1.

TIPASA- A beautiful view of the open air Roman Museum

2.TIPASA- Hassan & Imaine (the Writer’s Children) inside the City’s Museum
3.TIPASA- The « Chenoua » mount overhanging the breath-taking scene
4.TIPASA- The Writer & Hassan inside the open air Roman Museum
5.TIPASA- Another view of the Museum
• IN THE NAME OF GOD THE COMPASSIONATE THE MERCIFUL

• Subject: *Historic Cities of Algeria.

• 6. TIPASA

• Tipasa or Tipaza is situated at 70km west of Algiers, it is a beautiful

seaside city, it was founded by the Phoenicians, then it was made a Roman
military colony by the emperor Claudius, and afterwards became a
municipium; the Roman city was built on three small hills which overlooked
the sea, but of the houses, most of which stood on the central hill, no
traces remain up to now.

• Moreover, there are ruins of three churches: the Great Basilica, the Basilica
Alexander on the western hill, and the Basilica of St Salsa on the eastern
hill, two cemeteries, the baths, theatre and the amphitheatre.

• The line of the ramparts can be distinctly traced and at the foot of the
eastern hill the remains of the ancient harbour, the basilicas are
surrounded by cemeteries, which are full of coffins, all of stone and
covered with mosaics. The basilica of St. Salsa, which has been excavated
by Stéphane Gsell, consists of a nave and two aisles, and still contains a
mosaic.

• The Great Basilica served for centuries as a quarry, but it is still possible to
make out the plan of the building, which was divided into seven aisles,
under the foundations of the church are tombs hewn out of the solid rock,
of these one is circular, with a diameter of 18 m and space for 24 coffins.
• Commercially it was of considerable importance, but it was not
distinguished in art or learning, in terms of History and Religion,
Christianity was early introduced, and in the third century Tipasa
was a bishop‘s see and most of the inhabitants continued to be
non Christian until, according to the legend, Salsa, a Christian
maiden, threw the head of their serpent idol into the sea,
whereupon the enraged populace stoned her to death.

• The body, miraculously recovered from the sea, was buried, on the
hill above the harbour, in a small chapel which gave place
subsequently to the stately basilica whereas, Salsa’s death took
place in the 4th century, and in 484 AD the Vandal king Huneric
(477- 484) sent an Arian bishop to Tipasa; whereupon a large
number of the inhabitants fled to Spain, while many of the
remainder were cruelly persecuted.

• After this time the city disappears from history until the Muslim
Arab conquest of North Africa in the seventh century, thus the city
flourished in trade and economy and it was a real gateway to the
neighbouring western coastal cities of Cherchell and Ténés.

• Tipasa , and it is ground proven , has one of the better Roman

ruins along the Mediterranean Sea , and up to now it can boost of
some of the magnificent and most interesting Roman sites such as
the Mausoleum down at the sea which was built in the 5th
century, where there are 14 places for sarcophagi
• The Forum is well preserved, and is the oldest part of the ruin area while the museum
despite its tiny size but still full of valuable mosaics that were taken from the Basilica,
and which sometimes dates back to 1st century AD , and the main road remains in
such a good state and has about 200 metres preserved.

• It is worth mentioning that in terms of Heritage – preservation from the UNESCO, The
ruins at Tipasa have been removed from the list of sites on the “World Heritage in
Danger” a list maintained by UNESCO, and it was duly acknowledged that such list-
mention should not in fact took place in the first place.

• The “error of judgement” was made by UNESCO experts on their visit in 2002, and the
decision was officially reversed at the 30th session of the World Heritage Committee in
Vilnius, Lithuania, from 8-16 July, 2006.

• Moreover, it would be important to mention that the ruins were added to the list of
World Heritage Sites in 1982, the Tipasa ruins are located in the Tipasa Wilaya
(District) the coastal northern city of Algeria, the town of Tipasa was founded in 1857
during the French occupation of Algeria (1830-1962).

•
Algeria is home to some of the finest historical monuments and ruins in all of North
Africa and seven Heritage Sites, including Tipasa. In 2003 the Algerian government
submitted a list of other potential sites to UNESCO.

• Tipasa has a huge selection of cosmopolitan hotels situated on the beachfront and
close to the Chenoua mount, the many beaches and resort hotels of Tipasa that run
along the beautiful, natural Mediterranean coastline, attract many tourists and also
residents from different parts of Algeria and the Maghrib countries over the holiday
seasons.
• ‫محمد بوكريطة‬
• ‫كاتب مستقل و مستشار في السياحة الثقافية‬
• mbokreta@maktoob.com

• MOHAMED BOKRETA
• FREELANCE WRITER &
• CULTURAL TOURISM
CONSULTANT
• mohbokreta@yahoo.com