210 Fascinating Facts about Algeria

We hope you enjoyed this journey of discovery as we explored the unique facts about Algeria. From its culture, history, and natural wonders, to its football team and resources, this country has so much to offer. We hope this has sparked your interest in learning more about Algeria and its hidden gems. Thank you for joining us on this adventure.

210 Uncovering the Hidden Gems: 21 Fascinating Facts about Algeria

There are 10 national parks in Algeria.
The national dish of Algeria is Couscous.
In Algerian judiciary 70 percent of lawyers and 60 percent of judges are women.
Algeria is the largest country in Africa and the 10th largest in the world.
The Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962), brutal and long, was the most recent major turning point in the country’s history. Over a million Algerians were killed in the war.
In 1962, French president Charles de Gaulle began the peace negotiations, and on July 5, 1962, Algeria was proclaimed independent.
Algeria is classified as an upper middle income country by the World Bank.
The economy and industry of Algeria are dominated by the extraction and processing of oil and gas products. These make up more than 95% of Algeria’s export revenues and contribute to two-thirds of the country’s spending budget.
Famous Algerian people include two Nobel Prize winners. Albert Camus won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957 and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997.
Algeria’s national animal is the fennec fox. The fennec is the world’s smallest fox but has large ears measuring up to 6 inches (15.24cm).
Algeria is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The most famous of which is Timgad, a Roman city dating to around AD 100.
The US army used to import camels from Algeria until the 1870s. The army sent a sailing ship called the USS Supply to bring camels to the USA from the modern-day countries of Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Turkey.
The national animal of Algeria is the Fennec Fox (is the smallest of all the world’s foxes) and their national football team (soccer) is named after the animal: “Les Fennecs”. Football (soccer) is Algeria’s national sport. The fennec is a small desert fox with disproportionately large ears.
Two Fennec foxes.
Hospitality is important among the Algerian people. It is a blend of Arabic customs with French Gallic traditions. Everyone is cordial to strangers and friends alike. In a small gathering, it is polite to greet each person individually, beginning with the elders. Handshakes are common but using your fingers to point at objects or people is considered rude. Never use the left hand separately: when handing someone something, do it with the right hand or both hands.
Only 12 percent of Algeria’s land area is inhabited. The northern coastal area is home to 90 percent of the population while the remaining nomadic or partly nomadic population lives in oases in the Sahara desert. Twenty-nine percent of Algerians are under 15 years old.
Couscous. The country’s national dish.
People gather for helping in the harvest and then feasting in a celebration known as “La Touiza”. Huge amounts of the national dish of couscous are served after the hard work of harvest.
Algerian born Nobel Prize winners are Albert Camus and Claude Cohen-Tannoudj (Physics, 1997). Camus (Literature, 1957) was the goal keeper for the football (soccer) team while at the University of Algiers. His family was French and lived in Algeria during the colonial years.
Algeria has competed at every summer Olympics since 1964, winning five gold medals and 17 medals overall. They won two silver medals in the 2016 games in Brazil.
In this male dominant society, sex roles are clearly defined. (Nevertheless, some women do fill important positions in public and private professions.) Fathers handle family finances while mothers take care of the children and the home. Men often meet at coffeehouses to play games like chess, checkers, and dominoes. The women tend to socialize in each others’ homes.
Close friends and relatives visit each other frequently and don’t have to have an invitation or let each other know first. Others are expected to make advance plans. When visiting someone socially, it is customary to bring the host a small gift.
Speech in conversations that is too direct and frank is considered impolite. Key attributes of the Algerian national character are courtesy and formality.
Falling under the control of the Ottoman Empire by 1536, Algiers served for three centuries as the headquarters of the Barbary pirates.
Ostensibly to rid the region of the pirates, the French occupied Algeria in 1830 and made it a part of France in 1848.
Algerian independence movements led to the uprisings of 1954–1955, which developed into full-scale war.
According to OPEC Algeria has the 16th largest oil reserves in the world and the second largest in Africa, while it has the 9th largest reserves of natural gas.
Algeria has one of the largest militaries in Africa and the largest defence budget on the continent; most of Algeria’s weapons are imported from Russia, with whom they are a close ally.
More than 90 percent of Algerians live along the Mediterranean coastlands on only 12 percent of the country’s land.
Algeria has two Nobel Prize recipients Albert Camus (Literature 1957) and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji (Physics, 1997).
Phoenician traders settled on the Mediterranean coast in the 1st millennium BC.
As ancient Numidia, Algeria became a Roman colony, part of what was called Mauretania Caesariensis, at the close of the Punic Wars (145 BC).
Conquered by the Vandals about 440 AD, it fell from a high state of civilization to virtual barbarism, from which it partly recovered after an invasion by Arabs about 650.
Christian during its Roman period, the indigenous Berbers were then converted to Islam.
Camus played as goalkeeper in the football team for the University of Algiers, which may therefore be the world’s only university to have had a Nobel Prize-winning goalkeeper in its team.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Algeria was 51 °C (123.8 °F) in August 2011.
The national animal of Algeria is the Fennec fox and their national football team is named after the animal: “Les Fennecs”. Football is the most popular sport in Algeria.
Algerian cuisine is rich and diverse. The country was considered as the “granary of Rome”. It offers a component of dishes and varied dishes, depending on the region and according to the seasons.
The official name of Algeria is the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria and its National Holiday is also known as Revolution Day, honoring the day the final bid for independence began on the first of November decades ago.
Algeria’s official language is Arabic. The people speak Arabic, Berber (called Tamazight and Amazigh) or French. Algerian Arabic (called darja) is spoken by well over half the population as well. Although English is not commonly spoken, it is taught in Algerian schools.
Algeria and other African countries on the map.
Political map showing Algeria and other African countries.
Al Qal’a of Beni Hammad is ruins of an ancient fortified Muslim city that give us an authentic picture of the style of life there. The Kasbah of Algiers (also spelled Casbah) is a historic citadel Napoleon III visited in 1860.
Timgad is a Roman-Berber ruin in the Aurés Mountains. Djémála features some of the best preserved Berbero-Roman ruins in North Africa. They demonstrate a unique adaptation of Roman architecture to a mountainous environment.
Panoramic view of Ksar Bounoura, one of the five cities making up what is referred to as the M’Zab Pentapolis, Algeria.
The M’Zab Valley contains five “walled villages” or ksours (qsurs) known as the Pentapolis. Tipasa is a ruined city on the central coast of the Mediterranean that emperor Claudius turned into a military colony.
Algerian cuisine has been influenced by the ancient cultures and various countries that have visited and/or ruled it. The Berbers brought wheat cultivation and were the first to create couscous which is the country’s national dish. The Romans brought barley and other grains. Vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, chilies, and zucchini came from the New World.
Muslim Arabs introduced exotic spices like cloves, saffron, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg from Indonesia’s Spice Islands. Olives and olive oil, as well as peaches, plums, and oranges, came with the Spanish. Tea came from European traders.
When the French arrived, they forced the Algerians to surrender their land and crops to them. In return, the French introduced their culture and cuisine to the Algerians, including sidewalk cafes, as well as their crusty long loaves of bread, eaten daily in the country even now.
Today traditional Algerian cuisine is a colorful combination of Turkish, Berber, Arab and French influences and tastes. Flavors may be packed with seasonings or extremely mild. Essential pantry supplies include mint, cinnamon, parsley, cumin, garlic, coriander, ginger, saffron, onion, parsley, garlic, and onion.
Algeria produces its own citrus fruit, grapes, cherries, figs, wheat and famous dates, which some regard as the best in the world. They just can’t produce enough for all their people, so 45 percent of their food must be imported.
Due to the country’s size, the Algerian population is thinly spread. 91% of the population lives along the Mediterranean coast on just 12% of the country’s total landmass.
The Sahara desert makes up more than four-fifths of the country’s area. The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world (excluding Arctic and Antarctica).
From the 16th century, Algeria was an autonomous province of the Ottoman Empire until France seized Algiers in 1830.
Algeria finally gained full independence in 1962 after the brutal Algerian War of Independence, fought from 1954 to 1962.
The number of fatalities differs: French historians estimate that around 400,000 Algerians were killed, while the Algerian government claim more than one million died.
Algeria also fought a fierce civil war throughout the 1990s between Islamists and the military government. Known as the ‘dirty war’ it left around 200,000 Algerians dead which included approximately 15,000 who were forcibly ‘disappeared’.
Algeria actually enjoys a surprisingly varied climate despite being largely covered by the Sahara Desert. In some areas, the country receives almost no rain (less than 25.4mm per year), while in others it sees up to 760mm per year – more than London. Likewise, temperatures can range from -6°C to over 40°C.
Algeria has even seen snowfall in recent years. In 2018, snow fell on the Sahara Desert for the third time in 40 years covering dunes in a layer of snow up to 40cm deep.
In 2019, Algeria became only the second African country to be officially recognized as malaria-free, following Mauritius in 1973.
Known as ‘Combat taa lkbech’ in the local Algerian Arabic dialect, sheep fighting is an illegal sport in Algeria where sheep are trained to battle each other to death.
Algeria has won the Africa Cup of Nations football championship twice. First in 1990 and then again in 2019. They were also runners up once in 1980.
The Djamaa El Djazair mosque in Algeria has the world’s tallest minaret. The mosque with its 265m-high minaret was completed in 2019.
The critically endangered Saharan cheetah can be found in Algeria. In 2008 there were thought to be just 250 left in total, with the largest population being in Algeria.
Ancient stone tools discovered in Algeria suggest that our understanding of how our human ancestors lived around 2.6 million years ago may be wrong. The 2018 discovery suggests that the first humans either expanded more rapidly from East African than previously thought or humans emerged simultaneously across Africa.
The French Foreign Legion used to be based in Algeria at the North African headquarters near Oran. However, in 1962 the legion headquarters was transferred to Aubagne in France.
Around 99% of Algerians are Muslim – predominantly Sunni.
Following widespread cheating in school exams in 2016, the Algerian government took the extraordinary step in 2018 to block the internet. Mobile and fixed internet connections were cut for more than two hours across the entire country as children sat their tests.
Algerians frequently invite visitors and friends to drink tea with them. In a cafe, it’s acceptable to have just one cup with a host, but in someone’s house, three cups is considered customary.
The country’s capital city, Algiers, is known as ‘Alger la Blanche’ (Algiers the White) because of its whitewashed buildings.
Algeria is a huge fossil fuel exporter. The country’s shipping of petroleum, natural gas and ammonia account for over 95% of its total exports.
Algeria is commonly called the country of cherries and dates. This refers to the various types of weather found here; a mild climate in the north and a dry, hot one in the Saharan south. Algerian dates are known to be some of the best on earth. Visitors are traditionally greeted by being offered dates and milk.
Algeria’s official religion is Islam and it is illegal to proselytize (advocate or promote) to the people about any other religion. The legal system is based on the French court system and Sharia law.
Even though Western clothing is common, mostly in urban areas, traditional Muslim clothing is also common. In areas under Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) control, people wear some form of traditional garb, particularly the women. It is considered proper to be dressed conservatively in public and modest clothing is worn by all Algerians. The militant Islamists demand that women be veiled and they are more than willing to enforce their orders.
All but two percent of Algeria’s exports are fossil fuels. Petroleum and natural gas make up 98 percent of the country’s exports. The country’s crude oil reserves are the 16th largest in the world with 12,200 million barrels of oil reserves (at the start of 2017). Algeria is also Africa’s largest oat market.
Algeria owes no money to other countries; it has no external debt. Unfortunately, one in every four of its citizens lives on less than a dollar a day. Many Algerians are poor. The national currency is the Algerian Dinar.
Only about three and a half percent of the country’s land is cultivated, far too little for feeding their population self-sufficiently. As a result, malnutrition is one of the nation’s principal health problems. Five percent of Algeria’s population is undernourished, according to the World Bank.
Free national health care was introduced by the government in 1974 and helps pay for those who are sick and injured. Nearly all of the people living in urban areas and 80 percent of the population in rural areas have access to adequate sanitation.
Algeria’s literacy rate is 80 percent; more men can read than women. Women have traditionally been discouraged from attending school to stay home with their mothers. French is the instructional language at school. English is taught as well.
Women in Algeria, unlike those in other Islamic nations, make up 60 percent of the student population. They also have considerable prominence in society as 70 percent of Algeria’s lawyers and 60 percent of its judges are women. Algerian women make a larger contribution to household income than their male counterparts.
The largest country by area in all of Africa is Algeria. It is the tenth-largest in the world.
Only 12 percent of its land is inhabited. Over 90 percent of the country is covered by the Sahara desert.
The capital city of Algeria is Algiers, which is also the country’s largest city.
Algeria is in North Africa and is located on the Mediterranean Ocean with Morocco to the west and Tunisia to the east.
Algeria recorded its record high temperature in August of 2011. The thermometer topped off at 123.8°F (51°C). Its coastal region, though, has a typical Mediterranean climate that is pleasant all year round. Rainfall is abundant along the coast and scarce in the desert. The mountains receive a lot of frost and some snow.
Mount Tahat is Algeria’s highest mountain and is 3,003 meters (1.9 miles) high. Its longest river is the Chelif. It flows from near the city of Aflou through the Tell Atlas to empty into the Mediterranean and is 700 kilometers (435 miles) long.
Algeria’s Tassili National Park is also called “Plateau of the Rivers”. It is a large open sky museum where there are many prehistoric rock art drawings and other archaeological sites from the Neolithic era. Some drawings are called the ‘Aliens on the rocks’.
Algeria’s mountainous and fertile northern regions have cork and olive trees. There are also evergreen forests that are home to wild boars and jackals. Various palm, agave and fig trees also grow in the warmer climates. Grapes are native to the coastal plain.
Central Algeria has the region of High Plateaus with shallow or dry lakes and salt marshes. The further south you travel, the more arid the land and climate becomes. The vegetation here is sparse. Rabbits, snakes, scorpions, and camels live in the desert climate.
There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Algeria. Some are ruins of cities built by the indigenous people and some are Roman ruins. Cultural: 1. Al Qal’a of Beni Hammad (1980), 2. Djémila (1982), 3. Kasbah of Algiers (1992), 4. M’Zab Valley (1982), 5. Timgad (1982), 6. Tipasa (1982); Mixed: 1. Tassili n’Ajjer (1982).
During Algeria’s history, the country has been ruled by Romans, Germanic tribes, Byzantines, the Spanish, Turks and the French. In its earliest time, the country was known as Numidia.
There are many interesting architectural sites of significant historical interest in Algeria and seven of them have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The 8th and 11th centuries AD saw the arrival in Algeria of Islam and with it the Arabic language. The introduction of both had a significant impact on all the Maghreb (North African) people with changes in economic and social relationships and the establishment of links with a rich and well-established culture.
Algeria’s political history is interesting and full of conflict. More than a million Europeans were captured and then sold as slaves in North Africa. France conquered Algeria in 1830 and the practice stopped. France ruled Algeria until 1962.
The modern borders of Algeria were established by the French during their colonization. Though France controlled the entire country, the traditional Muslim rural communities remained separated from the French’s economic infrastructure and the European community in their country.
The French in Algeria were known as Colons (colonists) or pieds noirs (black feet) and they controlled both the government and the majority of the country’s wealth. Political unrest in the 1930s made the Colons burden the people with more restrictive laws.
The Algerians Muslims did fight with the French in World War I and World War II but from 1954 to 1962 Algeria was engaged in a fight with France for their independence that was bloody and long. It resulted in more than a million Algerian deaths. The conflict involved many atrocities, including guerrilla warfare, terrorism and counter-terrorism, and torture.
Algeria’s modern flag was designed to symbolize very specific points. The colors are green, red and white. The green, believed to be the Prophet Muhammad’s (P.B.U.H) favorite color, represents Islam and paradise (nature). Red symbolizes the deaths and sacrifice of all those who fought for Algeria’s independence, and for liberty. White symbolizes purity and peace. To be acceptable for the flag, the exact wavelength that each color must absorb is specified officially, which is highly unusual for an African country’s flag.
The current Algerian flag was adopted on 3 July 1962.
Algeria mediated negotiations between Iran and the U.S. in 1980 to liberate the Americas hostages Iran kidnapped from the American embassy. This led to the signing of the Algiers Accords and the prisoners’ release.
There are three key Algerian dishes (one is a range of drinks, actually). One is couscous, a pasta-like dish made from semolina wheat. It is served as a bed for chicken, meat, lamb, and vegetables. It can even be a dessert with a topping of cinnamon or other toppings.
Another is Mechoui. This is a whole roasted lamb cooked on an outdoor spit, prepared for large group gatherings. Seasoned with herb butter, the skin turns crispy while the meat inside is cooked tender and juicy. It is usually served with vegetables and dried fruits as well as bread.
Etzai. Photo by Algeria Food.
Etzai, the mint tea popular all over North Africa, is the favorite gift. Alcohol is forbidden for Muslims. Coffee with cardamom is another drink. Children like to drink apricot nectar. Fruit or nut-flavored milk drinks called Sharbats are also popular.
Meals are eaten at a leisurely pace and are sociable occasion. Food like couscous is traditionally eaten with the thumb, forefinger and middle finger of the right hand. Never use more than three fingers or you are displaying greed. Never eat with the left hand, which is considered unclean. Leaving a little on your plate is considered a sign that your host is able to amply provide for your needs.
The atmosphere at the table in a middle-class family may be a bit more elegant. A servant or young family member may offer each guest a bowl of perfumed water for washing their hands before dining.
Algeria is the tenth largest country in the world and became the largest country in Africa after South Sudan split from Sudan in 2011.
The national animal of Algeria is the Fennec Fox.
Algeria has taken part in every Olympic Games since 1964 and has won a total of 17 medals in total in that time, 5 of which are Gold.
Only 12% of Algeria’s land mass is inhabited, as 90% of the country is the Sahara Desert.
Women in Algeria, in total, contribute a larger amount to household incomes than men.
The French Foreign Legion used to be based in Algeria, it being one of France’s colonies, but once it gained independence in 1962, they made their base back on mainland France.
Traditionally when you have a meal at an Algerian home, you should leave a little of your food on the plate at the end as it shows your host was able to amply feed you.
National Day on 1st November is known as Revolution Day, as that is when they finally won their bid for independence from France.
Do not point at people or objects, as it is considered rude, and if handing something to someone, you must do it with your right hand or both hands, never just the left hand.
Algeria has some of the largest reserves of natural gas and is one of the main suppliers to Europe.
Algeria is one of the countries that the nomadic Berber people frequent, along with neighbouring Morocco, Tunisia and Libya, the Berber (Tamazight) language is now recognised as an official language of the country.
Two Algerian films have been entered in the foreign language films category for the Oscars - Outside the Law and Chronicle of the Years of Fire, which also won the Palme D’Or award in Cannes in 1975.
Visitors to Algeria are traditionally greeted with a gift of dates and milk.
Between the 16th and 18th century, Algeria took part in the Barbary Slave Trade, which was engaged in capturing Europeans and selling as slaves in North Africa.
Part of the Algerian character is that they are formal and courteous and don’t appreciate direct and frank talk.
Some of the biggest sand dunes in the world are located in Algeria. The Isouane-n-Tifernine sand of sea, has dunes with an estimated height of 465 meters and 5 kilometres long.
Tassilli National Park in Algeria has pre-historic rock drawings and Neolithic archaeological sites.
Out of all African countries Algeria has the highest cost of living.
The Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Albert Camus was born here.
The currency used in Algeria is the Algerian Dinar.
During French colonisation of Algiers, it became one of the biggest exporters of French Wine!
The Algerian flag’s colours are representative of the Islam faith (Green), Purity (White) and Spilt blood to gain independence (red).
The Botanical Garden of Hamma in Algeria, is where the scene of Tarzan making his trademark call before rescuing Jane was filmed for the original 1932 Black and White Film.
The highest mountain in Algeria is Mount Tahat, in the Aghaggar mountains.
The national football team is nicknamed Les Fennics, after the national animal the Fennic Fox.
One of the founder fathers of Christianity - St Augustine of Hippo (354-430), was born in Tagaste (now called Souk Ahras) in Algeria.
Algiers has a stunning Roman Catholic Basilica - Notre Dame d’Afrique (Our Lady of Africa), not only is a great building, it is on the top of cliffs overlooking the sea, so the views from it are fantastic too.
Due to the hilly nature of the country, cable cars are a popular mode of transport. So much so that there is a government department that covers the planning and maintenance of them.
One food delicacy that has become legendary is chick pea stew, which you will find in the Constantine region of the country.
The Casbah (Citadel) of Algiers, could be where The Clash got the idea for their hit ‘Rock the Casbah’, as during the 1950s and 1960s this area was rife with freedom fighters and revolutionaries who were fighting against the French Occupation.
The capital city has its own metro system, styled on that of the French one, but not as extensive.
Timimoun, situated in the middle of the Sahara Desert, has a very similar look to that of Timbuktu in Mali. There is even a song, Timbuktu to Timimoun, which links the two by the Gnawa Diffusion, an Algerian Gnawa music band.
In Algeria, petrol is cheaper than water, but it is one of the main producers of oil.
Djemila is the site of probably the best Roman Ruins you will find in North Africa.
The huge post office in Algiers is quite a wonder, looking more like a palace and is a fine example of the French/Moorish colonial architecture.
Deglet Nour dates are considered some of the best dates in the world and are a major export for the country.
With a break from traditional Islam, the women in the settlement of Beni Isguen (A UNESCO world heritage site), only wear white instead of the usual black.
Algeria is called the country of ‘Cherries and Dates’, due to its diverse climates.
The Maqam Echahid Memorial is a recent addition to the skyline of Algiers. Opened in 1982 on the 20th anniversary of Algeria gaining independence, this iconic memorial is made of concrete and is said to be likened to three palm fronds which represent agriculture, culture and industry. It reaches a height of 92 metres.
Some of the highest temperatures in the world are recorded in Algeria, the highest to date was 123F (50C).
Well heeled Victorians used to spend their winters in Algeria, enjoying the gentle climate of the North Coast.
Evidence of the early human occupation of Algeria is demonstrated by the discovery of 1.8 million year old Oldowan stone tools found at Ain Hanech in 1992.
In 1954 fossilised Homo erectus bones were discovered by C. Arambourg at Ternefine that are 700,000 years old.
Deglet Nour dates are considered some of the best dates in the world and are a major export for the country.
Mint tea, or coffee with cardamom, are the national favourite drinks.
Algiers is often referred to as the White Lady of North Africa, due to its brilliant light and no doubt the large amount of large white colonial buildings which reflect it.
The longest river in the country is the Chelif River, which runs from the Sahara and empties into the Mediterranean Sea.
The author Edith Wharton, visited Algiers and used her experience there in a number of her written works.
The national dish of Algeria is couscous, often served with lamb, chicken or cooked vegetables.
Djama’a al-Kebir or Great Mosque, is one of the best preserved examples of Almoravid architecture and it is claimed it was built back in 1097.
The official name of the country is the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.
It is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia, to the east by Libya, to the west by Morocco, to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory, Mauritania, and Mali, to the southeast by Niger, and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea.
Algeria has two official languages: Arabic and Berber.
As of 1 January 2017, the population of Algeria was estimated to be 40,822,449 people.
With an area of 2,381,741 square kilometres (919,595 square miles), Algeria is the tenth-largest country in the world, and the largest in Africa.
Algiers is the capital and largest city of Algeria. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea and in the north-central portion of Algeria.
Algeria’s landscape consists mostly of high plateaus and the Sahara Desert; in fact, over 80% of the country is covered by the Sahara. The Atlas mountains sit to the north, and the Ahaggar Massif is southeast.
Mount Tahat is the highest mountain peak in Algeria. It sits at an elevation of 2,908 meters (9,541 feet).
Algeria has 998 kilometers (620 miles) of coastline.
Algeria has a great variety of beaches to explore, each with their own distinctive features and attractions.
El Kala National Park is one of the national parks of Algeria, in the extreme north-east of the country. It is home to several lakes and a unique ecosystem in the Mediterranean basin, it was created in 1983 and recognized as a biosphere reserve by the UNESCO in 1990.
Algeria has 7 UNESCO world heritage sites.
Beni Hammad Fort, also called Al Qal’a of Beni Hammad is a fortified palatine city in Algeria. Now in ruins, in the 11th century, it served as the first capital of the Hammadid dynasty. In 1980, it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and described as “an authentic picture of a fortified Muslim city”.
Timgad was a Roman-Berber town in the Aurès Mountains of Algeria. It was founded by the Emperor Trajan around AD 100. Timgad was intended to serve primarily as a bastion against the Berbers in the nearby Aures Mountains. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.
Notre Dame d’Afrique (Our Lady of Africa) is a Roman Catholic basilica in Algiers the capital of Algeria. It was Louis-Antoine-Augustin Pavy, who served as the Bishop of Algiers from 1846 to 1866, who paved the way for its construction. The basilica was inaugurated in 1872, after fourteen years of construction.
The Botanical Garden of Hamma also known as the Jardin d’Essai du Hamma is a 58-hectare (140-acre) botanical garden (38 hectares (94 acres) of gardens and 20 hectares (49 acres) of arboretum) located in the Mohamed Belouizdad (formerly Hamma-Anassers) district of Algiers. It was established in 1832.
The Ketchaoua Mosque is a mosque in Algiers, the capital of Algeria. It is located at the foot of the Casbah, which was built during the Ottoman rule in the 17th century, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mosque that stands on the first of the Casbah’s many steep stairways, was logistically and symbolically the cynosure of the pre-colonial city of Algiers.
The Maqam Echahid or Martyrs’ Memorial in English is an iconic concrete monument commemorating the Algerian 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