Author Interview: Ethel Davies' North Africa Adventures

Writer and photographer Ethel Davies has travelled extensively throughout the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. She has seen Roman North Africa almost in its entirety. She is the author of the newly released Bradt guide, North Africa: The Roman Coast. We caught up with her to chat about her Roman adventures, travelling in Libya and why North Africa is such a great place for "ruin-seekers".

HK: Can you tell us a bit about your first visit to North Africa?

ED: Other than a few visits to Egypt, beginning in 1984, my very first jaunt into North Africa was a trip to Morocco with friends in 2000, during which I saw nothing of the Romans. The ancient eye opener came one autumn in 2002 when I wanted to do a weekend break to get some sun. I thought I’d chance Tunis, and when I began to do some research, I realised that the legendary Carthage not only really existed, but also was still a suburb of Tunisia’s capital city. Thrilled, but somewhat disappointed with Carthage’s ruins, the true awakening to North Africa’s Roman heritage came on that trip when I viewed poster adverts for the magnificent site of Dougga. I tried to get there during the weekend, but the tourist infrastructure wasn’t in place for a last-minute day trip. From there, the obsession took hold.    

HK: How did you come to spend so much time writing about North Africa's Roman past?

ED: Although my contact with Roman North Africa has been relatively recent, my interest in the ancient Roman Empire, and especially its outposts, started in primary school. I began to visit ruins as soon as I first left the States to come to Europe in the 1970s, beginning with Gaul (Nimes in Provence). At the time I worked as a picture researcher for children’s books and discovered images of El Djem, the amphitheatre in Tunisia, and Leptis Magna in Libya. Over the years, subsequent travels took me to other Roman outposts, such as in Turkey, and when I had the chance to explore Tunisia, I realised I had found a marvellous region that had almost literally been buried beneath the sand.  

HK: Who were your main influences when it came to nurturing your interest in history?

ED: I learned to read from a book about the myths and legends of ancient Greece and Rome, and when I found out they weren’t simply stories, this started my fascination with history. School, well-travelled parents and local museums did a good job of teaching the subject, succeeding in encouraging my interest, and when I was old enough, began to do my own journeys to see these places.   

HK: Your book, a travel guide to North Africa's Roman Coast, is quite a niche title – like many Bradt books. How did you come to be involved in the project?

ED: After having completed a couple of smaller books on Reykjavik and Marrakech for another publisher, I suggested to Bradt the idea of writing about Roman outposts, mentioning some of the sites in Turkey and Tunisia as examples. The company liked the idea, but asked if I could narrow down the focus, specifically to North Africa. I don’t know yet how the book is being received, as it was published very recently, but I understand that there has been a great deal of interest in the subject.
 
HK: Which is your favourite North African country?

ED: Wow, tough question! I like all the countries covered in the book: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, but for different reasons. The exoticism of Morocco is very enticing, although it has very few Roman sites. Algeria is intriguing, mostly due to its relative inaccessibility and element of danger, although some of my favourite ancient ruins are there. Tunisia is probably the easiest country in which to travel and has a disproportionately high number of wonderful remains, but its tourist-friendly infrastructure discourages the sense of archaeological discovery (but, at the same time, makes the place a great place for an all-round holiday). Libya contains, in my opinion, the best ancient Roman sites, and has an aura of mystery due to the political distancing of its past, but it’s difficult for some nationalities to enter, and still requires travelling with a guide.   

HK: North Africa is off the tourist map compared to Rome or Greece or Turkey. Why should people make a point of visiting?

ED: Some of the best Roman remains sit in North Africa and the region’s warm climate, dry conditions and relative lack of mass tourism have preserved these sites extremely well. In its era, this area was as important as the other provinces in the Empire, although today it’s little known. I believe that within most visitors is a desire for exploration and although these cities have existed in some form for around two millennium, the thrill of rediscovering these relatively hidden yet wonderfully intact places should excite any ruin-seeker.   

HK: Compared to Rome or Greece or Turkey, North Africa has always been viewed as a more dangerous and less hospitable destination. It has also been viewed as expensive, and difficult to get into and around – I suppose I'm thinking of Libya in particular. Is this still true?

ED: Morocco and Tunisia have wholeheartedly opened their doors to tourists and there are legions of package and independent holidays available to visitors. Tunisia in particular is aware of its Roman heritage and there are companies that feature this aspect in organised tours. Prices in these countries vary from cheap and cheerful to exclusive and extremely pricey, but in both these places, it’s neither hard nor expensive to arrange transport to specific sites, either by public or private means. Admittedly, both Algeria and Libya are more difficult to visit, mostly for political and price reasons, but the quality and condition of the ruins, not to mention the exoticism of the locations, make the effort worthwhile.

For the first two countries, I would suggest either joining a cheap package holiday that allows some flexibility, such as booking flights that arrive earlier or leave later than the tour begins, and add on car hire or taxis to the Roman sites, or simply travel independently. People are friendly and speak mostly French, although some are managing English quite well. Of course, be sensible and apply the same rules used in any other foreign land, but North Africa in general is no worse, and possibly even a bit better, than over-run tourist resorts in parts of Europe. 

At the moment, I’d advise travelling to Algeria and Libya by package tour. It’s hard to find trips to Algeria due to the changing and dangerous political climate, but it’s worth checking to see when and where the visits go. By necessity, these journeys are expensive, but this is because of the high quality and limited availability of accommodation, guide and transport arrangements. Libya is expensive, mostly due to difficulties with its embryonic tourist infrastructure, but the Roman ruins are automatically included in any tour as the country is well aware of its superb ancient heritage. The biggest difficulty at present is to do with visas as there are certain nationalities, such as those of the United States and Israel, that are simply not allowed to visit. At present, even citizens of acceptable countries are required to deal with their paperwork in Arabic, necessitating a need for a translator even before the trip begins, though this aspect can be covered by the tour operator. Unguided independent travel is still not allowed. 

But I don't think the caveats for any of these countries should put you off. The efforts, whatever they may be, will definitely be worthwhile once you’re in the country.

HK: A lot of money is being poured into Libya to encourage tourism – will this make it easier to visit?

ED: Libya seems to be in two minds as to inviting foreigners to visit. Tourism is a valuable, if volatile, source of income, and no place wants to turn down opportunities to make money. However, the country is extremely wealthy from its oil revenues and doesn’t really need invaders, even if they’re friendly and come armed with cash and enthusiasm only. This internal conflict changes Libya’s attitude constantly, and it’s important to be aware of the latest situation when planning a trip. Hopefully, when things settle, the infrastructure will allow for more facilities and cheaper – and easier – travel within the country.

HK: We recently published a report suggesting a lot of Libya's Roman heritage was at risk – what are your thoughts on this?

ED: Unfortunately, the theft of antiquities escalates when new value is placed on them. The opening up and publicity of previously inaccessible areas creates a greater demand on obtaining artefacts. I keep on looking towards Egypt as an example of high prices paid for ancient items and corresponding looting of the region, something that has been going on since the first pharaoh was buried. It’s an unfortunate fact that the easier it is for visitors to go to a location, the more likely that someone will want to benefit from their travels by offering authentic, if illegally obtained, valuable souvenirs. Museums on the site have taken some of the best pieces for public show and they are available for viewing under lock and key. Perhaps the best solution is to do what the more western sites have already done, and remove the finest examples for securer display, replacing them with excellent reproductions in situ.

HK: Where else in the ancient world have you travelled?

ED: I’ve been to most of the areas in the world where ancient history has played an important part in the development of the country. The ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia were superb, reminding me of some of the Mayan and Aztec pyramids in Mexico and Guatemala. The Aboriginal cave paintings in Kakadu in Australia stunned me when I was told they were 40,000 years old, while the pictograms and petroglyphs of the mysterious Anasazi in Arizona were almost as impressive. As a complete contrast, the glaciers of Antarctica are as ancient as the oldest civilisations, yet little remains of human intervention except the odd bit of Victorian whaling equipment.

HK: Where else do you still dream of going?

ED: I would love to visit the regions that lie on the border between Western and Central Asia. Eastern Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and other ‘interface’ areas that sit at the crossroads between east and west must be full of fascinating traces of ancient civilisations passing through on their way to the other side of the then known world. I’d also like to visit central and southern Africa, as well as the aboriginal ruins of the northern part of the South American continent. 

HK: You are an accomplished photographer – do you prefer writing about ancient worlds or shooting the remains of them?

ED: Photographing is so much more fun and requires me to be physically at the sites, exploring and visually documenting what I see. Writing, though, is not only satisfying, but also allows me a chance to have a broader aspect, reflect on what I’ve viewed, make my conclusions, and even formulate often surprising relationships from different parts of the world. I’ve had more chances to shoot, but I’d welcome more opportunities to write.  

HK: What's next for Ethel Davies?

ED: I’ve decided to hone my photographic skills by beginning an MA in Digital Arts this autumn. But I still have my eye on visiting parts of the world still new to me (see ‘Where else do you still dream of going?’), and would love to write another book for Bradt.

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About The Author

Lynette Eyb

Lynette Eyb is the books editor of Heritage-Key.com. She trained in Australia as a journalist before moving to London, where she wrote for and edited various magazines. She has travelled extensively, exploring the ancient wonders of China, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, the UK and Ireland along the way. Lyn lives in Bordeaux with her partner and their young daughter.

Last three pieces by this author: Fiction, Children's, History and Reference: Our Pick of the Best Books to Buy in 2010, Books that Rocked the Ancient World in 2009, Hello Toi Moko: Sweden Returns Tattooed Maori Heads to New Zealand

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Interesting Publications

North Africa: The Roman Coast

Bradt Travel Guides (15 Jun 2009)

by Ethel Davies

A Search for Origins: Science, History and South Africa's 'Cradle of Humankind'

Witwatersrand University Press (2008)

by Philip Bonner, Amanda Esterhuysen, Trefor Jenkins

Rome in Africa

Routledge (1993)

by Susan Raven

Three Thousand Years in Africa

Cambridge University Press (2009)

by Graham Connah