Medina of Algiers Coun Try : Algeria

Si te : Medina of Algiers Coun try : Algeria

C ON TE N TS OF TH E F I L E

Synthesis Architectural typologies present Country’s accepted significant sites

History and general information Current state of vitality and preservation Transformation process Interventions and rehabilitation programmes Bibliography Lexicon

SYNTHESIS

The site in question is the medina of Algiers, the historic quarter of the capital which is known as the Casbah. The site is located in the Bay of Algiers, in the most favourable spot, protected from the winter winds and aired by sea breezes from the east in summer. The Bay of Algiers is shaped like an amphitheatre, regularly crossed by talwegs, drainage channels for rainwater which have become roads and stairways. The historic site is situated on a 120-m high hillock encircled by a moat around the old destroyed

ramparts which have been replaced by stepped streets. Countr map y The medina was an extremely densely built f abric of two- and three-storey dwellings with all the amenities of a Muslim town which was the seat of political power and regularly besieged. The medina was completed by a complex of gardens and summer residences on the surrounding hillsides. The site’s interest lies in the fact that it is one of the few to conserve its character, as there has been a lack of financial means to change it on the part of the resident population who are not owners; however, this is ceasing to be an advantage, in view of the general deterioration and the demolition of entire blocks. Regional scale Local sc ale

ARCHITEC TURAL TYPOLOGIES PRESENT

House in the medina of Algiers

COUNTRY’S ACCEPTED SIGNIFICANT SITES Detail of the urban fabric

Medina of Algiers Medina of Bou Saada M’Zab valley

This project is financed by the MEDA programme of the European Union. The opinions expressed in the present document do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or of its member States. 1/3 Medin a of Algiers

HISTORY AND GENERAL INFOR MATION

The site has been occupied since the Icosim Phoenician period, and underwent an Icosim Roman period. It was founded in the 10th century as Djazaïr Banu Mezghena by Bologhine, son of Ziri, founder of the Zirid dynasty, and became the capital, El Djazaïr, under Turkish rule in the 15th century. During the colonial period, the lower part of the medina was completely destroyed with the exception of the mosques of El Kébir and El Djedid and the palaces and houses of Bastion 23, as they formed part of the French fortification. Realignments have been carried out and new streets opened. Within the historic fabric, buildings have been demolished and rebuilt according to European ty pologies, up to one or two floors higher than neighbouring houses.

 Surface ar ea of the site 48 ha.  Geographical co-ordinates Lat.: 36° 47' north – Long.: 3° 3' east  Height above sea l evel 0 to 120 m

 Lithology Rock and infill after several earthquakes which destroyed the town.

 Population 40,000 inhab. (2001)  Population densit y 833 inhab/ha

 Average annual maximum temperatures 22.9°  Average annual minimum temperatures 11.45°

 Averag e of maximum temp eratures 30.7° during the hottest month for 10 year s  Averag e of minimum temperatur es during 5.4° the coldest month for 10 years  Averag e rainfall 671.9 mm

 Averag e number of days of rain p er year 114.3

 Specifi c ch aracteri stics Capital of Algeria, declared National Heritage in 1989 and World Heritage in 1992.

 Traditional economic activities Craf ts, trade.

 New economic activities Small private conversion firms: textiles, leather. Wholesale activity which is beginning to change today.  Site’s communications with its terr itor y The site is linked to the east by a motorway which terminates in a road along the port with arches supporting the Boulevard du Front de mer at 18 m above sea level; to the west, by a road which crosses another district before joining the south by-pass at the level of Frais-Vallon. The quarter is under pressure to accommodate the junction of the two highways in the historic quarter. At 100 m above sea level, a road borders the barracks and the Ministry of Defence on its way to the high ground of Algiers.

CURRENT STATE OF VI TALI TY AND PRESERVATION

The site has been under supervision since the early days of independence as a historic but also a symbolic site of resistance during the war of independence. Howev er, the departure of the inhabitants who occupied the housing left empty when the French left Algeria has made it a place of transit until now, in view of the legal protection of the tenants. The undertaking of studies has been overtaken by the deterioration of over-occupied houses, insecurity due to terrorism, economic and real-estate pressure, and through traffic. The site first underwent a phenomenon of marginalisation: a peripheral centre, ty pical of Third-World cities, bringing together wholesale trade, small conversion firms, etc. Today, after much debated operations (a project for a coach station and a large underground parking area, a project to demolish the last urban remains beside the sea, etc.), the site is undergoing operations which aim to re-establish the relationship with the historic port, consisting of the rehabilitation and change in use of sea-front spaces (arches under the Boulevard du Front de mer, etc.), and the restoration of historic monuments. These projects have revalued the earlier construction of multi-storey car parking with a protective metal structure currently being built and the restoration of a sea-front urban block. After state operations to clear wholesale premises to create shopping and service areas, changes are noticeable due to the transf ormation of whole-sale areas into higher quality shopping premises by indiv iduals in the lower part of the district.

TRANSFOR MATION PR OCESS

Within the boundaries of the site, situated in the top part of the district and comprising large and small traditional type houses and European-style apartment buildings, after rehabilitation operations scattered throughout the fabric, the process inv olves carrying out operations to restore run-down monuments and palaces, and working on the urban blocks. The biggest difficulty is how to carry out operations on a site of transit, at the same time allowing access to homes for people with problems in a country which has not sorted out its housing crisis and is only now emerging from a period of insecurity. The only way around this is to apply the utmost rigour to the procedure and work, and to dialogue with the economic agents who occupy the palace basements, preventing work to the foundations. In fact, the absence of definite means and procedures was observed in the European Charter of Architectural Heritage drawn up in Amsterdam in 1975 (on integrated preservation with the application of legal, governmental, financial and technical means, and the assistance of all sectors in informing the public and involving it in decision-making) drawn up by all European countries, called for in the framework of the project to reassert the value of the Casbah of Algiers in 1981.

INTERVEN TIONS AND REHABILI TATION PROGRAMMES

Studies carried out in collaboration with UNESCO experts were carried out between the sixties and 1982. As a listed site, it is currently under the authority of the district of La Wilaya of Bab el Oued and the Ministry of Culture. A preliminary protection study was carried out in 1980, and rehabilitation or maintenance work has affected some houses and palaces. Bastion 23 is the only preserved part of the fabric beyond Rue Bab Azoun in the lower Casbah, as it f orms part of the French fortification and was restored between 1988 and 1993. The two mosques (El Kebir and El Djedid) are currently being restored, and a study for restoration work on two palaces (Dar es Souf, Dar Mustapha Pacha) is being carried out. Studies and work are being carried out on houses in the urban block of Sidi Ramdane.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

LEXICON

File created: 23/02/01 File last modified 03/05/01