Algeria

Kasbah of Algiers

WHS Score 2.52
rate
Votes 27 Average 2.8
Show votes
Votes for Kasbah of Algiers

0.5

  • George Gdanski

1.0

  • Thomas van der Walt

1.5

  • Bill Maurmann
  • Christoph

2.0

  • Adrian Turtschi
  • Solivagant
  • Weecheng
  • Zoë Sheng

2.5

  • Jon Opol
  • Juha Sjoeblom
  • Mikko
  • Zach

3.0

  • Alexander Barabanov
  • ctravel
  • Harry Mitsidis
  • Juropa
  • Pieter Dijkshoorn
  • Sutul

3.5

  • Daniel Gabi
  • Hanming
  • Pincze
  • Rvieira
  • Szucs Tamas

4.0

  • Gianmarco
  • Milan Jirasek

4.5

  • Malgorzata Kopczynska

5.0

  • la caperucita roja

The Kasbah of Algiers represents a typical Mediterranean Muslim urban landscape that has been influential across the region.

The Old Town with its labyrinths of lanes is enclosed by ramparts. The historic buildings, dating mostly from the late 16th and 17th centuries, include the remains of the citadel, ancient mosques, Ottoman palaces, as well as traditional houses.

Community Perspective: Solivagant summarizes it as “I can’t think of any cultural WHS I have visited which has been in a worse condition than the Algiers Kasbah.”, and he also shares his research on the site’s boundaries. In light of the frequent safety warnings regarding visiting this site, Juha found the Lower Kasbah quite safe to walk around on your own and the quiet and labyrinthine alleys of the High Kasbah may be better done with a guide.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Kasbah of Algiers (ID: 565)
Country
Algeria
Status
Inscribed 1992 Site history
History of Kasbah of Algiers
1980: Deferred
"Dey's Palace at Algiers"
1981: Requested by State Party to not be examined
Nomination of Deys palace withdrawn: Algeria plans to include whole of Kasbah
1991: Referred
Details of protection required. Also ICOMOS to carry out a comparative study of "Medinas"
1992: Inscribed
Inscribed
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • ii
  • v
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • Dec. 17, 2017 dailysabah.com — Turkey restores symbolic mosque in Algiers
  • Sept. 1, 2008 reuters.com — A ray of hope for Algeria's crumbling Casbah?

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Urban landscape: Arabic and Middle Eastern
  • Urban landscape: Urban continuity
  • Secular structure: Military and Fortifications
Travel Information
No travel information
Recent Connections
View all (53) .
Connections of Kasbah of Algiers
Individual People
  • Charles V
    The 1541 Algiers expedition occurred when Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire attempted to lead an amphibious attack against the Ottoman Empire's stronghold of Algiers. Inadequate planning, particularly against unfavourable weather, led to the failure of the expedition. (wiki)
  • Mapped or Illustrated by Blaeu
    On top frieze of Appendix Theatri A. Ortelii et Atlantis G. Mercatoris (1631)

    See luna.folger.edu

  • Ibn Battuta
  • Hernán Cortés
    Volunteered at expedition to Algiers in 1541
Geography
Trivia
  • Built or owned by French
    former capital of French Algeria
  • Opera
    The Italian Girl in Algiers, Rossini
  • Built or owned by Spanish
    Because of the piracy activity that developed in Algiers, Ferdinand of Aragon, on the heels of the Reconquista, pushed to take and fortify the islet in front of Algiers (the Peñon) to neutralize the city. The Barbarossa brothers drove the Spaniards out of the islet for good in 1529. (French Wiki)
  • Built or owned by British
    The church of the Holy Trinity
  • Dubbed 'White City'
    Nicknamed "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." (wiki)
History
  • Sieges and Battles
    The Casbah played a central role during the Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962). During the early years of the war, the Casbah was the epicenter of the insurgency planning of the National Liberation Front (FLN). In order to counter their efforts, the French authorities launched operations in the Casbah during the Battle of Algiers. (wiki)
  • Almohads
    In 1151, Abd al-Mu'min, the first Caliph of the Almohad Empire, defeated the Almoravids to conquer Algiers. (French Wiki)
  • Famous suicides
    Princess Zaphira loved her husband, emir Salim at-Toumi, so much that she poisoned herself not to marry Arudj Barbarossa after the assassination of her husband.

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Almoravid dynasty
    Djamaa el Kebir: "Dating to 1097, it is one of the few remaining examples of Almoravid architecture, although it has undergone other additions and reconstructions since its foundation. It is the oldest mosque in Algiers and is said to be one of the oldest mosques in Algeria" (wiki)

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Ottoman Empire
    Ottoman influences
  • Assassinations
    Salim at-Toumi, the emir of the city of Algiers, was strangled in his bath in 1516 during the Capture of Algiers. The assassination was ordered by Oruç (or Arudj) Barbarossa, because Salim was conspiring with the Spaniards against him and the pirates.

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Berbers
    The current urban setting was designed in the tenth century by the Berbers during the Zirid dynasty. It was then enriched by contributions from other Berber dynasties which successively dominated the central Maghreb. (French Wiki)
  • Phoenician world
    Phoenician commercial outpost
Architecture
  • Designed by or influenced Le Corbusier
    Between 1931 and 42 Le Corbusier had a long association with Algiers and its Kasbah. His plan (never implemented) for the development of Algiers ("Plan Obus") incorporated the Kasbah, made use of some of its vernacular aspects but also intended to destroy much of it! (though he also wrote "The Casbah is nothing but an enormous stairway, a lofty gallery where thousands come each evening to worship nature")

    See www.bidoun.org

  • Medina
  • Vernacular architecture
    The Algiers Kasbah preserves very interesting traditional Arab-Mediterranean houses in which the ancestral Arab lifestyle and Moslim customs have blended with other architectural traditions. (AB Ev)
  • Glazed tiles
    The Mustapha Pasha Palace contains half a million old faience tiles originating from Algeria, Tunisia, but also from Spain and Italy. Ceramic tiles with floral and geometric designs were also used as decorations in the houses (in the patios and around windows). (French wiki)
  • Octagons
    On the rock of the Peñon Island there is an octagonal building from the 16th century with a lighthouse on top. (French Wiki)
  • Spolia
    Some capitals of columns in the Kasbah were recovered from the Roman ruins of the Icosium site. (French wiki)
  • Domes
    Several of the mosques in the Kasbah, like the Djamaa el Djedid and the Ketchaoua Mosque, have domes.
  • Hypostyle
    The prayer room of the Great Mosque of Algiers (Djamaa el Kebir), without a central dome, is a hypostyle; the pillars are connected by large arches. (French Wiki)
  • Moorish architecture
    Simi Ramadan Mosque (11th century, "The mosque's attached minaret has sebka decoration carved across its façades"), Great Mosque (11th century, "one of the few remaining examples of Almoravid architecture, although it has undergone other additions and reconstructions since its foundation.")
Damaged
World Heritage Process
Religion and Belief
  • Notable mosques
    Great Mosque of Algiers, 1097, Sunni, one of the few remaining examples of Almoravid architecture
  • Cathedrals
    The Ketchaoua mosque was before independence in 1962 the cathedral of St Philippe, itself made in 1845 from a mosque dating from 1612
  • Converted Mosques
    "Ketchaoua Mosque" was re-created in 1962 from "Cathedral of St Philippe" which itself had been created from the Ketchaoua mosque in 1845.
  • Sufism
    The Tomb of Sidi Abdul Rahman Athaalibi - "Sufi brotherhoods have retreated considerably, but remain in some areas. Saint cults are widely disapproved of as un-Islamic, but continue, as a visit to the shrine of Sidi Abderrahmane in Algiers quickly demonstrates" (Wiki).

    See islamictourism.com

Human Activity
  • Slavery
    Slavery was practiced, especially for domestic work. There was also a significant presence of European captives. These captives (...) experienced a miserable life when they were employed in the galleys. (French wiki) After Charles V's defeat at the Algiers expedition (1541), so many of Charles' troops were taken captive that there was a glut of slaves on the market in Algiers, so that 1541 was said to be the year when Christians were sold for the price of an onion per head. (Wiki)
  • Sea Ports
    On the Mediterranean Sea.
  • Piracy
    "A Turk corsair Khair-al-din .. founded his capital in Algiers in 1516". He is better known in Europe as 'Barbarossa' and under him and his successors Algiers became one of the main ports of the 'Barbary Pirates' for several centuries. As part of a combined European attempt to wipe out the piracy the city was bombarded on 27 Aug 1816 by an Anglo-Dutch fleet and c1000 Christian slaves held there were freed.
Constructions
  • Railways
    The Metro Station under the Place des Martyrs was inaugurated on 9 April 2018

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Aqueduct
    The water which supplies the old medina (...) was conveyed by a network of aqueducts dating from the time of the regency of Algiers, which is still in place; it is now replaced by a more modern distribution network, dating from the beginning of the 20th century. (French wiki)
  • Lighthouses
  • Baths
    The Kasbah counts various still functional hammams. (French Wiki)
  • Mausolea
    The Kasbah has several mausolea, e.g those for Sidi Hlal, Sidi Boudgour and Sidi Aberrahmene. Sidi Abderrahmane is considered the patron saint of Algiers and his mausoleum is richly adorned with calligraphy verses from the Koran on the walls. His mausoleum is one of the most well-known and most visited of Algiers. (French Wiki)
  • Notable minarets
    The minaret of the Djamaa el Djedid mosque is 25 metres high and has a a clock integrated in it. The clock was integrated into the minaret by the French architect Bournichon and was originally part of the Jenina Palace. (Wiki)
  • Prison
    The Serkadji Prison was constructed during the period of French rule, on the site of a former Turkish fortification, in the upper part of the Casbah. During the Algerian War of 1954-62 several hundred FLN activists and fighters were imprisoned there and 58 were executed by guillotine in the main courtyard. The prison was closed in 2014 and will be transformed in a museum of national memory.

    See fr.wikipedia.org

Timeline
WHS Names
  • Untranslated Toponyms
    "A kasbah (/ˈkæzbɑː/, also US: /ˈkɑːz-/; Arabic: قَـصَـبَـة, romanized: qaṣaba, lit. 'fortress', Arabic pronunciation: [qasˤaba], Maghrebi Arabic: [qasˤba]), also spelled qasba, qasaba, or casbah, is a fortress, most commonly the citadel or fortified quarter of a city"

    See en.wikipedia.org

18
  • Location for a classic movie
    La Battaglia di Algeri (Dir - G Pontecorvo, 1966, B+W). Won Venice "Leone d'Oro" and "occupies the 120th place on Empire Magazine's list of the 500 greatest movies of all time" (Wiki). Shot on location in the Algiers Kasbah, it tells the story of the organisation of the FLN guerilla movement there between 1954-57 during the Algerian war against France. Once banned in France and elsewhere it has been accused of inspiring political violence and spreading guerilla tactics around the World.
News
dailysabah.com 12/17/2017
Turkey restores symbolic mosque in…
reuters.com 09/01/2008
A ray of hope for Algeria's crumbl…

Community Reviews

Show full reviews
First published: 05/10/16.

Juha Sjoeblom

Kasbah Of Algiers

Kasbah of Algiers (Inscribed)

Kasbah of Algiers by Juha Sjoeblom

Site visited January 2014. I’ve always been intrigued by the Kasbah of Algiers so I looked forward to visit it. I wanted to see if it lives up to its mysterious and sinister image.

The Kasbah is obviously very easy to visit when you are in Algiers. But is it that simple? Every travel guide I had read warned that the Kasbah is very dangerous place and can’t be visited on one’s own without a local guide or other protection.

In Algiers I asked the hotel receptionist what would be the best and safe way to visit the Kasbah. He said ”just go there - what is the problem”. He didn't understand why I asked about the safety. Next I tried to find a tourist info in order to get a guide. After a long searching someone on the street showed me the way to some kind of a tourist info yet it didn't look like one. I went to the desk and asked for a guide. Woman at the desk introduced me some ordinary looking old man with a shopping bag. She asked the man to walk with me in the Kasbah.

This nice old man said that he is born and raised in the Kasbah. I walked with him around the Kasbah about two hours. He showed me the house where he has born and we went to greet his brother and friends. The man also invited me to a cafe for a cup of tea where we …

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 02/12/14.

Anonymous

Kasbah Of Algiers

Kasbah of Algiers (Inscribed)

Kasbah of Algiers by Solivagant

My husband grew up in the Casbah and like generations before them, his family still live there so, I have visited many,many times.

As others have said, the area is in great disrepair. It is saddening to see a place so rich with history literally crumbling to the ground. However, despite the dilapidation there is something quite special about it: the narrow, winding alleys, the beautiful tiling, tiny shops that are wedged in everywhere, donkeys that collect rubbish, rooftops to sip afternoon coffee, the people....so many charming things that evoke thoughts of times long gone. Things move slowly but,I hope that eventually it will be restored to it's former glory.

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 08/01/13.

Solivagant

Kasbah Of Algiers

Kasbah of Algiers (Inscribed)

Kasbah of Algiers by Solivagant

I can’t think of any cultural WHS I have visited which has been in a worse condition than the Algiers Kasbah. Yet UNESCO seems remarkably indulgent towards it. Yes, the state of the site has been discussed on many occasions since its inscription in 1992 and “decisions” are reached calling upon Algeria to take some action but, on the ground there is little evidence of improvements and plenty of further deterioration! A strange aspect about this is that at the 2004/5/7/9 and 11 WHCs the site was discussed under the heading “Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger” – yet I can find no evidence that it has ever been on that list!

Large areas of housing have collapsed and, in places, complete avalanches down the hill on which the Kasbah is built, have created giant scars. An earthquake in 2003 was only a partial cause of this damage. A significant percentage of the other buildings are held up by wooden scaffolding – often stressed against the neighbouring building across the narrow passage thus creating an even more claustrophobic atmosphere than is normal in this labyrinth. Wherever a house has collapsed the area has become a rubbish dump. The authority’s unsuccessful answer to this has been to create “walls” of oil drums to keep people out!

The construction of a metro extension under the area has added to the problems. One station is to be directly under “Martyrs Square” …

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 04/09/11.

Anonymous

Kasbah Of Algiers

Kasbah of Algiers (Inscribed)

Kasbah of Algiers by Solivagant

I miss Algeria!! I lived in Algeria 1963-1967, as a high school student. I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Casbah. It has left an indelible impression on me. The timeless experience serves to open my heart to this day. What, 48 years later and I am a silver surfer reconnecting!! Thank you for having this site.

Keep reading 0 comments