Set on a glorious Mediterranean coastline, Algeria’s capital city is a captivating blend of the old and the new. Hugging the sweeping waterfront are a warren of official buildings and commercial establishments, several of them colonial edifices washed in white. The modernity wanes as one retreats away from the coast, and an encroaching aura of heritage, tradition and nostalgia looms large. As the city ambles up terraced hills, landmark after landmark becomes visible, paving the way for an awe-inspiring journey in time. The Casbah, one of the city’s oldest quarters pulsates with history. This UNESCO-designated site is studded with age-old monuments and sliced by dusty alleys, its Maghreb identity shining through and through. The magic of the mosques in enough to pull at heartstrings, whether it is the time-honored grandeur of the Ottoman-era Ketchaoua Mosque, or the understated elegance of the Djama'a al-Kebir. Then there is the single-handed splendor of the Dar Aziza, a Moorish masterpiece that competes with all others in the Casbah. Shaped by a long history, Algiers beautifully preserves elements of its past across its scenic sweep.
