Annaba
— — the basilica on the hill, the harbour below.
Not only on a wall.
“A Mediterranean port at the northeastern corner of Algeria, looking out toward Sardinia. The white Basilica of Saint Augustine rises on a hill above the ruins of ancient Hippo Regius, where Augustine served as bishop until the Vandal siege of 430. The Cours de la Révolution runs through the modern city under rows of ficus trees. The light off the gulf in the late afternoon turns the basilica facade the colour of warm stone.
Annaba, on ceramic.
Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.
Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.
The place, in three passes.
Annaba is the fourth-largest city of Algeria and the principal port of its northeastern coast, set on a wide bay of the Mediterranean about 80 kilometres west of the Tunisian border. The modern city wraps around the ancient site of Hippo Regius, the Roman and early Christian city where Augustine of Hippo served as bishop from 396 until his death during the Vandal siege of 430. The Cours de la Révolution, a broad pedestrian avenue lined with ficus trees, runs through the heart of the colonial-era city and ends near the cathedral.
The Basilica of Saint Augustine stands on a hill overlooking the archaeological site of Hippo Regius, on a ridge once called Mount Bouna. The basilica was built between 1881 and 1900 in a Neo-Byzantine style by the Catholic mission established under Cardinal Lavigerie, and it holds a relic of Augustine's right arm sent from Pavia. Below the hill, the excavated forum, the early Christian basilica of Augustine's cathedral, and a network of villa floors with mosaics are protected within a fenced archaeological park managed by the Algerian Ministry of Culture.
Annaba is reached by Rabah Bitat Airport, about 12 kilometres south of the city, with daily flights from Algiers and seasonal links to France. The Basilica of Saint Augustine welcomes visitors most days through daylight hours and is staffed by the Augustinian community that maintains the site. The archaeological park of Hippo Regius lies at the foot of the basilica hill and is entered for a small fee. The Mediterranean climate is mild from autumn through spring, with summer high temperatures often reaching the low 30s Celsius.