THE PHENICIANS   On their arrival on the coast of Cherchell, the Phoenicians discovered a region inhabited by several prehistoric civilizations, including the Iberian-Mauritian civilization. In the sea of the present Cherchell, the Phoenicians founded a trading post called IOL in the 4th Century, named after one of their deity, "the god of the wind", and began trading with the natives. Thanks to these navigators and great merchants, Iol experienced great prosperity for centuries and thus till the arrival of the Romans. .     BERBER PERIOD   After the fall of Carthage in the year 146 BC., the Numidic princes took power and ruled the three regions. Mauretania, Massy and Massaesyl. Micipsa, the son of Massinissa, followed by Bocchus II, king of the Moors, resumed Iol, who was raised to the rank of capital. On the death of Bocchus II, in 33 BC. J.-C., who had no heir, Octave, future emperor, governed Mauretania in -27 BC Juba I, king of the Numidians, took part for Pompey against Caesar during the Tapsus War, in Tunisia, in AD 46. He was defeated and killed himself. His son Juba II, then 5 years old, was taken to Rome and brought up to Octave. He received a more Greek than Latin education, as did the daughter of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antoine, Cleopatra Selene, who married Juba II and who was also brought up at the court of Rome. The union of these different Greek, Roman and Egyptian cultures, from the Mediterranean basin, brought a great and enriching contribution to the indigenous civilizations.   The bellombras of the plaza and the facade of the museum in the background.     AUTONOMY PERIOD UNDER JUBA II   In AD 25, Caesarea will experience an important event that will propel it among the great cities of the Mediterranean. Indeed, the advent of Juba II not only succeeded in making Caesarea a showcase city that would seduce the indigenous tribes but also compete with the other great cities. Throughout his reign, which lasted about fifty years, Juba II was able to impel to the city a great architectural, artistic, cultural and economic dynamics. While Cherchell played an important role in the history of North Africa as a capital of Mauretania during the antiquity, it was in Juba II period that it had a strong influence on all aspects of art and culture, since it owes him, among others, the royal mausoleum of Mauretania, which many historians attribute to the period when this king-writer was in power.   Aqueduct of Cherchell   The large aqueduct complexes of Chabet Ilelouine and Oued Bellah were used to channel water to the capital of the Roman province of Mauretania, Caesarean Caesarea. Water catchment begins at Menaceur. Considered to be the longest in Africa, the Chabet Ilelouine aqueduct is 40 km long and 35 m high.   Roman Amphitheater After the killing of Ptolemy, the son of Juba II and Cleopatra Selene in the year 40 AD in Lyons and commissioned by his own cousin Caligula, the kingdom of Mauretania lost its independence and was finally annexed to The Roman empire then divided into two provinces, Mauritania Tingitane whose capital is Tangier and Caesarean Mauretania, with Caesarea as its capital, which will not however lose its importance. In the year 371, Firmus tried to take Cherchell back from the Romans. To get there he burnt the city.   THE VANDALS   In the 4th century the vandals arrived at Cherchell. These conquerors of La Gaulle annexed it to the vandal kingdom of North Africa. This period lasted about a century. The city suffered several disasters that caused significant damage. It is ravaged by a fire and repeated earthquakes. But every time Cherchell reborn from his ashes and recovered from these disasters. In the year 533, the Byzantines, heirs of the Romans seize Cherchell and drive out the vandals of the city. The preaching of the great Saint Augustine also reinforces the idea of ​​the presence of the Christian religion at Cherchell in the third and fourth century AD.   MUSLIM PERIOD   From the year 647 to 1509, the Muslim period, Cherchell, located away from major roads, loses its importance, and was annexed to the various Muslim kingdoms that known the Maghreb, Omayades, Almoravides, Almohades ... and the Merinids who founded the kingdom of Tenes and occupied the city. It did not regain its great fame until the arrival of the Andalusians, who will save a little this period. In 1492 fleeing the persecution and the Spanish reconquista, hundreds of families settled in its Casba (ksiba, in searchllois) where they were welcomed by the Cherchellois. What remains of the ancient Casbah is known today as "Aïnksiba" which means the fountain or source of the small Casbah.       In 1509, to avoid the Spanish occupation, the notables of the region paid a tribute to the Spaniards. Called by the King of Algiers, Baba Aroudj moved to Cherchell from 1512 to 1516. A stele found in the Turkish Fort attests it. Dated, the name of Cherchell is quoted for the first time.         Two definitions are given to Cherchell, "the evil that goes away" (if one takes the typonomy by interpreting from the Arabic language) or "charchar", the waterfall. In the old maps of navigators, appears the name of Sirsile. In the year 1840 the French occupied it. They destroyed a large part of the old city and built the new one. During this operation many objects were destroyed. The others were scattered between different places, and many were sent by boat to France.