Democratic Republic of Algeria

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Trip start
November 7, 2025
Democratic Republic of Algeria Traveler
Arrive in Algiers from Madrid
November 7, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Arrived early afternoon at Algiers International Airport, Houari Boumediene in Algeria. Officially, the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, just an hour and a half flight from Madrid.
This country in North Africa is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia; to the east by Libya, and to the southeast by Niger.
Algeria has been at the crossroads of numerous cultures and civilizations for millennia, including the Phoenicians, Numidians, Romans, Vandals, and Byzantine Greeks. Its modern identity is rooted in centuries of Arab Muslim migration since the seventh century and the subsequent Arabisation of indigenous Berber populations.
It has a population of 47 million and is the world's tenth-largest country by area and the largest in Africa.
It took some time to obtain and process my visa on arrival, but I happily got it all sorted, then transferred to Hôtel Des Beaux Arts in the heart of the old city. Along the promenade and passing the Sablette gate, built in 2015 as a symbol of the French Arc of Triumph. From the hotel, I immediately went out to explore the surrounding streets, the labyrinth of alleys and stairs connecting the different levels of this steep district. Many of the old buildings showed some of the past grandiose architecture, but are now somewhat faded, but an interesting first impression.
A distant picture of the Martyrs' Memorial, an iconic concrete monument honoring Algeria's independence.A view towards the harbour and Bay of Algiers and the distinctive chimney-like concrete, brutalist tower of the Sacred Heart Cathedral. Looking very out of place.
Also some of the many cats which I pictured in the Freedom Park Garden.Read more
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Citadel & Kasbah of Algiers
November 8, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
After a good rest overnight, I met with the other travellers in this small group, and we set out on a walking tour to see and learn about its history, enjoy many of the old colonial buildings, and wander through the labyrinthine Kasbah, starting at the top with the Citadel.
The Citadel of Algiers, also known as Dar El Soltane, is an imposing fortress on the heights of the Kasbah overlooking the Bay. Construction of the citadel began in the 16th century by the Barbarossa brothers, and it became the seat of political, economic, and financial power of the Regency of Algiers in 1816.It was the second-largest palace in the Ottoman Empire, after Topkapi Palace in Constantinople.
Then we walked down through the labyrinth of the Kasbah, It is a historic district that has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992.
We visited the palace of Mustapha Pasha, which is one of the most prestigious palaces in the Kasbah of Algiers, dating back to the ottoman period, built by the Dey Mustapha Pasha. He was born in Anatolia from where he came and began work as a sweeper in the barracks where he resided, before he climbed through the ranks and became the ruler between 1798 to 1805, when he was assassinated.
Here in the Museum of Calligraphy were many wonderful examples of Islamic pictures and illuminations.
Calligraphy is one of the fundamental components of Islamic decoration, reflecting the concepts of the Muslim religion.
Calligraphy obeys a code that is the measure of points, which makes it possible to define the proportions of each letter in a line. Each letter must always have the same number of dots and is subject to strict rules that give it a rhythm. It is up to the calligrapher to find a balance between straight lines and curves, the eye must find pleasure in contemplating its composition as much for the value of its content as for its aesthetic and symbolic qualities.
In contrast, some street graffiti of the local football teams, then we enjoyed views of the bay from a rooftop cafe.Read more
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City Tour
November 8, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ 🌬 19 °C
From the Kasbah, we continued after lunch, past the 17th-century Ketchaoua Mosque, along the bazaar with its date shops, the Port Saïd Square, the Emir Abdelkader Square, then descended into Station Tafourah for a ride on the metro to Jardin d'Essais for the Botanical Gardens.
The Jardin d'Essai du Hamma was established nearly two centuries ago, and is one of the most remarkable and emblematic botanical gardens in Algeria. It stretches across a vast area overlooking the Bay of Algiers, making it a natural masterpiece and an environmental heritage within the city. It shows off a large plant diversity, bringing together species from different continents.
From here, we went up to visit the iconic Martyrs Memorial, built in 1982 to honor the 20th anniversary of Algeria's independence. A fascinating city tour.Read more
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Algiers to Djémila
November 9, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
We departed Algiers for a drive of over 300 km, which took around four hours, to the spectacular Roman ruins in Djémila.
Heading away from the city, the scenery was quite green, with rolling hills, but gradually, as we gained altitude, it became more mountainous and less green. The temperature was noticeably
cooler when we stopped for a roadside lunch break, before continuing onto Djemila.Read more
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Djemila Museum
November 9, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Arriving at Djémila, we first visited the fascinating museum to see many of the remarkably well-preserved mosaics and the finds discovered during the archaeological investigations.
A wonderful model of the site helped to convey a good perspective of the scale covering the hillside.
Djémila, formerly Cuicul, is a small mountain village near the northern coast of Algiers, where some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in North Africa are found.
In 1982, Djémila became a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique adaptation of Roman architecture to a mountain environment. Significant buildings in ancient Cuicul include a theatre, two fora, temples, basilicas, arches, streets, and houses. The exceptionally well-preserved ruins surround the forum of the Harsh, a large paved square with an entry marked by a majestic arch.Read more
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Ruins of Djemila
November 9, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
From the museum, we braved the chilly and overcast conditions to have an interesting tour of the ruins.
There was so much to see, the guide explaining about the site as we walked down the Cardo Maximus Street, which crosses the centre of Djemila, where there are the remains of a series of houses, then the Grand Baths, built in AD 183 during the reign of Emperor Commodius.
The Arch of Caracalla, decorated with columns and Corinthian capitals. The arch was dismantled by the Duc d’Orleans in 1839, ready to be shipped to Paris, but when the duke died three years later, the project was scrapped. The arch was reconstructed in 1922. The Temple of the Severan Family, up a grand staircase, fronted by rows of massive Corinthian columns, constructed in the early 3rd century, and the old forum, a paved area, 48m by 44m.
The Market of Cosinius, the theatre which is cut into the hillside, built around the 2nd century, and the Christian quarter, a group of Episcopal buildings: two basilicas, a baptistery, and a chapel. A remarkable archaeological site, the city was slowly abandoned after the fall of the Roman Empire around the 5th and 6th centuries.
After the visit, we continued our journey for about 130 km to the city of Constantine.Read more
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Constantine City Tour
November 10, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
A day tour of Constantine, one of the world's oldest cities, set on a high plateau split by a dramatic ravine, served by 7 bridges. The city offers a myriad of spectacular views as well as its own history.
Founded by the Phoenicians, it became the capital of the Numidian Kingdom under the name Cirta. Destroyed by Maxence in 311CE, it was rebuilt shortly afterward by Emperor Constantine, who named it after himself.
It is regarded as the capital of eastern Algeria and the commercial centre, with a population of about 450,000, making it the third largest city in the country after Algiers and Oran. Constantine is often referred to as the "City of Bridges" because of the numerous picturesque bridges connecting the various hills, valleys, and ravines on which the city is built and around.
The first stop was the Amir Abdelkader Mosque. This is a Sunni mosque and second second-largest mosque in Algeria after Djamaa Al Djazair. It was completed in 1994. The mosque was named in honour of Al Amir Abdelkader, an Algerian Sufi scholar, religious, and military leader who led a struggle against the French colonial invasion of Algiers in the early 19th century.
The university and mosque were built with marble and granite. It has two minarets that are 107 metres high and a dome that is 20 metres in diameter. A very impressive building.Read more
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National Museum & Monument to the Martyr
November 10, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
From the Mosque we went to the National Museum. Although the Museum was a little basic in appearance, the Roman Antiquities, including many statues and mosaics, plus an interesting section covering the prehistoric period, were quite impressive.
Archaeological discoveries in Constantine and the surrounding areas since the end of the 19th century indicate an early human presence dating back to approximately 1.8 million years ago. This is attributed to the region's richness and abundance in plant cover, water sources, and animal diversity, all of which are attractive and motivating factors that drew prehistoric humans who were constantly seeking food sources. Human presence in the area was evidenced by the discovery of stone tools and petroglyphs in various sites, which date to the Lower Paleolithic, Middle Paleolithic, Epipaleolithic, and Neolithic eras.
A room displaying significant works of art, such as Les Fumeurs de Kif, by Gabriel Ferrier, and La Famine en Algérie by Gustave Guillaumet, was of particular significance. In the modern section, l liked a painting by Mohammad Bachir Bouchriha.
After the museum, we enjoyed a coffee break in a terrific little bar, before we drove up to the Monument aux Morts (Monument to the Martyrs) with panoramic views all around the city.Read more
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Ahmad Bey Palace and Markets
November 10, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
We visited the Palace D'Ahmed Bey Palace in Constantine, which was commissioned during the rule of Ahmed Bey ben Mohamed and completed in 1835, two years before the fall of Constantine into the French occupation. Ahmad Bay instructed a Genovese engineer, Chiavino, and two well-known artists, Al-Jabari and Al-Khatabi, for the design.
Ahmed Bey inhabited the palace when he became the ruler, but his enjoyment of this wonderful place was short-lived. Two years after he moved in, the French chased him out and turned the palace into their headquarters, and with independence, the Algerian military moved in and set up camp.
A beautiful building and interesting interior design.
Then we went for a good lunch in the city centre. A walk through some of the markets and the old quarter. Over the pedestrian foot bridge, which was accessed by either a lift or a staircase. After which, we met up with the driver for a long drive back to Algiers.
A fabulous tour of a fascinating city.Read more
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Cherchell Museum and Roman Remains
November 11, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
The first stop today was a visit to Cherchell, a town on Algeria's Mediterranean coast, 89 km west of Algiers. It was formerly a Roman colony and the capital of the kingdoms of Numidia and Mauretania.
Cherchell dates from the 5th century BC. At that time, Carthage had already taken control of the Phoenicians in the western Mediterranean, and it was one of the more important trading posts in the region. After that, the city has a long history, with the Vandals, coming under Byzantine control, then under Muslim conquest in the late 7th century, and in the following few centuries, the city remained a power center of Arabs and Berbers with a small population of Christians who were fully assimilated by the beginning of the Early Modern period. Today, Cherchell is a popular tourist place in Algeria, with various temples and monuments from the Punic, Numidian, and Roman periods.
Here we went to the National Public Museum, a good collection of Roman artifacts and sculptures, such as Artemis, Apollo, and Hercules.
These sculptures from the royal period (25 BC - 40 AD) are of exceptional quality.
Then we went around the public park overlooking the harbour and up to the small ampthear and remains of the bath house.Read more
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Roman ruins of Tipaza
November 11, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
After lunch, we continued to Tipaza, which is chiefly remarkable for its ancient ruins.
The city was an old Punic trading-post conquered by Ancient Rome. It was subsequently turned into a military colony by the emperor Claudius.
Later, it was called Colonia Aelia Tipasensis and reached a population of 20,000 inhabitants in the 4th century.
It was an important Christian hub during the last centuries of Roman governorship, with three basilicas.
Tipasa was destroyed by the Vandals in 430, but was reconstructed by the Byzantines a century later. At the end of the 17th century, the city was demolished by Umayyad forces and reduced to ruins.
In the nineteenth century, the place was settled again. Now it is a town of nearly 30,000 inhabitants. It is an important tourist place in modern Algeria, mainly because of the Tipasa ruins.
Here we walked around the Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is considered one of the most exceptional complexes in the Maghreb. Here we saw the amphitheatre, theatre, and wandered on the Cardo Maximus and Decumanus Maximus down to the sea front.Read more
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Royal Mausoleum of Mauritania
November 11, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
We stopped at the royal Numidian mausoleum. It is a circular funerary monument, built with a diameter of 60m and a height of 32m, constructed with stones with a volume of more than 800 cubic meters.
It is attributed to the Numidian period during the reign of King Juba II of Caesarea Mauritania from 25 BC to 23 AD, who gave it to his wife, Cléopâtre Séléné II, daughter of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII.
Then we had a short stop at the Grand Algerian Mosque, a remarkable building finished in 2019.
From here to the airport for an evening flight south to the oasis town of Djanet to explore the Tassili N'Ajjer desert region.Read more
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Flight from Algiers to Djanet
November 11, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
A late-night flight south for around 2 hours brought us to Djanet, where we stayed overnight. This is the main town to access the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park region.
Tassili n'Ajjer is a vast plateau in southeastern Algeria at the borders of Libya, Niger, and Mali, covering an area of 72,000 sq km. There is an exceptional density of paintings and engravings, and the presence of many prehistoric vestiges, are remarkable testimony to Prehistory.Read more
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Tassili N'Ajjer National Park
November 12, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
After arriving in the early hours of the morning at a comfortable desert lodge and a good breakfast, we set out to Tikoubaouine, a stone forest in the sand with incredible rock formations and remarkable paintings which are between 4000 to 6000 years old.
After several amazing hours enjoying the views, we stopped for lunch.Read more
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El Oued & Tassili N'Ajjer Desert Camp
November 12, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
After lunch, we set out again to El Oued (the valley). The different patterns and formations of rock and stone scenery were breathtaking.
Towards sunset, we had dinner around a fire, looking up at the stars, enjoying conversation while the drivers prepared some simple food of vegetables and couscous, followed by tea.
Then we camped overnight in the desert. An amazing day.Read more
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Guelta of Essendilene Tassili N'Ajjer
November 13, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Today we visited the Guelta of Essendilene. Here we hiked through a canyon to view a few serene desert ponds that form in this region, known as gueltas, which we explored and were once used by nomads as watering holes.
Then we enjoyed a lovely lunch.
Later, in the afternoon, we visited a local village before driving for several hours into the dunes, where we set up camp for the night.
Again, a wonderful, relaxed evening around the campfire with a good dinner under the stars.Read more
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Tassili N'Ajjer National Park to Djanet
November 14, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
After breaking camp we drove across the dunes, a fun stop at some rocks which sounded like bells when struck with a stone.
Also plenty of laughter and amusement driving up some of the dunes, before a stop at a rock with one of the most famous Algerian rock engravings - “la vache qui pleure” (the crying cow). This 7000-year-old carving is the most famous of all rock engravings.
After lunch, we returned to Djanet in the afternoon and later had a walk around the town and market. Then drove into the desert for a last dinner with the drivers, guide, and group.Read more
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Djanet - Algiers
November 15, 2025 in Algeria ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Today we had a flight from Djanet to Algiers, arriving early in the afternoon. I went for lunch, then set out to explore more of the city.
I passed the Errahma Mosque, which is also known as the Mosque of Mercy. Down along the seafront by the port, up to the Bab D'zira, a reconstruction of an ancient gateway that opened onto the seafront, but was demolished following the French occupation.
I viewed the fishing boat harbour and lighthouse, then made my way through the old quarter, returning to my hotel in the early evening.
Met with the others in the group, and we went downtown to share stories and enjoy a few local beers together. A memorial and interesting journey.Read more
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Trip end
November 16, 2025