Bulla Regia
Bulla Regia Nova
Numidian to Late Roman (6th c BCE–5th c CE; villas 2nd–4th c)·Numidian / Carthaginian / Roman·🇹🇳 Jendouba Governorate, Tunisia
About
About Bulla Regia
Unique Numidian–Roman town famed for subterranean villas (maisons souterraines) where elite houses were two-storey with underground summer floor 4–6 m below street to escape 45°C heat. House of the Hunt (Maison de la Chasse) 1,400 m² preserves cryptopporticus and polychrome mosaics: Venus Anadyomene, hunting scenes, and the famous floor with naked hunters still in situ. House of Amphitrite has Neptune triumph mosaic. Also: theatre, baths of Julia Memmia, forum Capitol, Apollo sanctuary, Christian basilicas. Numidian megalithic tombs under the Roman streets show superposition.
Why it mattersDemonstrates sophisticated passive climate architecture and social stratification; mosaics illustrate African workshop style.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01How understorey ventilation worked without modern airflow
- 02Whether houses were continuous occupation or seasonal summer retreats
Theories
- 01Underground floor as status symbol copying Hellenistic palaces (Ksouri)
- 02Mosaic hunting scenes copy Carthaginian textiles (Dunbabin)
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Numidian settlement 6th c BCE; Roman municipium Hadrianic; villas 2nd–4th c CE
- Period
- Numidian to Late Roman (6th c BCE–5th c CE; villas 2nd–4th c)
- Culture
- Numidian / Carthaginian / Roman
- Builders
- Numidian / Roman
- Purpose
- Thermal adaptation - underground living for summer heat + elite display
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
Numidian settlement 6th c BCE; Roman municipium Hadrianic; villas 2nd–4th c CE
Initial construction
c. 1236 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
36.5594° N · 8.7542° E · 135 m · 3 mapped features
House of the Hunt
villaTwo-storey villa with underground peristyle and hunting mosaic
36.5598° N · 8.7545° EHouse of Amphitrite
villaPeristyle villa with Triumph of Neptune and Venus mosaics
36.5592° N · 8.7538° EThermal Baths of Julia Memmia
bathsLarge vaulted baths with hypocaust
36.5588° N · 8.7540° E
Gallery