Algeria Info
Joined: 23 Feb 2007
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 Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:07 am Post subject: ALGERIA TOURISM GUIDE (ALGIERS) / TOURISM IN ALGERIA |
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ALGERIA TOURISM GUIDE (ALGIERS)
Algiers, "white city", this cosmopolitan capital, with a rich history, is also a Mediterranean crossroad. In Algiers, more than anywhere else, the influence of the Mediterranean is omnipresent. The beautiful El Djazair bay is but a proof of the increasing influence of "la grande bleue" (the Mediterranean), which has in the past played a major role in the history of the country. In addition, every corner of the city shows a great deal of its history or of its histories. Algiers, the former Icosium, possesses the most unique tourist, art and historical attractions in the world.
The rich cultural, archaeological and historical heritage as well as the fantastical natural landscapes make Algeria one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It is destined to become the most preferred tourist attraction.
A littoral with exotic beaches stretched endlessly for 1,200 km, mountains covered with snow sometimes until new shoots come out in early spring, and a vast desert that preserves its treasures, the unique fauna and flora that are protected by the desert. That is Algeria.
Then again, Algeria is above all Algiers, its capital, a window that reflects thousands of places to be discovered and rediscovered. For those who arrive in Algiers by air or by sea, the Algiers bay will offer a scenery of dazzling beauty. The Algiers bay is one of the most beautiful in the world, a wide window to the ingeniously terraced city.
To the right, the historic Casbah and its magnificent palaces were worthy of being added to the World Heritage list in 1982. The legendary Casbah, an historic site of the struggle for liberation, is in itself an extraordinary tourism route. To the left of the Algiers bay, a modern city in all its splendor that conceals places and unusual features to everyone's taste.
For amateurs in art, Algiers offers seven magnificent art galleries. Situated in a beautiful garden, facing the Jardin d'Essai du Hamma, the National Gallery of Fine Arts (Musee National des Beaux-Arts) possesses sculpture, art print and painting masterpieces of the greatest artists in the world: Delacroix, Renoir, Nasreddine (Etienne) Dinet… as well as collections dating from the period 1908-1914. As for the collection of Algerian works of art, it is composed of works by Racim, Temmam, Yelles……considered to be one of the most important works.
Bardo National Museum (Musee National du Bardo) and the museum of antiques, situated less than 1km from one another, hold expositions featuring collections of prehistory, such as the tomb of Queen Tin-Hinan, the Touareg ancestors, and classic antiquities comprised of sculptures, mosaics and bronzes discovered on principal archaeological sites in Algeria
The busts of the Numidian family of Juba I, King of Cirta, of which the original is found in the Louvre Museum in Paris, the bust of his son Juba II and that of his young wife Cleopatre Selene as well as their son Ptolemee
At the entrance of lower Casbah (Basse-Casbah), the National Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions and the Rais Palace - better known under the name of Bastion 23 - invites you to visit the collective memory of Algiers.
Finally, there are two other museums, each dedicated to children and the mudjahiduns. The former, at the heart of the Jardin Monriant du Telemly, possesses a beautiful collection of works and objects coming from various countries. In honor of the mudjahiduns, the Museum of Djihad was naturally inaugurated at the level of Makam Ech-chahid, the sanctuary of Martyr, at the heights of Algiers.
On a cultural basis, the mosques and churches coexist in harmony. Some well-known religious monuments in Algiers date back to the Ottoman Period. This shows the beauty of the sights.
Djamaa Ketchaoua, the mosque of Fishery, Djamaa Sidi-Abderrahmane Ethaalibi, with its fountains of beautiful Moorish faiences, or Djamaa Ali Betchin, built in 1623 by an Italian pirate converted to Islam, are the most well-known mosques.
For the Christians in Algiers, two principal edifices are open for them to practice their religion. On the one hand, the Sacre-Coeur Church, and on the other hand, the Basilica Notre Dame of Africa, which stands majestically over the district of Bab-El-Oued, rising above the sea.
Going from one edifice to another allows the visitor to explore the capital city and, by the same occasion, to discover the quarters and roads that often bear the names of great revolutionists such as Didouche Mourad, Audin, Ben-Mhidi, Zighout Youcef, Mohamed Belouizdad, etc. They are the soul and heart of the city.
Also in Algiers are the main post office (Grande-Poste), an architectural building from the Ottoman Empire, the National Theatre, Place Abdelkader Alloula, the statue of Emir Abdelkader and also the College of Algiers that the passing years have not affected.
Algiers reserves a great place to eat and relax for visitors who, after a long day of discovering Algiers' numerous treasures, are in need of a moment of respite.
For meals, quite a few restaurants that serve Algerian food or world cuisine are open for the palate's pleasure
Visitors in a hurry or on a tight budget will find various fast food restaurants or rotisseries serving delicious kebabs or an appetizing "bouzelouf"! The ones from meat packing houses are the best in these kinds of foods.
It is easy to find places to relax in Algiers. Be it in the amusement park of Caroubier, the biggest and the closest from Algiers, or in the zoological gardens of Ben-Aknoun, to the southeast of Algiers, the visitors will find the entertainment they are looking for. Then again, without even leaving Algiers, the visitors can enjoy the nature in the Jardin d'Essai du Hamma
This luxurious garden, created in 1832 in the form of small experimental botanic gardens for breeding plants brought from different countries in the world, is considered to be the first park in Africa and classified as one of the best in the Mediterranean region. Its abundance of flowers and proximity to the "la grande bleue" (the Mediterranean) as well as the tropical plants and trees from North America and Africa create a microclimate favorable to animals who hold records of absolute longevity. As proof, the brown bear that haunts the garden is currently 79 years old and the alligator from Mississippi is aged more than 100 years. For Algiers, the Hamma garden is the lung that gives oxygen to the city.
Finally, when night falls over the city and everyone hurries to his/her dwellings, the day visitor goes in search of a hotel where he/she can relax. Here, in terms of hotels, the visitor has a range of choices from the most luxurious 5 star hotels to the smallest hotels. Today, some of the biggest hotel chains can be found in Algeria: Sofitel, Sheraton, Accor, etc. They rival one another in receiving the ever increasing number of tourists. |
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