Archaeological excavations at the Castelia site in Tozeur revealed the presence of residential buildings next to the Christian church when a team from the National Heritage Institute carried out an archaeological excavation in October at the archaeological site, which is located near the regional road linking the cities of Tozeur and Deghash.
The site, which covers nearly a hectare, was issued a protection decision on January 21, 2021 by the National Heritage Committee and is being allocated to the National Heritage Institute.
Archaeological excavations at this site began in 2017, and one of the most important results was the discovery of a Christian church dating back to the late Roman period between the end of the fourth and seventh centuries AD, with an area of 140 square meters and a height of about three and a half meters. This is corroborated by ceramic objects discovered near the temple, mainly pottery vessels and a set of lanterns dating back to the same period. The layout of the church is similar to that of all African Romanesque churches: It consists of three aisles and two rooms adjacent to the mihrab, with the center aisle containing the mihrab and the temple.
Since 2019, archaeological excavations at the site have continued to include several residential buildings discovered next to the church on the north and southwest sides, one of which contained a food storage and cooking area. This year (2024), the planned excavation of the site included the north and south sides of the site, which resulted in the discovery of several walls built with local materials belonging to buildings adjacent to the church.
The Christian church in Kastelia is considered one of the most important Christian monuments in southern Tunisia, which preserved the Roman cultural and historical heritage in this region.
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