November 28, 2024
Algiers: Rockin’ the Casbah (an old quarter with a difference).
Algeria’s history – from ancient to modern times – is a rich and interesting one. If the internet is to be believed, the first inhabitants here appeared some 300-400 thousand years ago! That means that before it was conquered by the Romans, several ancient states had already existed on the territory. After the Roman colonial period came barbarians, followed by Byzantines; next there was the Arab expansion, and that was followed by a succession of the Spanish, Turks, and finally the French. Then, in 1962, after an eight-year war against the latter, Algeria gained its independence.
Given such a rich history, there’s plenty of it to check out as a tourist! And of course there’s the Sahara desert with all its sand-and-rock beauty, and sensational sunsets and sunrises. Alas, my business schedule was full and hectic – lots of meetings, getting acquaintends, discussions, and a regional partner conference, so we couldn’t check all that much out. We had to settle for micro-tourism: a brief stroll around the capital, Algiers. All righty – off we pop…
First up – Maqam Echahid: the monument commemorating the Algerian War ->