Thursday 4 April 2013

The famous buildings in Algeria


Hello everybody, this week I am going to tell you something about the famous buildings in Algeria.
These are the famous buildings that we visited during our stay:
-          Makam Echahid
-          La Grande Poste
-          Casbah
-          Al Qal’ a of Beni Hammad  
-          Great Mosque (Jamaa el-Kebir)
-          New Mosque (Jamaa el-Jedid)


Makam Echahid



 
This huge monument is symbolic of the Algerian independence. It is one of the most remarkable landmarks of the country.
It was first opened to the public in 1982, 20 years after the independence of Algeria.  This monument is a popular destination for tourists.  It encloses three enormous concrete palm leaves, which curve as they come together and rise up, almost 100 metres in height.
It is really an impressive monument!

La Grande Poste




Another building that captures our attention is “La Grande Poste”, built in 1910 by Voinot and Tondoire.  It is not an ordinary post office, but a beautiful white building.
At La Grande Poste you always find many tourists for its architecture and its highly decorative interior. This building still plays an important role in the life of the Algerian people. 

Casbah


 

The Casbah is situated on a hill and a must-see for tourists.
The Casbah is a collection of architecture, including houses, palaces and mosques.  It is divided into two areas: an upper and a lower town.  There are plenty of narrow alleys and picturesque houses.
Due to the labyrinthine layout of the building, it is easy to lose oneself, so it is advisable to visit it with a guide.
In 1992, the Casbah became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are plans to renovate many of  the crumbled buildings.
A real fascinating place!


Al Qal’ a of Beni Hammad



These surviving ruins of the first capital city date back of the 11th century. The ruins give visitors an opportunity to see how life was in an ancient fortified city.
The site is situated 225 kilometres south-east of Algeria, and achieved The World Heritage Site Status in 1980.



Great Mosque (Jamaa el-Kebir)




This is the oldest mosque in Algeria. Inside the building you can see an inscription on the wall showing that it dates back of the 11th century. The minaret (the tower of the building) is said to be made by the Sultan of Tiemcen in the 14th century. It is still a beautiful mosque, but it has to be said that it is disused.


New Mosque (Jamaa el-Jedid)


The New Mosque (Jamaa el-Jedid) is built in the shape of the Greek cross.  It has an impressive minaret (the tower), which has a height of 27 metres. They call this the ‘new mosque’ because it was built in the 17th century, many hundreds of years after the Great Mosque.

During the past week, we have seen a lot of remarkable buildings. It was interesting to see. We highly recommend it to all our readers who are planning to visit the country.
See you next week for more information about the economy of Tunisia ! 

Debra

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1 comment:

  1. First of all, I had a completely different image of Algeria. I thought it was a poor country without any famous buildings, but it’s the opposite. This country has a lot of beautiful places and buildings in a great landscape.
    When you look at the buildings you can deduce that this is an Islamic country. Here you will not find skyscrapers that are built mainly of glass like in New York city. But that charms the country.

    I really enjoyed our trip to ‘Al Qal a of Beni Hammad’ where you get an authentic picture of a Muslim city. It was exhausting because we had some hills to climb but it was worth it!


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