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Home , Carthage, Gafsa, Sabratha, Timgad, Tipasa, Volubilis

Ennabli, Abdelmajid. "North 's . Its future." in World Heritage No. 16, September 2000, pp. 18-29. © UNESCO – San Marcos http://whc.unesco.org/en/review/

OST NORTHAFRICAN towns list- and Mauritania when 's veying, storing and distributing wa- ed as part of the World Heri- extended across all of the territories ter, public squares, triumphal arches, tage predate the Roman Con- bordering the Mediterranean. paved roads and an underground quest. They nonetheless display a Rome imposed its own image of sewage system. strong Roman imprint that can be the , which was to be adminis- These sites, whose diversity re- seen in the remarkable remains tered quite independently following sulted from their geographical and found in so many places today. Most the example of the capital of the Em- topographical situations, were all of these towns were abandoned in pire. Governing administrations re- modelled on the city par excellence favour of other sites at the end of An- cruited from among the leading citi- that was Rome. This is apparent in tiquity, but this actually helped pre- zens exercised prerogatives and at- the town planning, the diversity of serve the Afro-Roman urban and within an urban framework buildings, the architectural tech- niques, the frequent use of marble and , the lavish decoration with statues and the common use of inscriptions commemorating the gen- he excavati~nsrevealed the erosity of the donors and the majesty of the emperors who presided over extraordinary wealth of the site the peace and prosperity of the in- hage as well as the density of the habitants. lev ation over the centuries , of destruction THE IDEAL MODEL

ORE SO THAN Tim- A- Mgad, created by Emperor architectural character now ac- that reproduced the Roman model. knowledged by their inclusion on the At the town centre stood the ' World Heritage List. with the temples of the gods and, of Djemila, and in Al- course, the Capitol, the political as- geria, , and sembly halls including and Cyrene in Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, curiae, the public baths and build- Carthage, Kerkuane, and the ings for games and (theatres, amphitheatres, cir- amphitheatre at El Jem in and A in are all listed sites. cus-hippodromes). , They are merely the most remarkable There were also li- sites among dozens of others, more braries, popular and modest or as yet unexplored, dotting aristocratic private the former Roman provinces of North homes, an elaborate Africa, pre-consular Africa, water supply system with structures for con- I for his veterans with all the austerity - On the preceding double page, of a military camp, Carthage offers . - the ideal model of a Roman city. Es- a Roman road at the Carthage tablished on the ruins of the razed archaeological site, and an im~ressive Punic city, this was a new view of the amphitheatre at El ]ern, I capital conceived by imperial archi- both in Tunisia. tects in accordance with Hellenistic Above, the ruins of the amphitheatre and Middle Eastern theories. The so- at Carthage. called Upper City comprised a vast Left, the Triumphal forum at the intersection of the De- Arch of at the site cumanus Maximus and Kardo Max- of Volubilis (Morocco). I imus on the summit of Hill, which had been reshaped at tremen- dous cost in labour. The four major t divisions were arranged around it and these were divided into small city blocks. All religious and politi- cal monuments, buildings con- ceived for games and entertainment along with public and private baths in Carthage since there was a com- found their place in this network plete break between the original and, according to their importance, Punic city and the later Roman city - they formed part of a single insula or a break spanning a full century covered several blocks. (146-44 BC) during which the site This strict application of the prin- was closed to any form of human oc- cupation. LTHOUGH THE ARABconquest did A not follow this identical pattern, there was nonetheless a break be- tween old and new. The establish- ment of the new civilization in the former Romano-Byzantine province did not occur in a context of conti- nuity. Through transformation in the Arab empire - Omayyad and later Abbassyd -the adopted anoth- er religion and a different political system, which resulted in a new so- cial organization and a different kind of economy. The entire system of small cities de- , pendent on agriculture gradually de- In the other sites, able for the exceptional of con- clined and the towns eventually disap- was a continuous process. In Leptis servation of their monuments. They peared. Only a few cities survived, but Magna and Sabratha, El Jem and are generally found further inland. In at the cost of total transformation; they Dougga, Djemila and Tipasa, Volu- El Jem, Tipasa, Djemila and Volubilis, were also well situated geographically, bilis and all the Phoenician trading the monuments strike one by the it should be noted. , Gabes, B6- posts along the coast, where the Nu- scope of their conception, the quali- ja, Le Kef, , for example, sur- midian and Libyan cities and locali- ty of their architecture and the beau- vived because they continued to func- ties had been subject to Carthaginian ty of their decoration. tion as places of passage and refuge. influence, the Roman model was im- In most cases, this model did not But other towns such as Al Qal'a of posed on the inhabitants who aspired appear suddenly but developed grad- Beni Hammad and came into to citizenship. In order to become ually during the second and third being only to disappear later along citizens of the empire, they had to centuries as the cities grew and their with their short-lived dynasties. create an urban landscape in the im- status rose from civitas to that of mu- Conquered and abandoned at the age of Rome. Fora were built, along nicipality or colony - making them end of Antiquity, Carthage gave way with their Capitols, curiae and specific even more like Rome, which always monuments embodying the ideal of a remained the model of the city. With city and its comforts. The cities, thanks the growth of the empire and the tri- to the generosity of com- umph of , the urban lay- peting benefactors, out was continually changing, ex- vied with one an- panding or contracting as the monu- other in con- ments were restored or renovated structing and put to a variety of uses. New ar- buildings chitectural forms appeared such as and decorat- the Christian basilicas, the architec- ing public ar- ture of which was derived from the 1 eas. This model judicial basilicas, though they were r of a civilization occasionally installed in pagan tem- t devoted to the ples or even in former public baths. Above, the Punic ruins on Birsa Hill well-being of its Many monuments whose functions at the archaeological site of Carthage- inhabitants is ap- had become obsolete disappeared. and, left, a magnificent column parent in the ves- The Christian city gradually replaced excavated at the site. tiges of the Roman the pagan, transforming the monu- Above right, the great row of columns towns which, al- ments while at the same time con- of the Temple of Apollo in Cyrene though less impos- serving the urban structure, which (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya), and below, ing than Carthage, gradually deteriorated and lost its for- an overall view of the coastal city are more remark- mer splendour. of Tipasa (). to , the chosen Muslim Arab stronghold destined to become the capital of Ifrikiya, the successor to the ancient province of Africa. Building materials were used from \ the rubble of the former metropolis to construct and fortify the new city. I Famous for the quantity and quality of its materials, Carthage was ex- ploited for centuries by Tunis and other towns around the Mediter- ranean; pillars were torn down, blocks broken up, flagstones ripped out: everything was carried away @ 93 and the levelled ground was given tional protection campaign spon- Above, the baths at the archaeological over to agriculture. sored by UNESCO (1972-1 992). site of Dougga (Tunisia), Teams of archaeologists and histori- and the remains of a ans from a number of countries took in Carthage. CARTHAGE part in the campaign. The excava- Right, the Temple of Liber Pater RESUSCITATED tions revealed the extraordinary dedicated to the god Bacchus wealth of the site as well as the den- on the north-western flank of the NDER THE FRENCH PrOteCtOrate, sity of the levels of occupation over Forum Vetus at the archaeological site Cardinal Lavigeriefsambition was the centuries in spite of destruction. of Leptis Magna (Libyan Arab u to revive Carthage. The railway line Since 1979 Carthage has been in- jamahiriya), and a laid down across the site did the rest. cluded on the World Heritage List at Volubilis. Archaeological digs turned up remains and in 1985, the Tunisian govern- and objects, but land development ment passed a decree officially listing gained ground and the few conserva- the site and declaring it a National tion measures taken were insufficient, Park. if not altogether inappropriate. With In 1991, the decision to create the the return of independence, urbaniza- park was finalized. This was an emi- tion spread and the ancient site was nently humanist choice by which the rapidly threatened with suffocation country opposed the inexorable ten- underneath suburban residences. dency to urbanization and made a The government came to the res- cultural decision to reclaim its histo- cue following a large-scale interna- ry - its entire history - reaching back to the origins of the foundation of the This is an undeniably ambitious conservation zone in the heart of a city at the end of the ninth century BC. project in light of the stakes involved, large conurbation. The northern sub- That act of reclamation and identifi- but it marks a political choice that urbs of Tunis have been overrun by cation of Tunisia today with its an- makes the ancient territory of planned and unplanned structures cient past stands as a new sign of Carthage a place of memory, - with only around 300 awareness. chosen as a symbol for hectares of the Carthagin- In actual fact, it expressed Tu- contemporary Tunisia. ian site remaining as an nisia's commitment to protect, pre- This represents a major L artificially green island, serve and enhance the historical ter- choice that will make 1 saved not by agricul- ritory of Carthage, to undertake digs Tunis one of the few ture, but by archaeol- and research and to restore and ex- capitals to offer in- ' ogy and the state's hibit the remains to its own people habitants and visi- decision to respect and to foreign visitors. The park in- tors a huge park the great historical cludes all the stages of a complex embracing sci- interest it repre- process. The protection and improve- ence, cullure and isents if transformed ment plan that has been drafted will nature. i into an area for have to become the legal and regu- Until recently i culture and latory tools for protecting and man- the park area was relaxation. aging the site in view of three basic located near the It goes without say- goals: cultural and educational, envi- suburbs, but today, 1 ing that undertaking ronmental and social, and economic due to the city's ex- . such a project is diffi- and touristic. pansion, it stands as a cult and involves risks. Right, the impressive theatre of Sabratha (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya); the front of its exceptional stage consists of three floors of Corinthian columns. Left, the Capitol, seen from behind the door of the Anonymous Temple in - the city of Dougga, and (below) a general view of the Algerian city of Djemila.

The population, in its pursuit of ever more buildings, cannot readily accept that prime land should be protected from urbanization. Specu- lators covet the site as well, and have submitted plans for 'cultural tourism' projects that would allow them to ac- quire land whose value has been heightened. The state's decision to create a park requires funding and makes completion a priority. The case of Carthage should not prevent one from taking a look at the current situation of other archaeolog- ical sites on the World Heritage List. Although their situation is not as complex or urgent, they are just as

tion measures may prove to be insuf- ficient. It is also essential to guard against threats by anticipating events and proposing alternatives. There can no longer be any ab- solute safeguards as such. Agricultur- al improvements, widespread land development and land planning pro- jects devised by central or regional governments have led to a blurring of distinctions between archaeological digs and deep-ploughing the land for planting, building developments or large-scale public amenities. There is a pressing need to stake out the lim- its of archaeological sites and to re- move them from development areas. For the nationally and interna- Ar RISK OF 1,OSING tourism boom inevitably imply ?ally important World Heritage THEIR SOULS more visits to the sites. sites, such measures do not suffice, The problem of state financing ce opinion now demands that the CTUALLY GETTING these operations must not obscure the potential of fund- part of the public domain with scien- A and actions under way requires ing by international financial bodies tific and cultural vocation be im- more than expert studies: funds in- and multinationals concerned with the wed and made available to society vested must return a profit. Herein heritage recognized by state govern- other words, that it also serve a lies the crux of the problem inherent ments and often by UNESCO as well. :tul purpose. in site enhancement funding. But if heritage falls merely into the Like other sectors drafting land-use In theory, archaeological sites financial domain, it will be subject to ns and programmes for land devel- are public assets and thus come un- the same constraints and methods as lent, archaeological sites must be der the responsibility of the state. other sectors and will have to func- .rned by plans ensuring their pro- But since the state is primarily en- tion in accordance with the principle [Ion and enhancement. Only the gaged in crucial investment pro- that a project must be profitable to be lcess set in motion by actions thus grammes aimed at satisfying the ba- 'bankable'. There is indeed cause to ommended will ensure the survival sic needs of the population, site en- fear that the financial criteria applied he sites by promoting their conver- hancement is not the sole priority - in this realm may be those that capi- sion. Such actions may include exca- far from it - and the sites may even talism has already imposed else- .*-+ions and land clearance, studies be threatened by official large-scale where on natural resources. 1 publications, consolidation and infrastructure programmes. So they There is every reason to fear that restoration work, not to mention the cannot be left as they are. Only en- those with the capital will call the exhibition of remains and objects so hancement can provide a counter- shots, selecting sites in terms of prof- that the public may appreciate the balance in this situation. All the itability and turning them into cultur- sites and, by developing awareness, more so since improvements in lo- al products merchandised by means defend and preserve them. cal living conditions and the of powerful communication and dis- mgad .re

The monumental Triumphal Arch with three spans constructed in Timgad (Algeria) during the reign of Sepfimus Severus, where inscriptions dedicated to his son and successor Caracalla may still be seen, and Punic ruins at the archaeological I site of Carthage. ~IIYmilitary, su~ ne was more clea. , of influence unc El jem's listing i amphitheatre.

nd Leptis Magna maritime citit rich in groves. Leptis Magna, home town of Emperc Severus, benefited from imperial generosity that endoweu it with imposing architectural decoration. Buried beneath the sands, it escaped pillage; having been gradually cleared, tl s remains arc and er ' ~ced.

El Jem ( a great amphit surrounding town. This is the most striking sign of the pro! perity of a town whose archaeological riches, particularly the mosaics, are still being uncovered. It owed its prosper- ity to a location in the centre of an olive-growing regior and it was enc 1 a net\ < of roads reachin to many different i the Sahel -:' was export--'

Dougga (fc not built : ~rdingto an orthogonal plan; instl adapted to the nature of the terrain with traffic 1 smoothly channelled and with the monuments arr3nn enhance the Capitol. The four grooved pillars su the pediment of this monu nt still domin,

ribution networks - to the exclusion tage survival arouses at the moment of all other considerations, as is al- and the excess of zeal that one day ready the case with other products. threatens to become out-and-out ex- Sites on the World Heritage List ploitation, the future of world cultur- already represent an attractive, high al heritage remains uncertain. To- . quality and extremely varied selec- day, things are moving at an ever- tion of 'quality-controlled products' faster pace. This is more than suffi- 'hat need only to be taken in hand. cient reason for UNESCO and the .'his sort of management threatens to World Heritage Committee, guided turn into an actual domination of by the principles commanding their heritage which, once it becomes a foundation, to remain attentive to commercial product, is in danger .of the fate of the only area that has not losing its soul. Heritage is not mer- yet been absorbed into the world chandise. It embodies the identity of economic system. a country and a people and remains a vehicle for precious values whose ideological and emotional content is r\dTHOR: ABDELMAJID ENNABLl diffuse. It is obvious Curator of the Carthage site and its Museum e scant interest heri-