Off the Beaten Path

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Tipasa, Algeria
Algeria claims many famous and well-intact ruins from its Roman colonial past. Some of the most unforgettable are those around Tipasa. The remnants of grand structures are quite a sight to see, especially when the sun is setting over the Mediterranean Sea and the ruins are but only a silhouette against the expansive sky.

Tipasa was originally a Phoenician trading post, but it became a Roman colony in the 2nd century A.D. and one of the most important Christian settlements in Northern Africa. But after the fall of the Roman Empire the colony went into decline. By the time the Arab Moors arrived in the 7th century, there was so little left they called the place Tefassad, meaning "badly damaged." What remains today, however, is well preserved, particularly the forum and the mausoleum. The small museum on site houses mosaics and other relics collected from the colony.

North of the Hoggar Mountains is another famous archaeological landscape worthy of visiting. The Tassili N. Ajjer, characterized by deep chasms and dramatic cliffs, is noted for its rock paintings that are over 8,000 years old. You can only enter this area with a special permit and official guide.

Volubilis, Morocco
Rome had its stake in much of North Africa, even Morocco. But unlike so many other colonial cities, Volubilis was not abandoned after the mighty Romans lost their foothold here in the 3rd century. In fact, Volubilis remained a vital town well into the 18th century. Today much remains here. Despite the destruction of some of the palaces within, the settlement has kept intact its claim to being one of the best preserved of all the Roman sites.

Because it was an outpost for the Empire, many important buildings were erected here. It later became the capital of Idris I, founder of the Idrissid dynasty, who is buried at nearby Moulay Idriss. Many of the best relics and excavations have found a permanent home in the Archaeological Museum close to the royal palace in Rabat. The original site, however, still maintains excellent quality mosaics.

Persepolis, Iran
Visit Persepolis and enter a fortress of ruins built by many different Persian Kings through the centuries: King Artaxerxes I constructed the Hall of 100 Columns in 450 B.C.; Artaxerxes II built the Unfinished Palace; and the most glorious monuments, the Gate of All Nations and the Throne Hall were commissioned by Xerxes I in 470 B.C. Persepolis was a flourishing ceremonial and spiritual capital of the Persian Empire until Alexander the Great burned and destroyed it around 330 B.C.

Some historians speculate that the burning of the city was an accident, while others believe it was in retaliation for the destruction of temples in Athens by the Persians. The carvings on the walls reflect the history of Persepolis—kings in military combat, symbols of the Zarathustrian God Ahura Mazda, and figures representing the different nations of the world at that time, from Egypt and Armenia to Babylonia, Assyria, and Media.