Thuburbo Majus

Governorate: Zaghouan

Situation and characteristics

Thuburbo Majus is the fifth of the great Roman sites in Tunisia, after Bulla Regia, Dougga, Maktar and Sbeitla. Thanks to its situation at the intersection of important trade routes from the interior to the cities of Hadrumetum (Sousse) and Carthage and to the fertile surrounding country the town prospered, and this prosperity found expression in much building activity, producing a series of splendid public buildings in the second and early third centuries. An excursion to Thuburbo Majus, which lies in beautiful country, can be combined with visits to other places of interest on the way, such as La Mohammedia or Zaghouan. Easter procession

There is an annual procession here at Easter in honor of St Perpetua - though the saint is now believed to have been born not at Thuburbo Majus but at Thuburbo Minus (Tébourba, west of Tunis).

History

There was a Punic town on this site, but there may well have been an earlier Berber settlement, since the name Thuburbo seems to be of Berber origin. In 27 B.C., during the reign of Augustus, a Roman settlement (pagus) was established alongside the Punic one (civitas). In A.D. 128 Hadrian promoted the town to the status of municipium, involving the grant of Roman citizenship. This marked the beginning of intensive Romanisation and the town's rise to prosperity. In 188 Commodus granted it the status of a colonia under the style of Colonia Julia Aurelia Commoda. Subsequent decades saw the erection of most of the town's splendid mosaic- decorated public buildings and private houses. Decline set in towards the end of the third century, interrupted by a brief upswing in the fourth century. During this period several buildings were restored and enlarged, and the town changed its name to Res Publica Felix Thuburbo Majus. Vandal raids, conflicts between Catholics and Donatists and finally the Arab invasion led to the final ruin of the town. One of the last signs of prosperity was a hoard of gold buried in the mid seventh century to save it from the Arabs. The site was rediscovered in 1857, and since 1912 about a fifth of the total area has been excavated. It is estimated that the city, covering an area of some 40 hectares/99 acres, had a population of between 7,000 and 12,000.

Access

Thuburbo Majus lies 1km/0.75mi west of GP 3 (Tunis-Kairouan), 63km/39mi south of Tunis and 91km/57mi north of Kairouan. Approach from Tunis: 62km/39mi south of Tunis, 2km/1.25mi before the village of El Fahs, turn off GP 3 into MC 28 (signposted to Medjez el Bab); 1km/.75mi along this road is the entrance to the site (parking lot).