Website Category: Fortified Cities of the Maghreb
Area: 0.6 km2
Inscribed: 1992
Criteria: (ii) interchange of values (v) interaction with the environment
Location and Values: The Kasbah of Algiers is at the heart of the city of Algiers, located on a huge crescent bay hemmed in by steep hills and facing north over the Mediterranean. The Kasbah spreads up a hillside above the port to a hill-top citadel, a warren of narrow winding alleys and densely packed white-washed houses.
It was mostly built between the 16th and 18th centuries during a period of allegiance to the Ottoman sultan. The city’s wealth was derived from piracy and from its position at the trailhead of the trans-Saharan caravans. By the end of the 18th century it had grown into a flourishing, well-fortified city of some 100,000 people. Many of the prominent buildings – mosques and grand mansions of the wealthy classes from the Ottoman period - have survived, and are undergoing restoration.
Slideshow of the Kasbah Of Algiers:
Google Earth View: To view satellite imagery of the Kasbah of Algiers on Google Earth, click here. This opens a new window, so when you are finished, just close the Google Earth page and you will be straight back here to continue browsing. Unfortunately the images of Algiers are not very sharp so its only really possible to get an overall impression of the Kasbah’s situation within the wider contemporary landscape
Links to other places featuring fortified cities of the Maghreb: Beni Hammad I Fez I Marrakech I Meknes I Tetouan I Tunis I Kerkuane I Kairouan I Sousse
Other Links: Official UNESCO Site Details