TIMGAD, ALGERIA

North Africa is home to many of the most impressive Roman remains anywhere, increasingly inaccessible for troubling political reasons. Algeria is now one of the more feasible destinations, and several specialist tours are available to the Roman sites. The Roman city of Timgad, on the edge of the Sahara, is one of the best places to visit.

Established around AD 100, as a new town for veteran Roman soldiers, it has a perfect suit of the usual urban accessories: forum, theatre, temples and markets. And it boasts one of the very few surviving public libraries in the Roman world. — © The Daily Telegraph