The National Museum of Cirta Constantine (Musée Cirta Constantine), located in the historical city of Constantine, offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into the region's past, especially during the Roman occupation. The museum consists of an exhibition hall on the ground floor, an upper floor and a beautifully landscaped garden. The museum is represented by three main categories: ethnography, fine arts and archaeology, the latter comprising twelve rooms giving a complete chronological overview of the region from prehistoric times to the present day.

The museum was founded in 1852 by a group of scientists who formed the Constantinian Archaeological Society for the purpose of preserving monuments and artifacts, many of which bore inscriptions detailing the history of the city and its surroundings. The museum was originally located in a caravanserai, but this was not large enough to accommodate the growing collection, and it was proposed that a building be built specifically to house the museum's artistic and historical treasures.

The site chosen for the museum already had archaeological significance as a Numidian-Punic necropolis. The completed museum was opened on 15 April 1931 under the name Musée Gustave Mercier in honor of the Secretary General of the Archaeological Society. In July 1875, the name of the museum was changed to the Cirta Museum, and in 1986 it was included in the list of national museums of Algeria. Covering an area of ​​over 2,100 square meters, plus a further 900 square meters of gardens, the museum is home to an extensive collection of fascinating artefacts, some donated and others discovered through archaeological excavations or purchased.

The Fine Arts section of the Cirta Constantine Museum displays sculptures and paintings created by famous artists between the 17th and 20th centuries. Among the artists represented in the museum are Eugene Fromentin, Gabriel Ferrier, Allaloush Amar, Bashir Boukhrikha, Eddin Diné and Hoxha Sadeq Amin, to name a few. In the ethnographic section, visitors will be able to see ancient manuscripts relating to various sciences, as well as ancient jewelry, carpets, weapons, copperware and traditional clothing.

A relaxing stroll through the gardens gives visitors the opportunity to see many interesting sculptures and statues, including a menhir with the figure of a Libyan soldier carved on one side. The soldier holds a spear in his right hand, and a sheathed sword in his left hand. Of course, visitors to the Algerian city of Constantine should include a visit to the National Museum of Cirth Constantine in their itinerary.

Source: algeria.com

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