OUDNA (Uthina)		Quality of Remains
		Ease of Access
		Atmosphere & Setting

History & Occupation:

Though Uthina was an originally native settlement, it became an important city under the Roman era. It may have been settled by veterans of Caesar's 13th legion during the civil war, as witnessed by a carved stone bearing the insignia 'XIII'. Also, likely veterans of the nearby III Augusta will have settled here. Certainly the city was sizeable and powerful, settled part way along the massive aqueduct that fed Carthage from Zaghouan and bore all the public buildings one would expect from a successful Roman city. The city was still settled in the Byzantine era, during which time the grand capitol was converted into a fortress. This was, in turn, converted into a farm during the French colonial era. Oudna was the site of an important airbase during the second world war and a number of the ancient buildings suffered extreme damage from bombs. Despite that, Oudna remains one of Tunisia's most charming and impressive sights.

Remains and Visit:

Oudna is near impossible to visit without your own transport. Driving in Tunisia is not nearly as frightening as some would lead you to believe and the area around Oudna is full of small country lanes and sights that you will otherwise never see. Oudna is still relatively unknown, but has been designated a future archaeological park. It already has a magnificent entrance sign on it's tiny little untravelled back road. The entrance beyond is a small hut. Near this is a signboard with a site map. This you need to consult at square one. Oudna is the focus of some very serious excavation and may well already have changed. The amphitheatre here is largely sunken into a hill and is partially reconstructed. It is one of the most astounding sights in Tunisia and well worth the visit alone. Other civil and industrial buildings lie strewn around, along with bathhouses, but these may be offlimits due to excavation and sport signs warding photographers off. The theatre is still almost entirely buried and is on the periphery. The main focus apart from the amphitheatre is the forum, with its capitol temple, mosaics and impressive brick vaulting dating from the Byzantine era. This is truly wondrous. The great baths are reported to be very impressive underground structures (the upper storey was the victim of one of the bombs and has entirely vanished) but upon our visit the baths were closed for rescue work. Cisterns stand on the hill beyond the forum area and a quick scrabble around the srubland of the site will reveal more and more ruins waiting to be unearthed. Quite simply, Oudna is unmissable in my opinion. Nearby, on the road between Mohammedia and El Fahs stand the remains of the aqueduct that fed Carthage. This is one of the best aqueducts to visit in the Roman world and is being restored with care.

Images:

Site map	Amphitheatre	Amphitheatre	Amphitheatre	Amphitheatre
House of Industrius	House of the Labirii	Baths of the Labirii	Baths of the fishing cupids	Great Baths
Theatre	Capitol	Forum Cistern	Forum	Capitol temple
Forum mosaic	Byzantine Capitol	Byzantine Capitol	Byzantine Vaults	Aqueduct