The remains of the great Roman baths of El Kef emerge amid modern buildings and recall the importance of Sicca-Cirta in Antiquity. This emblematic monument of Romanisation was likely built in the 3rd century and covered nearly 2,000 m². Located at the foot of Jebel Dyr El Kef, right next to the large cisterns of Bab Ghedar, the complex followed the Roman urban model: the Capitol and forum dominated the upper town while the baths occupied a more accessible area tied directly to the inhabitants and the water supply.
Although contemporary buildings now cover part of the site, excavations have uncovered enough remains to reconstruct its organisation. Designed around a symmetrical axis, the complex aligned the cold rooms to the south—dominated by a monumental frigidarium and its hexagonal pool—and the heated rooms to the north, backed against the hillside. The large surviving arcades testify to the vaults that maintained a cool, relaxing atmosphere after hot baths and physical exercise.
To the north, the laconicum, caldarium, and furnace rooms benefitted from the natural protection of the slope, limiting heat loss. Caldarium IV, fitted with two rectangular basins and a vaulted apse, was connected to a circular tepidarium that eased the transition between hot and cold baths. The lukewarm rooms, changing areas, and palaestra were partially destroyed or filled in, but excavations revealed that the ancient ground level lay more than four metres below today's surface, highlighting the monument's impressive scale.
The baths were reused in Late Antiquity: a Christian chapel occupied the destrictarium and the laconicum, with an apse oriented northwards, an altar dedicated to the memory of a possible martyr, and tombs including that of the priest Cresconius. This reuse illustrates the continuity of Roman buildings. Water supply relied on a spectacular hydraulic system: monumental cisterns measuring 28 × 40 m formed genuine "underground cathedrals" able to store 6,000 m³, complemented by the eleven parallel chambers of the Bab Ghedar cisterns, which added roughly 7,000 m³ of additional capacity.
Beyond its bathing function, the site yielded numerous cippi and funerary stelae that shed light on the social fabric of Sicca-Cirta. Among them is Sallustia, a local inhabitant who adopted the name of Governor Sallust. Farther south, a frieze fragment from the Numidian monument of Kbor Klib evokes the region's pre-Roman roots. Through its monumental scale and integration into the urban fabric, the El Kef baths stood alongside the Capitol, theatre, and amphitheatre as major public buildings in Roman Africa.
Architectural Organisation
Frigidarium and hexagonal pool
Location: Southern end of the complex, the culmination of the main axis.
Features: Monumental hexagonal pool long mistaken for a baptistery; large arches and vaults 6 to 7 m high.
Use: Relaxation, massage, and cold baths after exertion.
Heated rooms (laconicum and caldarium)
Layout: Northern sector protected by the slope of Jebel Dyr El Kef.
Description: Caldarium IV with two rectangular pools and a semicircular apse, connected to a circular tepidarium.
Function: Hot baths and sweating rooms forming the heart of the Roman bathing ritual.
Transitional spaces
Tepidarium: Intermediate room allowing bathers to adjust gradually.
Changing rooms and palaestra: Training, social, and preparation areas now destroyed or buried.
Monumental hydraulics
Main cisterns: 28 × 40 m, seven naves supported by massive pillars, with an estimated capacity of 6,000 m³.
Bab Ghedar cisterns: Eleven parallel chambers providing around 7,000 m³ more.
Role: Guaranteeing a steady water supply and showcasing Roman hydraulic expertise.
Christian reuse
Chapel: Installed in the destrictarium and laconicum with an apse facing north.
Evidence: Altar, tombs, funerary slabs including that of priest Cresconius.
Decoration and social memory
Decor: Vaults, arches, and mosaics located more than four metres below the current ground level.
Funerary stelae: Cippi and inscriptions revealing the Romanised inhabitants (e.g., Sallustia).
The thermal complex of El Kef showcases Roman mastery of engineering and urban planning: the interplay between cold and hot areas, the integration of social and religious spaces, and large-scale hydraulic devices.
Bibliography
Alix and Roland Martin, Histoire de Tunisie - El Kef: Les monuments de la ville, January 2017.
H. Saladin, "Rapport sur la mission faite en 1882-1883," AMS, 3rd series, 13, Paris, 1887, p. 204.
F. Béjaoui, "Découvertes d'archéologie chrétienne en Tunisie," Proceedings of the 11th International Congress of Christian Archaeology, Rome, 1989, pp. 1954-1956.
Yvon Thébert, Thermes romains d'Afrique du Nord et leur contexte méditerranéen, École française de Rome, 2003.
Philippe Leveau, "L'eau dans la maison à l'époque romaine," pp. 155-167.
Nicolas Lamare, "Les aménagements de sources en milieu urbain dans le nord-est de l'Afrique: des captages 'romains' ?," in L'eau dans tous ses états. Perceptions antiques, PUP, 2020, pp. 79-90.
Rahmouni Tarek, Les thermes de l'ouest de Sicca Veneria et son approvisionnement en eau à l'époque romaine, DEA thesis, University of Tunis, 2000-2001.
Factsheet: The Roman Baths of El Kef (Sicca-Cirta)
Location
Thermal complex near the headquarters of the Association for the Safeguarding of the Medina of El Kef, right in the city centre and adjoining the monumental cisterns.
Historical context
Construction date: 3rd century CE.
Ancient name: Sicca-Cirta.
Surface area: Around 2,000 m².
Orientation: North-South.
Function: Roman public bath, a place of sociability and urban cohesion.
Spatial organisation
Northern side (hot rooms): Laconicum, caldarium, and furnace rooms protected by the hillside and close to the cisterns.
Southern side (cold rooms): Frigidarium with hexagonal basin and monumental arcades.
Lost spaces: Palaestra, apodyterium, and tepidarium—now destroyed or buried.
Social role
Open to all social groups, the baths offered sweating, relaxation, physical exercise, and community life, much like the Capitol, theatre, or amphitheatre.
Christian annex
5th-century chapel with a north-facing apse.
Two entrances, one leading to the frigidarium.
Altar, central tomb, and the funerary stele of priest Cresconius.
Mosaics and reused materials forming liturgical barriers.
Funerary and epigraphic evidence
Stelae, cippi, and inscriptions document the inhabitants of Sicca-Cirta: adoption of Roman names (e.g., Sallustia) and traces of the nearby Numidian monument of Kbor Klib.
Key points
Period: 3rd century CE.
Orientation: North-South.
Extent: ~2,000 m².
Notable feature: Hexagonal basin of the frigidarium (formerly interpreted as a baptistery).
Annex monument: 5th-century Christian chapel.
Importance: Demonstrates the urban prosperity and Roman identity of El Kef.
