The best-and safest-to enjoy the Algerian experience is to head south of the country, Tamanrasset, the largest city in the Sahara, which was a meeting point for the caravans of camels, or Yanet, a group of small towns around an oasis in the Tassili National Park and base Nayer exploration of the extraordinary cave paintings in the area.
Tamanrasset, a vast barren land in the middle of the Algerian Sahara, a territory larger than that of France, it is the capital of the Hoggar, Tamanrasset nevertheless remains the preferred destination of tourism European and especially German. Its area is 619360 km square and the number of inhabitants 192,684.
The city of Tamanrasset is an essential axis of Tuareg nomads and who roam the dunes, the regs of the Sahara from Mali to Niger via Chad and Libya.
The city seems to be timeless, stone houses, the traditional dress them up, take you a magical voyage that only this place can you get.
Located at 1733 m altitude Tamanrasset is the capital of Ahaggar, it contains archaeological sites dating from 600,000 to one million years and demonstrates the first human demonstrations or pre-human. It was in prehistory a region with very high population density of the earth, the scene of the evolution of mixing of man, the migration and highlight the distant civilizations came from East, Europe, Asia and Africa.
A 600km south of Algiers in the Sahara there is Mzab Valley. It is a kind of green cleft in the middle of nowhere, where incredible water harvesting techniques have created a paradise in that environment so hostile. Huge palm trees, fruit trees and aromatic plants will come their way continuously.
In the valley there are five ancient cities, each with its minaret in the highest point, producing an image of oriental tale.
The Mzab is one of the few places where Muslims are Ibarita version of Islam, there was the same as 1300 years ago. In the old cities have been preserved ancient customs intact. Only you can visit its labyrinth of winding streets with a guide. No shirts or shorts, snuff, or photos to people.
There are many beautiful places in Mzab. Ghardaia is the biggest town, there you can find a lovely big square and a very old underground mosque. Underground mosques are built in order to find shelter from the summer heat. Beni Isguen is very quiet and the views from the top are astounding. The palmerie of Beni Isguen has a water dam, which at rainy season takes the aspects of a big waterfall. The dam is meant to protect the town from inundations. Bounoura has a lovely mosque on top of the hill.
The atmosphere of old cities contrasts sharply with that of the new, which in recent decades have come outdoors, where many young and seem to look in another direction. Still, soak up this valley and its people is the closest thing to a trip in time. I do not think we forget how we heal ourselves here in our western stress or how to enjoy your wonderful street atmosphere … and its sunsets.
In the midst of one of the finest coastal sites on the Mediterranean stands the famous Kasbah of Algiers, which is a unique kind of medina commonly called Islamic city.
Kasbah the term derives from the Arabic or Al Qasbah which means “citadel”, also known as fortress or medina.
The Kasbah of Algiers is the first district of Algiers, the old capital city of Algeria. It was built ten centuries ago to 125 meters high on a hill overlooking the sea and today remains completely oblivious to the growth of modern Algeria.
The Islamic citadel includes a triangle of 50 hectares of area in the labyrinthine streets dominated, steep stairs and especially its bright white buildings for which he earned the name? Algiers, the white?.
The Kasbah was its urban development and historic century XVI and since 1992 is included in the list of World Heritage Sites of UNESCO. It has suffered several attacks but still hides great architectural treasures.
The Kasbah of Algiers was founded on the ruins of old Icosium, a Phoenician commercial outpost called which later developed into a small Roman town. It is a small city which, built on a hill, goes down towards the sea, divided in two: the High city and the Low city.
One finds there masonries and mosques of the 17th century; Ketchaoua mosque (built in 1794 by the Dey Baba Hassan) flanked by two minarets, mosque el Djedid (built in 1660, at the time of Turkish regency) with its large finished ovoid cupola points some and its four coupolettes, mosque El Kébir, mosque Ali Betchnin, Dar Aziza, palate of Jénina. In the Kasbah, there are also labyrinths of lanes and houses that are very picturesque.
It was accessible by five gates: Bab El Oued Bab Admira (now defunct), Ba Azoun, Ajdid and Bab el Bahari. We also found remains of the citadel, old mosques, theater, palaces and Ottoman courts. Undoubtedly, a large urban complex facing the sea beauty is worth visiting.