Mix the past with the present in Algeria's capital city, Algiers. Stroll past
17th-century mosques and Ottoman-style palaces in the hilltop Kasbah city. Or see
sculptures and mosaics at the Bardo Museum. Then eat spicy tagine stews in
bustling restaurants on Rue Didouche Mourade.
Background
The whitewashed city of Algiers sprawls out from its Mediterranean harbour.
Head uphill and inland to find the Kasbah at the centre of the old
town. Back down at sea level, you can walk along the waterfront, lined with
19th-century buildings. You'll find cafes, restaurants and shops along Rue
Didouche Mourade, the busy street which cuts across the centre of the
city.
First-time visit
Take the cable car to visit Roman Catholic Notre Dame d'Afrique
Byzantine basilica, perched on a cliff top overlooking the harbour. Lose yourself in
the narrow streets of the Kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of Moorish
palaces and Ottoman Empire homes. Take a look inside the 1000-year-old Great
Mosque to see its intricate Moorish designs. Then go shopping for carpets,
woodwork and brassware along Rue Didouche Mourad, the main shopping street in
Algiers. After dark, join locals for couscous, flat bread and meaty tagine
hotpots.
Return visit
Take a look around the Bardo Museum in a former Turkish mansion to see Roman
mosaics and sculptures dating back centuries. Or visit the studios of Algerian
artists at Villa Abd-el-Tif, former home of an Ottoman Turkish ruler. Take a
stroll around the iconic concrete Monument des Martyrs which was built in the
shape of three palm leaves to mark the end of the Algerian war of independence, 20
years earlier in 1962. Get away from it all by inhaling the scent of exotic flowers
in the Garden of Test.
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