Gezicht op Romeinse ruïnes in Timgad met op de voorgrond een amfitheater before 1894

This photograph shows Roman ruins in Timgad, and was made by an anonymous photographer. What does it mean to look at a photograph of ruins? This image brings into focus issues of cultural memory and the role of institutions in shaping our understanding of the past. Timgad, located in present-day Algeria, was a Roman colonial city founded in 100 AD. The amphitheater and other ruins in the photograph testify to Rome’s once vast empire and its lasting cultural influence. By the time this photograph was taken, Algeria was under French colonial rule. How does the act of photographing these ruins reinforce colonial power structures and shape narratives of civilization and progress? To understand this image fully, we might explore the archives of colonial administrations, the writings of archaeologists, and the accounts of local communities. Understanding the social and institutional context will help us interpret the cultural politics of this photograph.