Nora

Listen first. Waves break softly against low rocks on three sides of you. A sea breeze carries salt, dry thyme and warm stone. Underfoot, the ground changes from sand to old paving, worn smooth by many centuries of feet. You are standing on a narrow headland south of Pula, on the southern coast of Sardinia. The sea reaches into the ruins themselves. This is Nora, one of the oldest cities on the island.

Nora sits on a small peninsula, a tongue of land between two bays. For a seafaring people, this was an ideal spot. A ship could shelter on one side or the other, depending on the wind. There was fresh water, a lagoon behind the shore, and a clear view out to sea. The Phoenicians understood all of this. They were traders from the coast of what is now Lebanon, and they sailed the whole Mediterranean. They came here very early, and they stayed.

Now for the first surprise. The most famous object from Nora is not here at all. It is a block of stone with a Phoenician inscription, found near this site and known as the Nora Stone. Scholars count it among the oldest Phoenician inscriptions in the western Mediterranean. Many believe it carries one of the earliest written references to Sardinia itself. The original is kept in the National Archaeological Museum in Cagliari, about forty minutes away. So the island's name may first appear in writing because of this small coastal town.

The ancient writers had their own story about the founding, and it is a legend, not history. According to the Greek traveller Pausanias, a hero named Norax sailed here from Iberia, the land we now call Spain. In this tale, Norax was a son of the god Hermes, and he gave the city its name. No archaeologist has found Norax. But the story shows how old and how important Nora already seemed to people in the ancient world.

After the Phoenicians came Carthage, the great Phoenician city in North Africa. Under Carthaginian rule, Nora grew into a busy Punic town. Punic simply means the culture of Carthage and its western colonies. Archaeologists have found traces of sanctuaries and burials from this period. Then, in the third century before Christ, Rome took Sardinia from Carthage. Nora slowly became a Roman town. Most of the walls you see around you today belong to this Roman phase.

Walk towards the theatre. It is small and intimate, built of stone, with curved rows of seats facing a low stage. It is often described as the only Roman theatre in Sardinia that survives in good condition. Sit for a moment on the stone if you can. Notice how a normal speaking voice from the stage carries up the rows. And here is the second surprise. The theatre is not only a ruin. In summer, it still hosts concerts and plays under the open sky.

From the theatre, follow the old Roman streets. They are paved with large, dark, irregular stones, fitted closely together. Look for the grooves and dips worn into them. Water once ran through drains beneath your feet. The streets are narrow, and they bend with the shape of the land. Shops, houses and public buildings once stood shoulder to shoulder here. Today low walls mark their outlines, like a floor plan drawn in stone.

The mosaics are the quiet treasure of Nora. In several buildings, floors of tiny stone tiles still lie in place. Some are black and white, with geometric patterns of squares, waves and knots. Others use warmer colours, ochre, red and grey. One large house is known for its atrium with four columns, a central hall open to the sky. Its floors show how comfortable life could be for a wealthy family in a Roman provincial town by the sea.

The Romans also built baths here, including a large complex right beside the water. A Roman bath was much more than a place to wash. People moved between warm and hot rooms, met friends, made deals and exercised. Look for the small stacks of brick under some floors. These supported the floor above a space where hot air circulated. It was an early form of underfloor heating, and it worked very well.

Now look down at the shoreline. In many places, ancient walls run straight into the sea and disappear beneath the surface. This is not because the city was built in the water. Over the centuries, the land has sunk slightly and the sea level has changed. Parts of Nora now lie underwater. Divers and marine archaeologists have studied the remains offshore. On a calm, clear day, you may see the pale lines of stone under the waves.

At the edge of the site stands a stone watchtower, the Tower of Sant'Efisio. It is much younger than the ruins. It belongs to a chain of coastal towers built in the Spanish period to watch for pirate raids. Nearby is the small church of Sant'Efisio. Saint Efisio is the patron of Cagliari. Tradition says he was martyred here at Nora in Roman times. Every year, at the start of May, a great procession carries his statue all the way from Cagliari to this shore.

So why did the city end? There was no single dramatic day. In late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, the Mediterranean became less safe. Raids from the sea grew more frequent, and trade declined. People moved away from exposed coastal towns to safer places inland. Slowly, Nora emptied. Sand and soil covered the streets. Large-scale excavations began only in the twentieth century, and research still continues today.

Before you leave, stand still again. Let your eyes travel from the stones under your feet to the line of the horizon. Phoenician sailors, Carthaginian merchants, Roman families and medieval watchmen all looked at this same water. The light here changes quickly, from hard white at midday to soft gold near evening. As you walk back along the beach towards Pula, listen to the waves on the old walls. They have been doing this for a very long time.