Location Algeria | Region Sétif Province | |
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Groupe la juv marina altamira 19 yssemouha setifis
Sétifis (Arabic: سطيف, SATIF, Berber STIF), was a town of in Roman in northeastern Algeria. It was capital of the Roman era province, and is today Setif in Sétif Province, Algeria.
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Sitifis also known as سطيف, was officially Colonia Augusta Nerviana Martialis Veteranorum Sitifensium, and from the time of Diocletian, (293 A.D.), was the capital of Mauritania sitifienne (now eastern Algeria). Today vestiges of the third century and fourth century include city walls, temple, circus, mausoleum and "Scipio" Byzantine fortress. Numerous archaeological artifacts are exhibited at the archaeological museum of the city.
The name of the city, is of Numidian origin and in Berber means "black" (aseṭṭaf). The modern city was founded by the French on the ruins of the ancient one.
On the northwest edge of the town two great Christian basilicas were built at the end of the fourth century, decorated, again, with splendid mosaics, and a Bishopric was founded at this time.
The city had a bath house fortifications The inhabitants made inscriptions to the emperors a practise that falls out in the 4th century with the rise of Christianity. The city also has a Circus the approximate location confirmed by old air photographs showing 90% of the circus has now been built over; only the southern, curved, end remains visible. The U-shaped formerly visible track was c450m long and c70m wide.
In 647 AD the first Muslim expedition to Africa took place and by 700 AD, the area had been fully conquered.
Bishopric
The city was also the center of a bishopric. The diocese effectively ceased with the Islamic invasion, but remains a titular see to the current day. Bishops known to us include: