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{{Short description|Berber and Roman port near Aïn Témouchent, Algeria}}
{{other uses|Siga (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox ancient site
  |name = Siga
  |native_name = 
  |alternate_name = 
  |image = File:Tombeau de Syphax.JPG
  |alt = 
  |caption = The mausoleum of Syphax
  |map_type = Algeria
  |map_alt = 
  |map_size = 250
  |location = [[Algeria]]
  |region = [[Aïn Témouchent Province]]
  |coordinates = {{coord|35.2663|-1.4499|display=inline}}
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}}
'''Siga''' was a [[Berbers|Berber]] and [[Roman Empire|Roman]] port located near what is  now [[Aïn Témouchent]], [[Algeria]]. Under the [[Roman Empire]], it was part of western [[Mauretania Caesariensis]], bordering [[Mauretania Tingitana]].

==History==
Siga was a major [[Mediterranean]] port in the ancient [[Kingdom of Numidia]]. It was located at the western border of the territory of the [[Masaesyli]], a [[Berber people|Berber tribe]]. Their traditional opponents were the Berber confederation of the [[Maesulians]], who ruled the eastern portion.
[[File:Monnaie - Or, Siga, Maurétanie, Bocchus III - btv1b84840312 (2 of 2).jpg|thumb|A coin of Siga with a Punic legend {{sc|šygʿn}}]]
In the course of the [[Second Punic War]], [[Syphax|King Syphax]] of the Masaesyli allied himself with the [[Roman Republic]] and the armies led by [[Scipio Africanus]], while the Maesulians ruled by [[Masinissa]] sided with [[Ancient Carthage|Carthage]]. With the defeat and capture of Syphax by Masinissa, the western tribes were conquered and gradually absorbed into a united kingdom under his rule. His successors minted coins at Siga with [[Punic language|Punic script]], in which its name appears as ''Shigan'' ({{lang|xpu|𐤔𐤉𐤂𐤏𐤍}}, {{sc|šygʿn}}).{{sfnp|Head & al.|1911|p=888}}

{{Quote|Some remains of buildings (of Siga) can be seen on a hill with a flat top in the lower valley of the Tafna at a bend of the river. A milestone found nearby names the site... A part of a necropolis on the plain has produced material of the 1st to 3d c. AD.<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0006%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DS%3Aentry+group%3D7%3Aentry%3Dsiga Perseus: Siga]</ref>}}

After a temporary decline, the city got some importance inside the Roman Africa, especially with African emperors [[Septimius Severus]] and [[Caracalla]]. With the Arab conquest, during the second half of the seventh century, disappeared all references to Siga in documented history.

Number of visible or hidden monuments extend on both banks of the river Tafna (called "Siga" in Roman times) including the famous "Numidian mausoleum", the fortified acropolis and some Roman hydraulic and thermal facilities.

==Religion==
The current [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] [[titular see]] of "Sigus" is probably based on this location, but there was another Sigus in western Numidia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/d3s17.html|work=Catholic Hierarchy|title=Sigus (titular see)}}</ref>

[[Image:Karte aus dem Buch Römische Provinzen von Theodor Mommsen 1921 11.jpg|thumb|center|900x900px|Map showing Siga east of [[Rusaddir]]]]

==See also==
{{Portal|Ancient Rome}}
* [[Altava]]
* [[Mauretania Caesariensis]]
* [[Rapidum]]
* [[Rusaddir]]
* [[Tlemcen]]

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}
===Bibliography===
*Bowna, Alan. ''The Cambridge Ancient History: Volume 12, The Crisis of Empire, AD 193-337''. Cambridge university Press. Cambridge, 2005
*Grimal, P. ''Les fouilles de Siga'', "MEFR", 54, 1937, p.&nbsp;108-141.
* {{citation |last=Head |first=Barclay |editor=Ed Snible |author2=G.F. Hill |author3=George MacDonald |author4=W. Wroth |display-authors=1 |display-editors=0 |url=https://snible.org/coins/hn/index.html |title=Historia Numorum |contribution=Mauretania |contribution-url=https://snible.org/coins/hn/numidia.html |pages=887–890 |date=1911 |edition=2nd |location=Oxford |publisher=Clarendon Press |ref={{harvid|Head & al.|1911}} }}.
*Vuillemot, G. ''Notes sur un lot d'objets découverts à Siga'', "BSGAO" 1953, p.&nbsp;1-9; Fouille de la nécropole du phare dans I'ile de Rachgoun, ''Libyca'' 1955, p.&nbsp;7-76; Fouilles du Mausolée de Beni-Rhenane en Oranie, "CRAI" 1964, p.&nbsp;71-95; Siga et son port fluvial, ''AntAfr'' 1971, p.&nbsp;39-86.

{{coord|35.2663|N|1.4499|W|source:wikidata|display=title}}

{{Romano-Berber cities in Roman Africa}}

[[Category:Numidia]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Algeria]]
[[Category:Roman towns and cities in Mauretania Caesariensis]]
[[Category:Ancient Berber cities]]
[[Category:Berber populated places]]