Gezicht op de ruïnes van een Romeins forum in Timgad before 1894

This photograph captures the ruins of a Roman forum in Timgad. Dominating the scene are the fragmented columns and arches, potent symbols of Roman civilization, law, and order. These architectural remnants, reaching toward the sky, echo across time, reappearing in various guises throughout history. Consider the triumphal arches of Rome and their echoes in Renaissance and Neoclassical architecture: symbols of power transformed and reinterpreted. The arch, initially a marker of military victory, becomes a motif in civic and religious structures, each time charged with new meaning while still resonating with the past. The forum speaks to our collective memory, evoking a sense of grandeur tinged with melancholy. These stones have witnessed triumph and collapse, embodying the cyclical nature of history. This photograph provides a stark reminder of time's relentless march, engaging us on a subconscious level with profound psychological weight.