Membressa (Medjez el-Bab)
Membressa · Membrassa · Medjez el-Bab · Mizrah?
Punic to Modern (3rd c. BCE–present; bridge Roman)·Numidian / Roman-Christian·🇹🇳 Béja Governorate, Medjez el-Bab, Medjerda River crossing, Tunisia
About
About Membressa (Medjez el-Bab)
Great Medjerda bridge town, Membressa spans the river with a still-used 8-arch Roman bridge (repaired 17th c.), forum on tell (15 m high), arch of Membressa (Trajanic), and martyrium of 60 martyrs of Membressa (Augustine letter). Grain warehouses along river quay. Strategic crossing for Carthage–Theveste road. Bridge has cutwaters and relieving arches.
Why it mattersContinuously used Roman river bridge — rare functional antiquity and martyr site.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Bridge pier core vs facing phasing
- 02Martyrium location
Theories
- 01Stone bridge longevity study
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 ford; colonia under Trajan (c.110 CE)
- Period
- Punic to Modern (3rd c. BCE–present; bridge Roman)
- Culture
- Numidian / Roman-Christian
- Builders
- Roman (Trajan)
- Purpose
- River crossing colonia and martyrial see on Carthage–Algerian road
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.110 CE
Colonia under Trajan
2nd c. CE
8-arch bridge and arch
304 CE
Martyrdom of 60 (Augustine Ep. 90)
1943 CE
WWII Medjez el-Bab battle over same bridge
On the ground
Structures & features
36.6490° N · 9.6130° E · 55 m · 2 mapped features
Roman Bridge over Medjerda
bridge8-arch opus quadratum bridge 150 m, cutwaters, relieving arches
36.6495° N · 9.6135° ETell Forum and Arch
forum15 m tell beneath old town with Trajanic arch base 6 m
36.6480° N · 9.6120° E
Gallery