A History of Algeria in Seven Stops | Apollo Magazine

The Roman theatre at Djemila.
Photo: M. Gasmi CC BY-SA 2.5

In 2009, a team excavating at Algiers’ Place des Martyrs in advance of the construction of a new Metro station uncovered a huge archaeological site beneath the square. This unexpected discovery revealed evidence of many centuries of occupation – from Roman ruins and mosaics through to a 7th-century Byzantine necropolis and the remains of an Ottoman-era mosque, all at the heart of the city.

Since then, the Algerian authorities have changed their designs for the Metro station – making it much smaller, and adding an open-air museum, where visitors will be able to view the site’s remains in situ, as well as a museum building for objects that need to be moved inside. Recently, it was announced that this museum-station would be inaugurated in November, bringing the world’s attention to the archaeological discoveries beneath Place des Martyrs and to the country’s often ignored archaeological treasures as a whole.

To read the rest, follow the link: A history of Algeria in seven stops.