Algiers (/ælˈdʒɪərz/al-JEERZ;Arabic:الجزائر,romanized: al-Jazāʾir) is the capital city ofAlgeria as well as the capital of theAlgiers Province; it extends over manycommunes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents at 2008[3] and over 4,510,000 in 2020 in an area of 1,190 km2 (460 sq mi), Algiers is the largest city inAlgeria,the third largest city on theMediterranean,Sixth in theArab World, and11th in Africa. Located in the north-central portion of the country, it extends along the Bay of Algiers surrounded by theMitidja Plain and major mountain ranges. Its favorable location made it the center ofOttoman andFrench cultural, political, and architectural influences alike for the region, shaping it to be the diversemetropolis it is today.
Algiers was formally founded in 972 AD byBuluggin ibn Ziri, though its history goes back to around 1200-250 BC when it was a small settlement ofphoenicians that practiced trade. It was caught under control of many nations and empires such asNumidia, theRoman Empire and theIslamic caliphates, as it went on to become the capital of theRegency of Algiers from 1516 to 1830 AD, then under the control ofFrance due to aninvasion that ranked Algiers as capital ofFrench Algeria from 1830 to 1942 AD which temporarily merged withFree France from 1942 to 1944 AD, then back again to French Algeria from 1944 to 1962 AD, and finally capital of Algeria from 1962 to present day after theAlgerian Revolution.
Algiers is the main tourist destination in Algeria due to its many museums, art galleries and cultural centers, but most notably the historic center that is classified as aUNESCO World Heritage Site, theCasbah which houses many traditional Algerian andOttoman/Andalusian style buildings, while the French side of the city is bigger and has many distinct architectural styles that showcase trends over the decades whether they were local or international;Al bidha meaning « the white » is what the city's called because of its white washed buildings whether they originated from colonial powers or local populations. The Host city of the1975 Mediterranean Games and other major African and international sports events, Algiers is also the seat of the Consultative Council of theArab Maghreb Union. Numerous Algerian multinational companies are based in the city, such asSonatrach Petroleum Corporation andAir Algérie.
[5] and in the arab dialect of the region, often calledEl Bahdja (« the joyous »),El Mahrussa (« the good-guarded ») ouEl Beida (« the white »)
The present name of the city is the arabic name (al-Jazāʾir (الجزائر)), meaning "The Islands", this name's origin is related to the 4 main islands off the westerncape where people settled, looking on a map we can notice that the islands were eventually connected to the mainland in 1525 AD via a pier now namedKheireddine pier. This name is a truncated form of the name that was used first byBuluggin ibn Ziri when he established the modern city in 972 AD which wasJazaʾir Banī Mazghanna (جزائر بني مزغانة), meaning "islands ofBanu Mazghanna", this term was used by theHammadid dynasty as well as early medieval geographers such asMuhammad al-Idrisi andYaqut al-Hamawi. Before that, from French andCatalanAlger[6] from the Arabic name .Al-Jazāʾir is , used by . The name was given byBuluggin ibn Ziri after he established the city on the ruins of thePhoenician city ofIcosium in 950.[7] DuringOttoman rule, the name of the capital,al-Jazā'ir, was extended over the entire country, giving it the English name Algeria derived from the French name Algérie.[8]
The city's history is believed to date back to 1200 BC, but it was a small settlement without any significance until around the 3rd century BC when "Ikosim" became a small port town inCarthage wherePhoenicians were trading with other Mediterranean ports. After theBattle of Cirta,Numidia got a hold of the town along with its neighboring regions at around 202 BC, after which thePunic Wars started weakening theBerber nation. On 104 BC, following the capturing ofJughurta and executing him in Rome, the western half of his nation was given toMauretania under the rule ofBocchus I. At around 42 AD,Claudius divided Mauretania into two provinces,Mauretania Caesariensis that includedIcosium as one of its towns; the second province wasMauretania Tingitana and were deemed as RomanMunicipiums, additionally they were givenLatin rights by the emperorVespasian. In 371-373 AD, Mauretania revolted with the help ofFirmus in hopes of installing an independent State andIcosium was raided and damaged. Some clues show the presence ofbishops in the region at this time.[10]
In 435 AD, theVandal Kingdom took control ofnorthern Africa along the coasts of today'sTunisia andAlgeria. TheWestern Roman Empire that was ruling the area allowed the Vandals to settle when it became clear that they could not be defeated by Roman military forces. Though the city was damaged again due to the fighting between the two armies, the town was still slowly growing in population.
In 534 AD, the Vandal kingdom was subjugated by the generalBelisarius of theEastern Roman Empire, making Icosium a part of the empire. In the early 7th century, "Beni Mezghenna" who are aBerber tribe belonging to theSanhaja as cited byIbn Khaldoun, settled on the plains ofIcosium and the surrounding areas.[11] Shortly after, in the late 7th century, theMuslim conquest of the Maghreb brought theUmayyad Caliphate into the region, but were faced with resistance from Berber forces led byKahina andKusaila in the 680s, who opposed the advancing Islamic armies. However,Hassan ibn al-Nu'man andMusa ibn Nusayr later defeated both Berber leaders, killing Kusaila at theBattle of Mamma (688) and killing Dihya at theBattle of Tabarka (702), leading to the subjugation of the Berber tribes, bringing Islamic rule into North Africa. TheAbbasid Caliphate succeededUmayyad Caliphate at around 750 AD. Independence movements across theMaghreb resulted in the breaking of two nations, theIdrisid dynasty and theAghlabid Emirate but acted as agents of theAbbasids inBaghdad. Icosium fell into the hands of Aghlabids and abandoned the town. They were then overthrown by theFatimids in 909 AD, who went on to control all ofIfriqiya by 969 AD.
The present city was re-founded in 972 AD byBuluggin ibn Ziri, who was appointed by the Faṭimid caliphal-Muʿizz as governor ofal-Qayrawān and any other territory his nation, theZirid Dynasty might reclaim from its enemies, theZenata tribesmen. His state accordingly expanded its boundaries westward. In approximately 1014 AD, under the reign ofBadis ibn al-Mansur, the dynasty was divided between the Zirids at al-Qayrawan in the east, and theHammadid dynasty atQal'at Bani Hammad; "Jazaʾir Banī Mazghanna", commonly known as "Algiers" as the new name ofIcosium was absorbed into theHammadid dynasty[12] who in 1067 AD relocated toBéjaïa and carried on a lively trade while most of North Africa was under a state ofanarchy.[citation needed]
In 1079 AD,Ibn Tashfin, a Sanhaja leader of theAlmoravid Empire sent an army of 20,000 men from Marrakesh to push towards what is nowTlemcen to attack the "Banu Ya'la", theZenata tribe occupying the area. Led byMazdali ibn Tilankan, the army defeated the Banu Ya'la in battle near the valley of theMoulouya River and executed their commander, the son of Tlemcen's ruler. However,Mazdali ibn Tilankan did not push to Tlemcen right away as the city ofOujda was too strong to capture. Instead, Ibn Tashfin himself returned with an army in 1081 AD that captured Oujda and then conquered Tlemcen, massacring theMaghrawa forces there and their leader; He pressed on and by 1082 AD he had captured "Jazaʾir Banī Mazghanna".
In 1151 AD,Abd al-Mu'min launched an expedition to the east, conqueringBéjaïa in August 1152, the capital of the Hammadids; on their way, Beni Mezghanna did not succumb and was now under theAlmohad Caliphate's control. The caliphate suffered from states breaking out of its rule, most notably, theKingdom of Tlemcen in 1235 AD. The town once again came under the dominion of theZiyanidsultans of the Kingdom but experienced a large measure of independence underThaalibaamirs who settled theMitidja plain at around 1200 AD.
Illustration of theislets off the coast of Algiers before Pier "Kheireddine" was built.
TheKingdom of Tlemcen was the target of theSpanish Empire's and thePortuguese Empire's campaigns and conquests against its coasts, beginning in 1501 AD. However, Algiers continued to be of comparatively little importance until after theexpulsion of the Moors from Spain, many of whom sought asylum in the city, after which the Spanish led byPedro Navarro established a fortified base andgarrison on one of theislets off the coast of Algiers, and named it "Peñón de Argel" or Peñón of Algiers, . By that time, Algiers had anemir, Salim al-Thumi who had to "swear obedience and loyalty" toFerdinand II of Aragon who also imposed a levy intended to suppress theBarbary pirates.[10][13]
In 1516, the amir of Algiers, Selim b. Teumi, invited the corsair brothersOruç Reis andHayreddin Barbarossa to expel theSpaniards. Oruç Reis came to Algiers, ordered the assassination of Selim, and seized the town and ousted the Spanish in theCapture of Algiers (1516). Hayreddin, succeeding Oruç after the latter was killed in battle against the Spaniards in the1518 fall of Tlemcen, was the founder of thepashaluk, which subsequently became thebeylik, of Algeria. Barbarossa lost Algiers in 1524 but regained it with the1529 Capture of Peñón of Algiers, and then formally invited the SultanSuleiman the Magnificent to accept sovereignty over the territory and to annex Algiers to theOttoman Empire.
Algiers from this time became the chief seat of theBarbary pirates. In October 1541 in theAlgiers expedition, the King of Spain andCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor sought to capture the city, but a storm destroyed a great number of his ships, and his army of some 30,000, chiefly made up of Spaniards, was defeated by the Algerians under theirpasha, Hassan.[10]
Formally part of the Ottoman Empire but essentially free from Ottoman control, starting in the 16th century Algiers turned to piracy and ransoming. Due to its location on the periphery of both the Ottoman and European economic spheres, and depending for its existence on a Mediterranean that was increasingly controlled by European shipping, backed by European navies, piracy became the primary economic activity. Repeated attempts were made by various nations to subdue the pirates that disturbed shipping in the western Mediterranean and engaged in slave raids as far north as Iceland.[14] By the 17th century, up to 40% of the city's 100,000 inhabitants were enslaved Europeans.[15] The United States fought two wars (theFirst andSecond Barbary Wars) over Algiers' attacks on shipping.
Among the notable people held for ransom was the future Spanish novelist,Miguel de Cervantes, who was held captive in Algiers for almost five years, and wrote two plays set in Algiers of the period. The primary source for knowledge of Algiers of this period, since there are no contemporary local sources, is theTopografía e historia general de Argel (1612, but written earlier), published by Diego de Haedo, but whose authorship is disputed.[16][17] This work describes in detail the city, the behavior of its inhabitants, and its military defenses, with the unsuccessful hope of facilitating an attack by Spain so as to end the piracy.
A significant number of renegades lived in Algiers at the time, Christians converted voluntarily to Islam, many fleeing the law or other problems at home. Once converted to Islam, they were safe in Algiers. Many occupied positions of authority, such asSamson Rowlie, an Englishman who became Treasurer of Algiers.[18]
The city under Ottoman control was enclosed by a wall on all sides, including along the seafront. In this wall, five gates allowed access to the city, with five roads from each gate dividing the city and meeting in front of the Ketchaoua Mosque. In 1556, a citadel,Palace of the Dey was constructed at the highest point in the wall. A major road running north to south divided the city in two: The upper city (al-Gabal, or 'the mountain') which consisted of about fifty small quarters ofAndalusian,Jewish,Moorish andKabyle communities, and the lower city (al-Wata, or 'the plains') which was the administrative, military and commercial centre of the city, mostly inhabited byOttoman Turkish dignitaries and other upper-class families.[19]
France and theRegency of Algiers had a commercial–political conflict called theBakri-Busnach affair which has been bothering both nations in the 19th century.On April 29, 1827, foreign consuls and diplomatic agents gathered in thePalace of the Dey for a conference with theRegency of Algiers rulerHussein Dey. Tensions were high because of France's failure to pay outstanding debts. In a heated moment later referred to as "fly-whisk incident", theDey struck the French consul in the face with the handle of afly-whisk.[21][22]
In an attempt byCharles X of France to increase his popularity amongst the French, he sought to bolsterpatriotic sentiment, and turn eyes away from his domestic policies, by treating the incident as a public insult and demanded an apology. Failure to respond was met by operations against the dey.[23] A naval siege on the port of Algiers by theFrench Navy began the following days which lasted 3 years and impacted the French and Algerian economies due to their former extensive trade treaties.
The keys of the city of Algiers, which were handed to theFrench Army on 5 July 1830.Bombardment of Algiers by sea on July 3, 1830
Tensions only continued rising while theFrench Armed Forces were preparing for the1830 invasion of Algiers. The naval fleet departed fromToulon on May 25, 1830, and successfully reached the western coast of the Regency near what is todaySidi Fredj on June 14, 1830. The Algerian forces met their French opponents in theBattle of Staouéli on June 19, 1830, to which theDey's forces were defeated, this enabled the colonial army to advance into the city and madeHussein Dey surrender to FrenchGeneral de Bourmont on 5 July 1830.
Under French rule, Algiers became the capital ofFrench Algeria, "an integral part of theFrench Republic" according to a formal annexation declared on June 22, 1834.[24] Following this, interest turned into the completion of theFrench conquest of Algeria that shared goals with itspacification efforts; Establishing a Europeancultural, economic and political presence in Africa without considering the indigenous population's lifestyle or connection to their land. Plans to transform the face of the city to match French standards and architectural trends began shortly after obtaining the city. Originally, the Casbah extended to the sea, but it was pushed back to the hills above after demolishing the walls and lower half of the old city and erecting the current "Place des Martyrs",[25] constructingpromenades and boulevards that circle the city or face theMediterranean, tracing new streets and building apartments that are characterized by their "Haussmanian" Style.[26]
During the 1930s, the architectLe Corbusier drew up plans for a complete redesign of the colonial city. Le Corbusier was highly critical of the urban style of Algiers, describing the European district as "nothing but crumbling walls and devastated nature, the whole a sullied blot". He also criticised the difference in living standards he perceived between the European and African residents of the city, describing a situation in which "the 'civilised' live like rats in holes" whereas "the 'barbarians' live in solitude, in well-being".[33] However, these plans were ultimately ignored by the French administration.
During World War II, Algiers was the first city to be seized from the Axis by the Allies inOperation Terminal, a part ofOperation Torch.
The "tense truce" between Algerian rebels, French army and the OAS in 1962
Algiers also played a pivotal role in theAlgerian War (1954–1962), a bloody independence struggle in which hundreds of thousands (estimates range between 350,000 and 1,500,000) died (mostly Algerians but also French andpieds-noirs). In particular, it saw theBattle of Algiers when the 10th Parachute Division of the French Army, starting on January 7, 1957, and on the orders of the French Minister of JusticeFrançois Mitterrand (who authorized any means "to eliminate the insurrectionists"[citation needed]), led attacks against the Algerian fighters for independence. Algiers remains marked by this battle, which was characterized by merciless fighting between FLN forces which carried out a guerrilla campaign against the French military and police and pro-French Algerian soldiers, and the French Army which responded with a bloody repression, torture and blanket terrorism against the native population. The demonstrations of May 13 during the crisis of 1958 provoked the fall of theFourth Republic in France, as well as the return of Generalde Gaulle to power.
Algeria achievedindependence on July 5, 1962, with Algiers as its capital. Since then, despite losing its entirepied-noir population, the city has expanded massively. It now has about five million inhabitants, or 10 percent of Algeria's population—and its suburbs now cover most of the surroundingMitidja plain. Run by the FLN that had secured independence, Algiers became a member ofNon-Aligned Movement during theCold War. In October 1988, one year before the fall of theBerlin Wall, Algiers was the site of demonstrations demanding the end of the single-party system and the creation of arealdemocracy baptized the "Spring of Algiers". The demonstrators were repressed by the authorities (more than 300 dead), but the movement constituted a turning point in the political history of modern Algeria. The1989 Algerian constitutional referendum took place and a new constitution was adopted that put an end to the one-party rule and saw the creation of more than fifty political parties, as well as official freedom of the press.
The city became the theatre of many political demonstrations of all descriptions until 1993. In 1991, a political entity dominated by religious conservatives called theIslamic Salvation Front engaged in a political test of wills with the authorities. In the 1992 elections for the Algerian National Assembly, the Islamists garnered a large amount of support in the first round. Fearing an eventual win by the Islamists, the army canceled the election process, setting off thecivil war between the State and armed religious conservatives which would last for a decade.
On December 11, 2007, two carbombs exploded in Algiers. One bomb targeted twoUnited Nations office buildings and the other targeted a government building housing theSupreme Court of Algeria. The death toll was at least 62, with over two hundred injured in the attacks.[34] However, only 26 remained hospitalized the following day.[35] As of 2008[update], it is speculated that the attack was carried out by theAl Qaeda cell within the city.[36]
Algiers is located in the north-central part ofAlgeria, extending along the Bay of Algiers and into theMitidja plain and on top of and around the "Sahel of Algiers" and theBouzaréahmassif. It sits at roughly 2 m above sea level, while the highest point is at 407 m.[37] TheOued El Harrach meets the sea while crossing nearEl Harrach, a neighbourhood of the city hence the name, whileMazafran River ends near the far western suburbs dividingAlgiers Province andTipaza Province; Both of these are called "Widan" which help in supplying agricultural needs in "Mitidja" which borders theTell Atlasmountain range which could be spotted from the city.
The Casbah (ofAl Qasbah, "the Citadel"), 1st District of Algiers: calledAl-Djazaïr Al Mahroussa ("Well Kept Algiers"), is founded on the ruins of old Icosium. It is a small city of picturesque winding lanes built on a hill and descending towards the sea, divided into two sections: the High City and the Low City. It includes 17th-century buildings:Ketchaoua Mosque (rebuilt in the 18th century by theDey Baba Hassan),El Djedid Mosque (built in 1660, at the time of Turkish regency),El Kebir Mosque (oldest of the mosques, built byAlmoravidYoussef Ibn Tachfin and rebuilt in 1794), theAli Bitchin Mosque (Raïs, 1623), andDar Aziza, formerly part of the Palace of Jénina.
Bab El Oued: Literallythe River's Gate, the popular district which extends from the Casbah beyond "the gate of the river". It is the capital's darling and best liked borough. Famous for its square with "the three clocks" and for its "market Triplet", it is also a district of workshops and manufacturing plants.
Edge of sea: from 1840, the architects Pierre-August Guiauchain andCharles Frédéric Chassériau designed new buildings apart from the Casbah, town hall, law courts, buildings, theatre, palace of the Governor, and casino, to form an elegant walk bordered by arcades which is today the boulevardChe Guevara (formerly the Boulevard of theRepublic).
Kouba (will daira ofHussein-dey): Kouba is an old village which was absorbed by the expansion of the town of Algiers. Kouba quickly developed under the French colonial era then continued growing due to formidable demographic expansion that Algiers saw after the independence of Algeria in 1962. It is today a district of Algiers which is largely made up of houses, villas, and buildings not exceeding five stories.
El Harrach, a suburb of Algiers, is located about 10 kilometres (6 miles) to the east of the city.
The communes ofHydra,Ben Aknoun,El-Biar andBouzaréah form what the inhabitants of Algiers call the "Heights of Algiers". These communes shelter the majority of the foreign embassies of Algiers, of many ministries and university centres, which makes it one of the administrative and policy centres of the country.
TheDidouche Mourad street is located in the 3rd district Of Algiers. It extends from theGrande Post office to the Heights of Algiers. It crosses in particular theplace Audin,theFaculty of Algiers,The Crowned Heart andthe Freedom Park (formerly Galland). It is bordered by smart stores and restaurants along most of its length. It is regarded as the heart of the capital.
Algiers has aMediterranean climate (Köppen climate classificationCsa). Its proximity to the Mediterranean aids in moderating the city's temperatures. As a result, Algiers usually does not see the extreme temperatures that are experienced in the adjacent interior. Algiers on average receives roughly 600 millimetres (24 in) of rain per year, the bulk of which is seen between October and April. The precipitation is higher than in most of coastal Mediterranean Spain, and similar to most of coastal Mediterranean France, as opposed to the interior North African semi-arid or arid climate.
Snow is very rare; in 2012, the city received 100 millimetres (4 in) of snowfall, its first snowfall in eight years.[39]
A 2019 paper published inPLOS One estimated that underRepresentative Concentration Pathway 4.5, a "moderate" scenario ofclimate change where global warming reaches ~2.5–3 °C (4.5–5.4 °F) by 2100, the climate of Algiers in the year 2050 would most closely resemble the current climate ofPerth in Australia. The annual temperature would increase by 2.6 °C (4.7 °F), and the temperature of the warmest month by 1.9 °C (3.4 °F), while the temperature of the coldest month would be 3.8 °C (6.8 °F) higher.[43][44] According toClimate Action Tracker, the current warming trajectory appears consistent with 2.7 °C (4.9 °F), which closely matchesRepresentative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5.[45]
Moreover, according to the 2022IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, Algiers is one of 12 major African cities (Abidjan,Alexandria, Algiers,Cape Town,Casablanca,Dakar,Dar es Salaam,Durban,Lagos,Lomé,Luanda andMaputo) which would be the most severely affected by the futuresea level rise. It estimates that they would collectively sustain cumulative damages of U$65 billion under RCP 4.5 and US$86.5 billion for the high-emission scenario RCP 8.5 by the year 2050. Additionally, RCP 8.5 combined with the hypothetical impact frommarine ice sheet instability at high levels of warming would involve up to US$137.5 billion in damages, while the additional accounting for the "low-probability, high-damage events" may increase aggregate risks to $187 billion for the "moderate" RCP 4.5, $206 billion for RCP 8.5 and $397 billion under the high-end ice sheet instability scenario.[46] Since sea level rise would continue for about 10,000 years under every scenario of climate change, future costs of sea level rise would only increase, especially without adaptation measures.[47] The Casbah is on a list of 10 AfricanWorld Heritage Site most threatened by sea level rise.[46]
The city (and province) of Algiers is composed of 13 administrative districts, sub-divided into 57communes listed below with their populations at the 1998 and 2008 Censuses:
There are many public buildings of interest, including the wholeKasbah quarter, Martyrs Square (Sahat ech-Chouhada ساحة الشهداء), the government offices (formerly the British consulate), the "Grand", "New", andKetchaoua Mosques, theRoman Catholic cathedral ofNotre Dame d'Afrique, theBardo Museum, the oldBibliothèque Nationale d'Alger—a moorish palace built in 1799–1800 and the newNational Library, built in a style reminiscent of theBritish Library.
The main building in the Kasbah was begun in 1516 on the site of an older building, and served as the palace of the deys until the French conquest. A road has been cut through the centre of the building, the mosque turned intobarracks, and the hall of audience allowed to fall into ruin. There still remain aminaret and some marble arches and columns. Traces exist of the vaults in which were stored the treasures of the dey.[49]
Djamaa el Kebir (Jamaa-el-Kebir الجامع الكبير) is the oldest mosque in Algiers. It was first built byYusuf ibn Tashfin, but reconstructed many times. The pulpit (minbar منبر) bears an inscription showing that the building existed in 1097. The minaret was built by the sultan ofTlemcen, in 1324.[50] The interior of the mosque is square and is divided into aisles by columns joined byMoorish arches.[49]
TheNew Mosque (Jamaa-el-Jedid الجامع الجديد), dating from the 17th century, is in the form of aGreek cross, surmounted by a large white cupola, with four small cupolas at the corners. The minaret is 27 metres (89 ft) high. The interior resembles that of the Grand Mosque.[49]
The church of the Holy Trinity (built in 1870) stands at the southern end of therue d'Isly near the site of the demolished Fort Bab Azoun باب عزون. The interior is richly decorated with various coloured marbles. Many of these marbles contain memorial inscriptions relating to the British residents (voluntary and involuntary) of Algiers from the time of John Tipton, the first English consul, in 1580 (NB Some sources give 1585). One tablet records that in 1631 two Algerine pirate crews landed in Ireland, sackedBaltimore, and enslaved its inhabitants.[49]
The Ketchaoua Mosque Mosque in the City of Algiers.
TheKetchaoua Mosque (Djamaa Ketchaoua جامع كتشاوة), at the foot of the Casbah, was before independence in 1962 the cathedral of St Philippe, itself made in 1845 from a mosque dating from 1612. The principal entrance, reached by a flight of 23 steps, is ornamented with aportico supported by four black-veined marble columns. The roof of the nave is ofMoorishplaster work. It rests on a series of arcades supported by white marble columns. Several of these columns belonged to the original mosque. In one of the chapels was a tomb containing the bones ofGeronimo.[49] The building seems a curious blend of Moorish andByzantine styles.
Algiers possesses a college with schools of law, medicine, science and letters. The college buildings are large and handsome. TheBardo Museum holds some of the ancient sculptures and mosaics discovered in Algeria, together with medals and Algerian money.[49]
The port of Algiers is sheltered from all winds. There are two harbours, both artificial—the old or northern harbour and the southern or Agha harbour. The northern harbour covers an area of 95 hectares (235 acres). An opening in the southjetty affords an entrance into Agha harbour, constructed in Agha Bay. Agha harbour has also an independent entrance on its southern side. The inner harbour was begun in 1518 byKhair-ad-Din Barbarossa (see History, below), who, to accommodated his pirate vessels, caused the island on which was Fort Penon to be connected with the mainland by amole. The lighthouse which occupies the site ofFort Penon was built in 1544.[49]
Algiers was a walled city from the time of the deys until the close of the 19th century. The French, after their occupation of the city (1830), built arampart,parapet andditch, with two terminal forts,Bab Azoun باب عزون to the south andBab-el-Oued اد to the north. The forts and part of the ramparts were demolished at the beginning of the 20th century, when a line of forts occupying the heights ofBouzaréah بوزريعة (at an elevation of 396 metres (1,299 ft) above the sea) took their place.[49]
Notre Dame d'Afrique, a church built (1858–1872) in a mixture of theRoman andByzantine styles, is conspicuously situated overlooking the sea, on the shoulder of theBouzaréah hills, 3 km (2 mi)to the north of the city. Above the altar is a statue of theVirgin depicted as a black woman. The church also contains a solid silver statue of thearchangel Michael, belonging to the confraternity ofNeapolitan fishermen.[10]
Villa Abd-el-Tif, former residence of thedey, was used during the French period, to accommodate French artists, chiefly painters, and winners of theAbd-el-Tif prize, among whomMaurice Boitel, for a while of two years. Nowadays, Algerian artists are back in the villa's studios.
Basilica of Our Lady of Africa – AlgiersThe Monument of the Martyrs (Maquam E'chahid)Grand Post Office
Notre Dame d'Afrique, accessible by onecable car, is one of the city's most outstanding monuments: located in the district of Z' will ghara, the basilica was built around 1858.
Monument des Martyrs (Marquand E' chahid): an iconic concrete monument commemorating theAlgerian war for independence. The monument was opened in 1982 on the 20th anniversary of Algeria's independence. It is fashioned in the shape of three standing palm leaves which shelter the "Eternal Flame" beneath. At the edge of each palm leaf stands a statue of a soldier, each representing a stage of Algeria's struggle.
The El Jedid mosque at the Place des Martyrs
The El Jedid mosque at the Place des Martyrs near the port.
Grand Post Office (1910, byVoinot andTondoire): construction of the neo-Moorish type which is in full centre town of Algiers.
The Jardin d'essai (Garden of Test;El-Hamma): situated in the east of Algiers, it extends over 80 hectares (198 acres) and contains exotic plants and gardens. It was created in 1832 by A. Hardy.
Villa Abd-el-Hair, with the top of the Garden of test, one of the old residences of the dey, where until 1962, were placed the artists prizes winner ofPrice Abd-el-Hair, and in particularMaurice Boitel andAndre Hamburg.
Citadel.
Riadh El-Feth (shopping centre and art gallery).
Ketchaoua Mosque (This mosque became the Saint-Philippe cathedral during colonization before becoming again a mosque).
National Library, is in the district of El HAMMA and was built in the 1990s.
Algiers is an important economic, commercial and financial center, with a stock exchange capitalized at 60 million euros. Algiers contributes to 20% of Algeria's GDP (51 Billions $ in 2024.) The city has the highest cost of living of any city in North Africa, as well as the 50th highest worldwide, as of March 2007, having gained one position compared to the previous year.[53]
Mohamed Ben Ali El Abbar, president of the Council of Administration of the Emirate Group EMAAR, presented five "megaprojects" to Algerian PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika, during a ceremony which took place Saturday, July 15, in thePeople's Palace of Algiers. These projects will transform the city of Algiers and its surroundings by equipping them with a retail area and restoration and leisure facilities.
The first project will concentrate on the reorganization and the development of the infrastructures of the railway station "Aga" located in the downtown area. The ultramodern station intended to accommodate more than 80.000 passengers per day, will become a centre of circulation in the heart of the grid system, surrounded by commercial offices and buildings and hotels intended for travellers in transit. A shopping centre and three high-rise office buildings rising with the top of the commercial zone will accompany the project.
The second project will not relate to the bay of Algiers and aims to revitalize the sea front. The development of the 44 km (27 mi) sea front will include marinas, channels, luxury hotels, offices, apartments of great standing, luxury stores and leisure amenities. A crescent-shaped peninsula will be set up on the open sea. The project of the bay of Algiers will also comprise six small islands, of which four of round form, connected to each other by bridges and marinas and will include tourist and residential complexes.
The third project will relate to restructuring an area of Algiers, qualified by the originators of the project of "city of wellness". El Abbar indicated to the journalists that the complex would be "agreeable for all those which will want to combine tourism and well-being or tourism and relaxation". The complex will include a university, a research center and a medical centre. It should also include a hospital complex, a care centre, a hotel zone, an urban centre and a thermal spa with villas and apartments. The university will include a medical school and a school for care male nurses which will be able to accommodate 500 students. The university campus will have the possibility of seeing setting up broad ranges of buildings of research laboratories and residences.
Another project relates to technological implantation of a campus in Sidi Abdellah, 25 km (16 mi) south-east from Algiers. This 90 hectares (222 acres) site will include shopping centres, residential zones with high standard apartments and a golf course surrounded by villas and hotels. Two other residential zones, including 1.800 apartments and 40 high standard villas, will be built on the surrounding hills.
The fifth project is that of the tourist complex Colonel Abbès, which will be located 25 km (16 mi) west from Algiers. This complex will include several retail zones, meeting places, and residential zones composed of apartments and villas with views of the sea.[54]
There is another project under construction, by the name of Algiers Medina. The first step of the project is nearly complete.
AHewlett-Packard office for French-speaking countries in Africa is in Algiers.[55]
Panorama of the city as seen fromBologhine districtMorning view of Algiers
Some 20 km (12 mi) to the west of Algiers are such seaside resorts asSidi Fredj (ex-Sidi Ferruch),Palm Beach,Douaouda,Zéralda, and theClub of the Pines (residence of State); there are tourist complexes, Algerian and other restaurants, souvenir shops, supervised beaches, and other amenities. The city is also equipped with important hotel complexes such as the hotel Hilton, El-Aurassi or El Djazair. Algiers also has the firstwater park in the country. Thetourism of Algiers is growing but is not as developed as that of the larger cities inMorocco orTunisia.
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The presence of a large diplomatic community in Algiers prompted the creation of multiple international educational institutions. These schools include :
Public transport of AlgiersVarious means of transport in Algiers
ETUSA (urban and suburban bus transportation for Algiers) operates bus service in Algiers and the surrounding suburbs. 54 lines are operating, with service from 5:30 a.m. to 12:45 a.m.
SNTF (national railroad company) operates commuter-rail lines connecting the capital to the surrounding suburbs.
Houari Boumediene Airport is located 20 km (12 mi) from the city. The airport serves domestics, many European cities, West Africa, the Middle East, Asia and North America. On July 5, 2006, a new international air terminal was opened for service. The terminal is managed byAéroports de Paris.
4 urban beltways:
El Madania – Belouizdad
Notre Dame d'Afrique – Bologhine
Memorial des Martyres/Riad el Feth – Jardin d'essais
Algiers is the sporting centre ofAlgeria. The city has a number of professional clubs in the variety of sports, which have won national and international titles. Among the sports facilities within the city, there is an enormous sporting complex – Complex of OCO –Mohamed Boudiaf. This includes theStade 5 Juillet 1962 (capacity 64,000), a venue forathletics, an Olympicswimming pool, a multisports room (the Cupola), an 18-hole golf course, and several tennis courts.
The following major sporting events have been held in Algiers (not-exhaustive list):
^entre MIHOUB et TABLAT Histoire et des Berbères et des dynasties musulmanes de l'Afrique … De ʻAbd al-Raḥman b. Muḥammad Ibn Khaldûn, p. 8Lire en ligne
^The Code d'Indigénat was promulgated by the French government for Algeria on 28 June 1881. It was officially abolished during 1946, but parts of it remained in force until independence during the early 1960s. The senatus consulte of 14 July 1865 implemented many of the elements of the future Code d'Indigénat in Algeria, and prior to 1887, other colonial subjects lived under similar conditions
^"Alger Dar-el-Beida Climate Normals 1991–2020".World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived fromthe original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved26 August 2023.
^abTrisos, C.H., I.O. Adelekan, E. Totin, A. Ayanlade, J. Efitre, A. Gemeda, K. Kalaba, C. Lennard, C. Masao, Y. Mgaya, G. Ngaruiya, D. Olago, N.P. Simpson, and S. Zakieldeen 2022:Chapter 9: AfricaArchived 2022-12-06 at theWayback Machine. InClimate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and VulnerabilityArchived 2022-02-28 at theWayback Machine [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, USA, pp. 2043–2121
^Kobori, Iwao (Conseiller aupres del'Universite des Nations Unies). "L'Algerie et moi" (Archived 2015-01-16 at theWayback Machine). Japan-Algeria Center. Retrieved on 16 January 2015.
^"Lisboa – Geminações de Cidades e Vilas" [Lisbon – Twinning of Cities and Towns].Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses [National Association of Portuguese Municipalities] (in Portuguese).Archived from the original on 2015-02-01. Retrieved2013-08-23.
Carroll, David.Albert Camus the Algerian (Columbia University Press, 2007).
Emerson, Charles.1913: In Search of the World Before the Great War (2013) compares Algiers to 20 major world cities; pp 267–79.
Benseddik, Nacéra (2004), "Chronique d'une Cité Antique",Alger: Lumières sur la Ville,Actes du Colloque de l'EPAU 4–6 May 2001, Algiers, pp. 29–34{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link).(in French)
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