Page 30 - Off the Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 1 of 2)

26 5 MORE RUINED CITIES TO RIVAL POMPEII

ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL SIGHTS
Akrotiri Kourion Timgad

NEED TO KNOW NEED TO KNOW NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION Akrotiri is on LOCATION Kourion lies near the port LOCATION This ancient city is
#6-("3*" 41"*/
Santorini in the Cyclades ."$&%0/*" of Limassol in southern Cyprus found near the town of Batna, in
island group, Greece DATE OF northeastern Algeria "MHJFST
5IFTTBMPOJLJ
DATE OF CONSTRUCTION -BQJUIPT DATE OF 5*.("% 56/*4*"
CONSTRUCTION "FHFBO 12th century BC to CONSTRUCTION .030$$0
(3&&$& 'BNBHVTUB
20th–17th centuries BC 4FB 4th century AD /JDPTJB 1st–6th centuries AD
563,&: $ :1364
DAYTIME 1BUSBT "UIFOT DAYTIME 1ÈGPT -BSOBDB DAYTIME "-(&3*" -*#:"
TEMPERATURES TEMPERATURES TEMPERATURES
Jan: 54°F (12°C); Apr: 61°F ",305*3* Jan: 54°F (12°C); Apr: ,063*0/ -JNBTTPM Jan: 41°F (5°C); Apr: 54°F
(16°C); Jul: 77°F (25°C); 63°F (17°C); Jul: 81°F .FEJUFSS BOFBO 4 FB (12°C); Jul: 77°F (25°C); Oct:
Oct: 66°F (19°C) .FEJUFSSBOFBO (27°C); Oct: 69°F (21°C) 57°F (14°C) ."-* /*(&3
4FB
The Bronze Age settlement of Akrotiri, once the Ancient Kourion, which is perched on a cliff Timgad was established in AD 100 by the Roman
largest Minoan city outside Crete, suffered a overlooking the Mediterranean, emerged as a Emperor Trajan, and for six centuries was one of
Pompeii-like end when it was buried in ash major Mycenaean settlement in around 1200 BC. North Africa’s most prosperous Roman
following the explosion of the volcanic island of The city remained a flourishing center until settlements. But in 430 it was sacked by the
Thera (modern-day Santorini) around 1500 BC. the Middle Ages, when a massive earthquake Vandals – the same group that went on to plunder
This eruption was one of the most devastating in destroyed many of its buildings and drove Rome in 455 – and the town was abandoned and
recorded history, and is thought to have inspired away its inhabitants. Despite this catastrophe, gradually swallowed up by the encroaching
Plato’s legend of Atlantis, which told of an island a remarkable array of Hellenistic, Roman, and Sahara. Now dug out of the sand and restored,
that vanished without trace. The ash preserved early-Christian monuments still stand here. Timgad presents the haunting sight of a Roman
much of Akrotiri in a near-perfect condition, and There’s a stunning theater, which is still in use, town miraculously preserved in the middle of
today you’ll find three-story houses replete with beautiful floor mosaics, a basilica, public baths, nowhere. Sights include a 39-ft (12-m) high
pottery and furniture as well as a remarkable and an enormous amphitheater, which boasts Trajan’s Arch, a 3,500-seat theater and a large
array of frescoes. Most of these artifacts are now fantastic views. Nearby is a shrine to the Hellenistic Christian basilica, as well as a fine on-site museum.
in Athens, though excellent replicas are displayed deity Apollo dating from the 7th century BC.
at the Thíra Foundation in the island’s capital, Firá.
Practical Information
Practical Information Getting There Fly to Batna, 25 miles (40 km) from Timgad, and take a taxi
Practical Information Getting There There are plenty of international flights into Larnaca or arrange a tour with a local guide to reach the site.
Getting There International flights go in and out of Athens regularly. You airport, and from there you can drive or catch a bus to Limassol. When to Go This is one of the coolest parts of Algeria, although it’s still best
can then take a local flight or a ferry to Santorini. When to Go The island’s beautiful Mediterranean climate makes a to avoid the climatic extremes of winter and summer and stick to the more
When to Go May, June, and September are pleasantly warm but not too visit possible at any time of year, although you might want to avoid temperate seasons of fall and spring.
hot. Avoid the summer crowds and meltémi (winds) of July and August. the peak summer months (Jun–Aug), when temperatures are high, Website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/194
accommodations are pricy, and the city is at its most touristy.
Website www.santorini.net/123
Website www.limassolmunicipal.com.cy/kourion Mosaic depicting the Goddess Diana bathing, Timgad, Algeria
Ceramic vases found at the ancient site of Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece
The ruined city of Kourion, Cyprus, with a well-preserved mosaic floor
in the foreground

15/4/09 15:39:24
US026-027-AHS-Herculaneum-fo.ind26 26 16/4/09 09:45:58
026-027-AHS-Herculaneum-fo.indd 26