Cirta

Cirta was an ancient city in North Africa (now Constantine / Algeria).

The Phoenicians built Cirta ( derived from the Phoenician word " kirtha " = city) on a plateau, which lies 650 m above sea level. In the year 203 BC, King Syphax, who ruled the western part of the Kingdom of Numidia of Cirta from, beaten by the Romans and his opponent Masinissa, who had allied themselves with the Romans against Carthage and Cirta under the new king Masinissa capital of Numidia. To 48 BC Cirta was the capital of the Roman colony of Numidia.

In the year 310 the city was captured by the army of the emperor Maxentius in the battle against the Numidian rival emperor Alexander and partially destroyed. Emperor Constantine built Cirta 313 but again, calling it Constantina.

Due to its strategically excellent location Cirta was used in the subsequent period the various rulers of the city ( Romans, Arabs, Turks or French ) as a fortress.