Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/189

 years. A subterranean passage by which the arena was flooded for the naval engagements of the Roman games is pointed out by the Arabs as the remains of a secret gallery by which the garrison communicated with the coast and received its supplies.

The town itself has left but few ruins, but excavations have brought to light columns of vast size, and deep cisterns. According to M. Rouire, the nomads of this region are gradually displacing the settled populations. Every village deserted by its inhabitants is immediately seized by the native Beduins, who make it their chief market and remove thither the shrines of their saints.

According to the Metâlit people, the sandstone employed in the construction of

the amphitheatre was obtained from the quarries of Bu-Rejid, situated on the seashore, not far south of Mahdiya (Mahdia, Mehedia), the “City of the Mahdi,” so called after its founder or restorer, Obeïd Allah, in the year 912. Mabdiya soon became an important place, thanks to its strong military position. The Christian seafarers for a long time called it Afrika, regarding it as pre-eminently the stronghold of the continent. Hence it was subjected to frequent attacks. In 1147 the Norman, Roger of Sicily, obtained possession of it, but it was retaken by the Mohammedans thirteen years later, In 1557 Charles V. captured the place after several sanguinary assaults, and caused the ramparts to be dismantled. From that time forward the walls have never been repaired and the breaches have