Announa

Announa is the site of Thibilis, a Roman municipium on a plateau above a valley west of Guelma, and it is one of the emptier classical sites in Algeria: a paved main street with wheel ruts, the walls of a Byzantine fortress built into the town in the sixth century, two Christian basilicas, cisterns, olive presses and a scatter of house walls, standing among grass with nothing built around them. Nobody manages the visit, which means it can be walked freely and also that nothing is explained. The stone is a warm limestone and the site catches good light in the morning. Local people graze animals among the ruins as they have for generations.

What you actually see

• A paved street with wheel ruts - the Roman road surface still in place.
• The Byzantine fortress walls - a sixth-century fort built into the town.
• Two Christian basilicas - the church plans on the ground.
• Olive presses and cisterns - the working economy of the town.

When to go

October to May; the plateau is hot and unshaded in summer. Half a day including the drive. Morning light suits the stone. A guide from Guelma helps a great deal.

Honest expectations

There is no ticket office, no signage and no facilities of any kind. Getting there needs a car and asking directions. Stone has been robbed from the site over centuries. Nothing is fenced, which also means nothing is protected.

Nearby

Guelma is east; Constantine lies west.