Tipaza sometimes distinguished as Tipasa in Mauretania was a colonia in the Roman province Mauretania Caesariensis. It is nowadays called Tipaza. It is located in coastal central Algeria. Since 2002, it has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. Initially the city was a small ancient Punic trading-post. Under Roman rule the city acquired greater commercial and military importance because of its harbour and its central position on the system of Roman coastal roads in North Africa.

It is conquered by Ancient Rome and it was turned into a military colony by the emperor Claudius for the conquest of the kingdoms of Mauretania.Afterwards it became a municipium called Colonia Aelia Tipasensis, that reached the population of 20,000 inhabitants in the fourth century according to Stephane Gsell. Tipasa was partially destroyed by the Vandals in 430, but was rebuilt by the Byzantines one century later.

Tipasa revived for a brief time during the Byzantine occupation in the 6th century but was given the Arabic language name, Tefassed, when Arabs arrived there. The term translated means badly damaged. At the end of the seventh century the city was destroyed by the Arabs and reduced to ruins.

The town and its surroundings is home to the largest Berber-speaking group of western Algeria, the Chenoua people. In 1857, the area was settled again with the creation of the city of Tipaza that now has nearly 30,000 inhabitants.The city is an important tourist place in modern Algeria, mainly because of the Tipasa ruins.

Algeria

Casbah of Algiers |  Tipasa |  Timgad