Saint-Reparatus Church is a religious building located in Orléansville (today Chlef), Algeria. It is built on the site of an ancient Roman basilica dating back to the 4th century, considered one of the oldest dated churches in North Africa.
History
Roman Period
The original basilica was erected in the 4th century on the ruins of Castellum Tingitanum, an ancient Roman colony. It was located on the left bank of the Cheliff River. The rectangular building measured 26 meters long and 16 meters wide.
The basilica is notably known for housing the tomb of Bishop Reparatus, who died in 475 (year 436 of the Roman province). A mosaic discovered on his tomb bears the inscription: “Hic requiescit, sanctae memoriae, pater noster REPARATUS, E.P.S. qui fecit in sacerdotium annos VIII mens. Xl et precessit nos in pace die undecimu K.A.L. aug. Provinc. CCCCXXX et sexta”.
Rediscovery and Excavations
The site was rediscovered on April 26, 1843, by General Cavaignac. The first systematic excavations were undertaken on February 11, 1929, under the direction of the French colonial administration.
Construction of the Modern Church
Approaching the centenary of the conquest of Algeria, the decision was made to build a new three-nave church on the site. The mosaics from the old basilica were transferred between October 1935 and March 1936.
On May 19, 1930, a ceremony presided over by Archbishop Leynaud of Algiers marked the reburial of Bishop Reparatus’s remains in the choir of the new church.
Description
Mosaics
Saint-Reparatus Church is famous for its remarkably preserved 4th-century Roman mosaics. They feature geometric patterns, Christian symbols, and Latin inscriptions. Notable elements include:
- A labyrinth considered the oldest found in a church, with the inscription “SANCTA ECLESIA” at its center.
- The motto “SEMPER PAX” (Always Peace) inscribed in a rosette.
- Representations of laurel leaves, chrismons, and crosses.
- A mosaic depicting a three-nave building, interpreted as a reliquary chapel dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul.
The mosaics are composed of local stones: white limestone from Ténès, black and green pebbles from the Cheliff, red terracotta, and yellow stones from Ponteba and Oued Sly.
Architecture
The modern church is built on a basilica plan with three naves. Four columns and a half-column from the Roman basilica were integrated in 1936.
The church and its mosaics were damaged during the 1954 earthquake. Today, the precious mosaic from the old Saint-Reparatus basilica is preserved and displayed at the Chlef museum, known as Dar El Baroud.
Saint-Reparatus Church is a religious building located in Orléansville (today Chlef), Algeria. It is built on the site of an ancient Roman basilica dating back to the 4th century, considered one of the oldest dated churches in North Africa.
History
Roman Period
The original basilica was erected in the 4th century on the ruins of Castellum Tingitanum, an ancient Roman colony. It was located on the left bank of the Cheliff River. The rectangular building measured 26 meters long and 16 meters wide.
The basilica is notably known for housing the tomb of Bishop Reparatus, who died in 475 (year 436 of the Roman province). A mosaic discovered on his tomb bears the inscription: “Hic requiescit, sanctae memoriae, pater noster REPARATUS, E.P.S. qui fecit in sacerdotium annos VIII mens. Xl et precessit nos in pace die undecimu K.A.L. aug. Provinc. CCCCXXX et sexta”.
Rediscovery and Excavations
The site was rediscovered on April 26, 1843, by General Cavaignac. The first systematic excavations were undertaken on February 11, 1929, under the direction of the French colonial administration.
Construction of the Modern Church
Approaching the centenary of the conquest of Algeria, the decision was made to build a new three-nave church on the site. The mosaics from the old basilica were transferred between October 1935 and March 1936.
On May 19, 1930, a ceremony presided over by Archbishop Leynaud of Algiers marked the reburial of Bishop Reparatus’s remains in the choir of the new church.
Description
Mosaics
Saint-Reparatus Church is famous for its remarkably preserved 4th-century Roman mosaics. They feature geometric patterns, Christian symbols, and Latin inscriptions. Notable elements include:
- A labyrinth considered the oldest found in a church, with the inscription “SANCTA ECLESIA” at its center.
- The motto “SEMPER PAX” (Always Peace) inscribed in a rosette.
- Representations of laurel leaves, chrismons, and crosses.
- A mosaic depicting a three-nave building, interpreted as a reliquary chapel dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul.
The mosaics are composed of local stones: white limestone from Ténès, black and green pebbles from the Cheliff, red terracotta, and yellow stones from Ponteba and Oued Sly.
Architecture
The modern church is built on a basilica plan with three naves. Four columns and a half-column from the Roman basilica were integrated in 1936.
The church and its mosaics were damaged during the 1954 earthquake. Today, the precious mosaic from the old Saint-Reparatus basilica is preserved and displayed at the Chlef museum, known as Dar El Baroud.
