The Roman port and capital of Siga

Siga was a major Mediterranean port and the capital of the Masaesyli Kingdom. It was a major city of the Kingdom of Numidia and, under the Roman Empire, it was part of western Mauretania Caesariensis, bordering Mauretania Tingitana. The city was located at the western border of the territory of the Masaesyli, a Berber tribe, which were traditional opponents of the Maesulians who ruled the eastern portion.

Some remains of buildings can be seen on a hill with a flat top in the lower valley of the Tafna at a bend of the river. A milestone found nearby names the site. A part of a necropolis on the plain has produced material of the 1st to 3d c. AD. The city gained importance inside Roman Africa, especially with the African emperors Septimius Severus and Caracalla. With the Arab conquest, during the second half of the seventh century, all references to Siga in documented history disappeared.

Monuments extend on both banks of the river Tafna, which was called Siga in Roman times. These include the famous Numidian mausoleum, the fortified acropolis, and some Roman hydraulic and thermal facilities. The current Roman Catholic titular see of Sigus is probably based on this location, though there was another Sigus in western Numidia.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons