Unexpected Roman ruins
Near Sidi Khelifa lies the ruins of the Roman town Pheradi Maius, which
is surprisingly interesting to visit. It has a big triumphal arch, a
really fine Forum area, fine baths and a the remains of a temple to Baal.
Sidi
Khelifa village may be worth a stop, too. It is an attempt to build a
modern village using traditional techniques. There is a multidomed
zawiyya here and a well with water of excellent quality.
Forum and temples
I claim that Sidi Khelifa has the finest Forum areas of Tunisia. From
the stone-paved Forum a number of buildings carve themselves into the
hills. There are a couple of temples, what appears as a gymnastics
area, a palaestra and a market. It is nicely fronted with a triumphal arch. Note
the location of the triumphal arch, it lies in the middle of town, not
as an entrance into the town. Yet, it served as an entrance, to the
central public areas of town.
Baths
The baths of Sidi Khelifa are quite large and nice. Much of the
structures remain, making this a good place to explore how the baths
really worked. Much of the mosaics and the bath tubs stand here too.
Houses
There are two sections of houses excavated at Sidi Khelifa. Both offer
little beyond a peek into the layout and size of the rooms. As usual,
houses hang together, and secondary streets were narrow.
Temple of Baal
As I visited Sidi Khelifa in September 2005, the road leading up to the
hilltop temple of Baal was closed off. So this is the closest shot I
have of the place. It was originally a Punic temple dedicated to Baal,
but was later turned into a fortress.
PRACTICALITIES
No nearby hotels or restaurants. Sidi Khelifa has a selection of grocery stores and some basic cafes.
There are quite irregular connections to the village, and you are
better off if you arrange for something from either Enfidha or
Zaghouan, and make a tour of Takrouna, Jeradou, Sidi Khelifa, Zriba and
perhaps even Oudna.
 
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