Dougga, Tabarka, Bulla Reggia & Sbeitla, Wow!

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Trip Start Oct 13, 2009 Trip End Nov 08, 2009 Next
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  Tabarka, Tunisia
Saturday, October 17, 2009

Our first day out of Tunis took us to northwest Tunisia with our first stop at Bulla Regia. Tunisia has some of the finest and most extensive Roman Ruins around.  This well-preserved site had numerous examples of underground architecture as well as well-preserved mosaics. Subterranean homes were built as a protection from the fierce heat and effects of the sun.  The homes were built with one story above ground in order to obtain warmth from the winter suns. 

From Bulla Regia we headed north south east to Dougga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.    This is Tunisia's largest Roman site which covers some sixty acres.  Dougga (also known as Thugga) was known as the city of temples and its existence is thought to date back to the 4th century BC.  The ruins were spectacular.

Our first night in the region we spent at a great hotel, the Dar Ismail which is located along a beach with a spectacular view of the Mediterranean.

The following morning we headed south along the western portion of Tunisia.  We stopped to visit the ruins of Sbeitla where the weather began to clear up.  Known by its early Punic name, Sufetula, this impressive site seems to be literally in the middle of nowhere.  During Roman times, olive trees were cultivated in this region and provided a flourishing olive oil export trade to Italy. Sbeitla is known for the best preserved forum temples in Tunisia. From Sbeitla we headed southwest, and very near the Algerian border, to Tozeur.

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On the road to Dougga	Dougga	The Capitoline Temple in Dougga	George at Dougga
Capitoline Temple, Dougga	Capitoline Temple, Dougga	Ruins at Dougga	Capitoline Temple, Dougga
At Dougga	Dougga	George & Judy in Dougga	At Dougga
George at Dougga	Dougga	On the Road	On the Road
On the road to Bulla Reggia	Roman Mosaics at Bulla Reggia	Roman Mosaics at Bulla Reggia	Roman Mosaics at Bulla Reggia
Minaret as seen from Bulla Reggia	Roman Amphitheater at Bulla Reggia	George at Bulla Reggia	The Mediterranean at Tabarka
The Mediterranean	Judy in Tabarka	George: Oo-la-lah	On the Road
Close to the Algerian Border	Going to market	The Temple of Minerva at Sbeitla	Judy at Sbeitla
The Capitoline of Sbeitla	George at Sbeitla	At Sbeitla	George at Sbeitla
Sbeitla	George and Judy at Sbeitla	George at Sbeitla	Baptismal Font at Sbeitla
Roman Amphitheater at Sbeitla	The Roman Amphitheater at Sbeitla	George at the Amphitheater at Sbeitla	Bob Bath & Judy...at lunch
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