Sétifis (
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
: سطيف;
Berber
Berber or Berbers may refer to:
Ethnic group
* Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa
* Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages
Places
* Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile
People with the surname
* Ady Berber (1913–196 ...
: Sṭif), was a
Romano
Romano may refer to:
Food
* Pecorino Romano, a hard, salty Italian cheese
* Romano cheese, an American English and Canadian English term for a class of cheeses
Places Italy Municipalities in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Latium
* Arcinazzo Ro ...
town located in northeastern
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
.
It was the capital of the Roman province called ''
Mauretania Sitifensis
Mauretania Sitifensis was a Roman province in Northwest Africa. The capital was Setifis.
History
In the later division of the Roman Empire under the Emperor Diocletian, the eastern part of Mauretania Caesariensis, from Saldae to the river Ampsa ...
'', and it is today
Setif in the
Sétif Province
Sétif Province ( ar, ولاية سطيف, kab, Agezdu n Sṭif) is a province (''wilaya'') in north-eastern Algeria. Its capital and largest city is Sétif; the next largest city is El Eulma. There is also the World Heritage Site of Djémila th ...
(
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
).
History
Sitifis was founded in 97 AD, during the reign of
Nerva
Nerva (; originally Marcus Cocceius Nerva; 8 November 30 – 27 January 98) was Roman emperor from 96 to 98. Nerva became emperor when aged almost 66, after a lifetime of imperial service under Nero and the succeeding rulers of the Flavian dy ...
, as a colony for
Roman veterans. Although no buildings of this period are known, a cemetery excavated in the 1960s contained Punic shaft tombs dated to the 2th century AD. As the town grew, around 297 AD, the province of
Mauretania Sitifensis
Mauretania Sitifensis was a Roman province in Northwest Africa. The capital was Setifis.
History
In the later division of the Roman Empire under the Emperor Diocletian, the eastern part of Mauretania Caesariensis, from Saldae to the river Ampsa ...
was established, with Sitifis as its capital. In the newly prosperous town a bath building was built, decorated with fine mosaics: its restoration in the fifth century had a cold room (''frigidarium'') paved with a large mosaic showing the birth of Venus. Setifis initially was populated by Punic people and later by Italian colonists.
Sitifis was officially ''Colonia Augusta Nerviana Martialis Veteranorum Sitifensium'', and from the time of
Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
, (293 A.D.), was the capital of
Mauretania Sitifensis
Mauretania Sitifensis was a Roman province in Northwest Africa. The capital was Setifis.
History
In the later division of the Roman Empire under the Emperor Diocletian, the eastern part of Mauretania Caesariensis, from Saldae to the river Ampsa ...
(now eastern Algeria). Today vestiges of the
third century
The 3rd century was the period from 201 ( CCI) to 300 ( CCC) Anno Domini (AD) or Common Era (CE) in the Julian calendar..
In this century, the Roman Empire saw a crisis, starting with the assassination of the Roman Emperor Severus Alexander i ...
and
fourth century include
city wall
A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
s,
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
, circus, mausoleum and "Scipio"
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
ress. Numerous archaeological artifacts are exhibited at the archaeological museum of the city.
Although we do not know what happened under
Vandal
The Vandals were a Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.
The Vandals migrated to the area betw ...
rule, the
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
reconquest brought with it a major fort, of which parts are still standing. In the sixth century
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
was the main religion, with a strong presence of
Donatism
Donatism was a Christian sect leading to a schism in the Church, in the region of the Church of Carthage, from the fourth to the sixth centuries. Donatists argued that Christian clergy must be faultless for their ministry to be effective and t ...
. Under the Vandals it was the chief town of a district called "Zaba". It was still the capital of a province (called "Mauretania Prima") under Byzantine rule and was then a place of strategic importance. The area came under Byzantine control for a short period, that saw the introduction of Orthodox doctrines to the main Donatist and Catholic towns of their
Exarchate of Africa
The Exarchate of Africa was a division of the Byzantine Empire around Carthage that encompassed its possessions on the Western Mediterranean. Ruled by an exarch (viceroy), it was established by the Emperor Maurice in the late 580s and survived ...
![Jardin à setif 6](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Jardin_%C3%A0_setif_6.JPG)
In 647 AD the first
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
expedition to
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
took place and by the end of this century, the area started to be conquered. Indeed,
Uqba ibn Nafi
ʿUqba ibn Nāfiʿ ibn ʿAbd al-Qays al-Fihrī al-Qurashī ( ar, عقبة بن نافع بن عبد القيس الفهري القرشي, ʿUqba ibn Nāfiʿ ibn ʿAbd al-Qays al-Fihrī), also simply known as Uqba ibn Nafi, was an Arab general ser ...
partially destroyed Sitifis in a raid in 680 AD, when his forces conquered nearby
Saldae
Saldae was an important port city in the ancient Roman Empire, located at today's Béjaïa (in Kabylia, eastern Algeria). It was generally a crossroads between eastern and western segments of Northern Africa, from the time of Carthage to the end o ...
(actual
Bougie), while fighting to reach the
Atlantic ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
. The Byzantine era of Sitifis was over. By 702 AD, the area had been fully conquered by the
Umayyad Caliphate
The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by th ...
.
In the eight century the region had been converted to the Islamic faith. We know little of the early Islamic town, but by the tenth century the area outside of the fortress was once more filled with houses: on the site of the Roman baths over twelve of these were excavated, with large courtyards surrounded by long, thin, rooms. In the mid-eleventh century this development stopped abruptly, and a defensive wall was built around the city.
The historian
Leo Africanus
Joannes Leo Africanus (born al-Hasan Muhammad al-Wazzan, ar, الحسن محمد الوزان ; c. 1494 – c. 1554) was an Andalusian diplomat and author who is best known for his 1526 book '' Cosmographia et geographia de Affrica'', later ...
reports that a major wave of destruction followed the invasion of the
Banu Hillal
The Banu Hilal ( ar, بنو هلال, translit=Banū Hilāl) was a confederation of Arabian tribes from the Hejaz and Najd regions of the Arabian Peninsula that emigrated to North Africa in the 11th century. Masters of the vast plateaux of the ...
shortly thereafter.
Nothing more is known of what used to be Roman Setifis until the ruins of the town were used by the
French army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
(who built their own fortress on the site in 1848, using the line of the medieval city wall and the Byzantine fortress). The modern city was founded by the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
on the ruins of the ancient one.
![Museo di Sétif, Algeria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Museo_di_S%C3%A9tif%2C_Algeria.jpg)
Roman Architecture
![Venus sortant du bain (musée de Sétif)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Venus_sortant_du_bain_%28mus%C3%A9e_de_S%C3%A9tif%29.jpg)
On the northwest edge of the town two great
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
s were built at the end of the fourth century, decorated, again, with splendid
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
s, and a
Bishopric
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
was founded at this time.
The city had a
bath house
Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...
fortifications The inhabitants made inscriptions to the
emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
s a practise that falls out in the 4th
century
A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c.
A centennial or ...
with the rise of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
.
The city had also 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 450 m. long and 70 m. wide.
Bishopric
The city was also the center of a bishopric.
Saint Augustine
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
, who had frequent relations with Sitifis, tells us that in his day the Bishopric had a monastery and an episcopal school. Several Christian inscriptions have been found there, one of 452 mentioning the relics of
Saint Lawrence
Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. "Laurel wreath, laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the Persecution of Christians, perse ...
, another naming two martyrs of Sitifis, Justus and Decurius.The diocese effectively ceased with the Islamic invasion, but remains a
titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...
to the current day.
Bishops known to us include:
Bishop Sanchez
*Novutus(Donatist)
*Unnamed Donatist bishop
*Lucullas (Catholic)
*Alexis Lemaître, (24 Feb 1911 Appointed - 28 Jul 1920 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Carthage)
*Joanny Thévenoud, (8 Jul 1921 Appointed - 16 Sep 1949)
*André-Maurice Parenty (9 Mar 1950 Appointed - 23 Nov 1983)
*Armando Xavier Ochoa (23 Dec 1986 Appointed - 1 Apr 1996 Bishop of El Paso, Texas)
*Manuel Felipe Díaz Sánchez (27 Feb 1997 Appointed - 4 Apr 2000 Bishop of Carúpano)
*
John Choi Young-su
John Choi Young-su (; March 2, 1942 – August 31, 2009) was the South Korean Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Daegu from 2007 to 2009.
Young-su was ordained a Catholic priest on November 6, 1970, and was elevated to Auxiliary bish ...
(22 Dec 2000 Appointed - 3 Feb 2006 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Daegu )
*
Broderick Soncuaco Pabillo
Broderick Soncuaco Pabillo (; born March 11, 1955) is a Filipino prelate who has been the Vicar Apostolic of Taytay in Palawan since 2021. He was appointed by Pope Francis to that post on June 29, 2021, and was installed on August 19 by Socr ...
(24 May 2006 Appointed - )
See also
*
Mauretania Sitifensis
Mauretania Sitifensis was a Roman province in Northwest Africa. The capital was Setifis.
History
In the later division of the Roman Empire under the Emperor Diocletian, the eastern part of Mauretania Caesariensis, from Saldae to the river Ampsa ...
References
External links
Image of the Circus of SitifisMap showing Sitifis as one of the "Oil Mills" in Roman Africa
{{Authority control
Roman towns and cities in Mauretania Caesariensis
Archaeological sites in Algeria
Catholic titular sees in Africa
Former populated places in Algeria
Phoenician cities