Emperor Trajan established the colony of Timgad around 100 AD in the Aurès Mountains of Algeria. The settlement was named Colonia Marciana Ulpia Traiana Thamugadi to honor his family members including his mother Marcia and father Marcus Ulpius Traianus.
The Arch of Trajan stands at the western end of the decumanus street and reaches a height of 12 meters with three arches. The central arch measures 11 feet wide and this sandstone structure remains one of the key features of the Roman ruins today.
Bishop Optat served as the spokesman for the Donatist movement at the end of the 4th century while two subsequent bishops named Gaudentius and Faustinus led the Donatist and Catholic factions respectively. This religious schism made Timgad a major center of Christian activity during that period.
Scottish explorer James Bruce reached the ruins on the 12th of December 1765 and described the place as a small town full of elegant buildings. His account in Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile published in 1790 initially met skepticism until Robert Lambert Playfair visited the site in 1877.
Excavations began in the 1880s following a decision by the Ministry of Public Education and Fine Arts under French management. The site was systematically investigated from 1881 until 1960 before being inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.