Renovate the Casbah.

Efforts expedited to restore historic district of Algiers. A UNESCO-listed rabbit warren of 16th century battlements and Ottoman palaces, the Casbah of the Algerian capital is falling into disrepair but efforts to save it have been accelerating.

170 MN Euros

The 2012 plan was adopted with a budget of 170 million Euros.

An Important Site

The densely populated district, about a kilometre across the Bay of Algiers and has been the site of key moments in the North African country's history. Efforts to restore the buildings involved "several plans and and several stakeholders", said Aissa Mesri of Archimed, a firm working on studies of the Casbah and monitoring the work.

Rehabilitation of the Monument

Some buildings weakened by earthquakes, floods or fires are still propped up with scaffolding but a plan launched in 2012 is seeking to rehabilitate the area. Work to restore the Casbah had first started right after Algeria's independence from France in 1962.

Authentic Citadel

The project aims to restore the Casbah's "authentic face", protect it in the long term and keep at least some of its residents in their homes.

Mosques

Mosque closed since 2008 after being damaged by a powerful earthquake five years earlier, has been restored. The Ottoman-era mosque was reopenedin Apr 2018 after 37 months work, funded entirely by the Turkish government.

Prominent Buildings - Restored

The state-run project has already restored a number of prominent buildings, including part of the citadel which includes the Dey's palace, mosque and ammunition store, partially opened to visitors since Nov 2020. The mosque has been decorated with earthenware, marble and Arabic screen printing.

Battle of Algiers Heroine

A cluster of four houses that once served as a refuge for key independence war figures, including militant Djamila Bouhired, a heroine of the Battle of Algiers, has been renovated.

Controversy

In late 2018, the rehabilitation of the Casbah was at the heart of a controversy, both in France and Algeria, after Algerian authorities decided to entrust a development plan to French architect Jean Nouvel.

Major Transformations

Many were concerned that a French architect could propose transformations of a major site.

Ongoing Projects

Currently, seven restoration projects of historical buildings are underway according to Fatima Larbi, architect at the Algiers Public Works department.  

Courtesy. The ExFile of the NIE.

My take

It's nice to see buildings and monuments of great historic significance are being restored and preserved.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10.

Rejith came around lunchtime and finished the work of putting back the curtains in place. The house, suddenly, has become darker.