51³Ô¹ÏÍø

BATNA, ALGERIA - MAY 16: Timgad, a lost Roman city in Batna, southern Algeria remained hidden beneath the sand on the edge of the Sahara desert for nearly a thousand year until it was discovered by James Bruce in 1765 while he was looking for traces of ancient civilizations in the desert. Scottish nobleman Bruce was serving as the British consul in the coastal city of Algiers. The French took control of the site in 1881, and maintained a presence there until 1960. During this period, the site was systematically excavated. The excavations were completed after Algeria gained its independence in 1962. Being the largest ancient city in Africa, and called the "Gate of the Desert", was founded in 100 AD by the order of the Roman Emperor Trajan, and built as a retirement colony for soldiers living nearby as well as to prevent attacks on the Roman Empire from the south and to protect trade routes. Timgad called Thamugas by the Romans, invested heavily in high culture and Roman identity, although it was thousands of kilometers from Rome itself. Home to veterans of the Third Augustan Legion, the Roman outpost was abandoned due to the Vandal Kingdom's looting in North Africa during the 700s. The full extent of the 50-hectare site where no one lived for centuries, was covered with sand carried by the desert storms coming from the south over time. Anadolu Agency on Monday (May 16) videoed the ancient Roman city with all its glory. Algerian actress Iman Nouel, one of the visitors of the ancient city, told AAVN that she had been to Timgad before and had a pleasant time every time. (Footage by Hamza Zait/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)