Five or six-story French colonial buildings dominate the city. Here is a shot of the Algiers waterfront. |
The easily scared US State Dept. says to avoid Algeria. More precise advice from the British Foreign Office says it's fine to visit as long as you avoid the border areas (colored red on its map) where some chaos spills over from neighbors.
Algeria’s civil war with Islamic militants in the 1990s had more or less ended by 2000 and, so far, the autocratic president has maintained a high level of security. Anyway, people here have been friendly and welcoming. And the Algiers area where I have focused is fascinating.
With two talkative students at the Memorial du Martyr (dedicated to those who fought for Algerian independence from France). |
The first metro is less than a year old and not yet at all crowded. |
A smart law student (uncommonly fluent in English) who gave me a tour around the Hassan Pacha Palace in the Kasbah; a boy walking his younger brother home in the Kasbah. |
The Kasbah in Algiers is the classic Arab old town with narrow, winding lanes. This one has not been polished and gentrified for the few tourists and is in varying states of decay. |
A few Ottoman palaces in the Kasbah have been restored, such as Hassan Pacha Palace shown here. |
A ship floating midair above the misty Mediterranean. |
Algeria has been surprising ― far more affluent and developed (I'd forgotten about its oil revenues) than I expected. And, despite decades of the official policy (post-independence) of "arabization," Algeria is still far more "French" in language, cuisine, and culture than I expected.
Except for a young Italian woman visiting Notre Dame d'Afrique, I saw and heard no other identifiable North American or European at any museum or other tourist site. That's fine and I enjoy being the novelty. But the dearth was surprising.
While not as outgoing and effusive as Egyptians, all Algerians I encountered were quite polite and welcoming, friendly in a slightly reserved way (perhaps the French influence).
Glad I finally made it to the largest country in Africa and hope to return, remembering that prayer appeal in Notre Dame d'Afrique.