
Watch
City
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of Tunisia, at the end of a wide bay on Africa's north coast. Its old town, the Medina, holds about 700 historic monuments and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tunisia's statistics institute estimated 599,368 people in the city at the start of 2023; the wider Tunis governorate counted more than a million in 2024.
-
Watch
Landmark
Amphitheater of El Jem
The Amphitheater of El Jem is a Roman arena in Tunisia, built around the year 238. It stands on flat ground and is made entirely of stone blocks. UNESCO says it could hold about 35,000 spectators, which makes it one of the largest amphitheaters in the world.
-
Watch
City
Oran
Oran is a port city on the Mediterranean Sea in northwestern Algeria, and Universalis calls it the country's second city. It sits on a plateau above a wide bay, at the foot of Mount Aïdour. The 2008 census counted 803,329 people in the urban area.
Explore next
-
Watch
Country
Algeria
Algeria is a country in North Africa and the largest country on the whole continent. More than four-fifths of it is the Sahara Desert, so most of its 47 million people (2025) live in the greener north, along the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is Algiers.
-
Watch
Landmark
Timgad
Timgad is the ruin of a Roman town in the mountains of Algeria. It was founded in 100 AD, and its streets crossed at right angles in a neat grid. Columns, an arch, baths and rows of stone seats still stand among its stone streets.
-
Watch
Landmark
Leptis Magna
Leptis Magna is the ruins of an ancient city on the coast of Libya. UNESCO says it began as a Phoenician trading port and grew under the Roman Empire. Septimius Severus, who was born there and became emperor, enlarged and decorated it, and UNESCO calls it one of the most beautiful cities of the Roman Empire. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
-
Watch
Landmark
Pompeii
Pompeii was a Roman town near Naples, in Italy. In 79 CE the volcano Vesuvius erupted and buried it under ash and small stones. Digging began in 1748, and today you can walk its streets, shops, baths and houses. In 2025, 4,000,090 people visited.
-
Watch
Landmark
Volubilis
Volubilis is the ruin of an ancient town at the foot of the Zerhoun hills in Morocco. People lived here for about a thousand years, and in Roman times it was a town at the edge of the Roman Empire, rich from olive oil. Its arches, streets and houses are still standing.
-
Watch
Landmark
Qal'at Bani Hammad
Qal'at Bani Hammad is the ruin of a walled city in the mountains of northern Algeria. It was founded in 1007 as the first capital of the Hammadid rulers. Inside its 7 kilometers of walls are the remains of a great mosque, a tall minaret and several palaces.
-
Watch
Landmark
Dougga
Dougga, called Thugga in ancient times, is the ruin of a town on a hill in northwest Tunisia. It was a Numidian town for centuries before it became part of the Roman world, and its theater, market, baths and houses still stand. UNESCO calls it the best preserved Africo-Roman town in North Africa.
-
Watch
Landmark
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel is two temples cut into the rock by King Ramesses II of Egypt, around 1264 BCE. Four seated statues of the king, each 21 meters tall, guard the Great Temple. In the 1960s, a new dam was about to flood them, so workers cut them into more than a thousand blocks and rebuilt them higher up.
For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Describe the parts of a Roman town: main street, gates, forum, theater, baths and houses.
- Explain how builders adapted a standard town plan to a narrow mountain ridge.
- Explain what archaeologists learn by excavating a site that was abandoned long ago.
Recommended ages: 4 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- The town ran out of room inside its walls and grew outside them. What happens when a town today runs out of room?
- Some houses are named after the mosaics on their floors. What picture would you put on your floor?
- Why might people build a town on a high, rocky ridge?
Try at home or in class
- Make a small mosaic by gluing squares of colored paper onto card to show a scene from your day.
- Draw a map of a Roman town on a long, narrow strip of paper, with a main street, two gates and a forum in the middle.
Key vocabulary: ruins, colony, forum, mosaic, capital, excavation
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Djémila (World Heritage List) , UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Djémila: Advisory Body Evaluation (ICOMOS, 1982) , UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- File:Roman Ruins of Djemila in Sétif, Algeria.jpg , Wikimedia Commons
- UNESCO World Heritage List , UNESCO World Heritage Centre (Linked as a reference; site facts come from Wikidata)
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.