Algiers, Algeria

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My sister and I did the Impressions of Algiers tour. Discover the Best of Algiers.  Get acquainted with Algiers’ Berber, Arabic and French heritage on this motor-coach tour of key historic sites.  Ride to the 302-foot-high Martyrs Monument. Dedicated to the heroes of Algeria’s War of Independence, it takes the shape of three giant, stylized palm leaves sheltering an eternal flame at the base. Stop for a photo to capture commanding views of the Casbah and Bay of Algiers. Next, ride through the city center to see La Grande Poste, built by the French in 1920. Massive turrets, keyhole doors and elegant neo-Moorish fittings make it one of the city’s most whimsical modern buildings. Enjoy a photo stop before you continue along the Parisian-style boulevards of the French Quarter, toward the busy Bab El Oued district. Glimpse the imposing Basilica of Notre Dame d’Afrique (Our Lady of Africa), seen by many as a symbol of religious tolerance, before returning to your ship.

The most interesting thing on this page is the Travel Advisory.  The only guest allowed ashore were those on Viking shore excursions.  You could not go out on your own like we would in any other port. 

Our buses would caravan out of the port following a police escort with another police escort behind the last bus.  They said it was for our protection and to help navigate the traffic.  There was one spot where having the escort helped us get through an intersection, but mainly because we were traveling as a group of buses. 

The terrain rises precipitously from the port, so there are three levels of traffic starting with this port road up to the level of the buildings.  The tower encloses a staircase attached to a walkway that allows people to walk from the top to the bottom, and vice versa. 

A train station was at port level. 

Looks like most of the buildings facing the sea are banks or government buildings. 

Check out the stairs to get to the top level. 

Interesting drain spout to drip water into a down spout. 

Sure wished I could have found some information on this huge mural

Crazy paint job. 

Train coming into the station.  Notice the paintings on the fence. 

Algeria is the largest country in Africa, but the Sahara Desert covers 4/5 of its surface. 

Algiers is the capital city and the largest city with a population of almost 2 million. Algeria’s official religion is Islam, and it is illegal to proselytize (advocate or promote) to the people about any other religion. The legal system is based on the French court system and Sharia law.

Arabic and Berber and the official languages.   The Dinar is the official currency with the current exchange rate of US $1 to 136 dinar.

Love the streetlights on this road. 

First stop, the Martyrs Monument, a concrete monument commemorating the Algerian War. The monument was opened July 5, 1982, on the 20th anniversary of Algeria's independence. It is fashioned in the shape of three standing palm leaves, which shelter the "Eternal Flame" under it. At the edge of each palm leaf is a statue of a soldier representing a stage of Algeria's struggle for independence.

The monument stands on a hill so it can be seen throughout a lot of the city. 

The monument was erected on the site of an ancient military fort.

The National Museum of El Mujahid is under the monument

Education is paid for by the government up to PhD level.  The children learn French and English in school.  Health care is free.

Although it looks white and black in this photo, the national flag of Algeria consists of two equal vertical bars, one green and one white, with a red star and crescent (a symbol of Islam as the nation's prominent faith) in the center. The flag was adopted on July 3, 1962.

Panoramic views from the monument.

Zooming in we could see our ship at the port. 

From here we could see the Great Mosque.

Opened in April 2019, it is the third largest in the world, behind the al-Haram Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. The Great Mosque of Algiers has a prayer hall able to accommodate 120,000 worshipers. 

Our guide told us that the average monthly salary of an Algerian is $250.  Unfortunately, one in every four of its citizens lives on less than a dollar a day. 

Unlike many other countries, Algeria doesn't owe money to other countries. 

Only about 3.5% of the country’s land is cultivated, far too little for feeding their population self-sufficiently. As a result, malnutrition is one of the nation’s principal health problems. Five percent of Algeria’s population is undernourished, according to the World Bank.

Gas station price sign.  If I am reading this right, the product on the top come out to 34 cents per liter, so maybe US$1.27/gallon.  Dirt cheap!  I suppose the reason is that petroleum and natural gas make up 98 percent of the country’s exports.

The land changes elevation quickly. Behind these buildings are stairs leading up to the next level. 

Algiers 1910 white postal headquarters has Moorish arches & ornate mosaics.

There was a fire inside in October 2024 so it is closed.  I read they are turning it into a Postal Musuem. 

For the time being, the building next door is the post office. 

We were led along a street of shops and cafes.  400DA would be $2.95 US.  Cheap, but with the low income of the residents, probably not something they could afford. 

One of the eateries.  Looks like mainly takeout.  There were a few tables on the sidewalk. 

Central Post Garden

This amphitheater shaped area in Central Post Garden looks like there might be shops under the walkway. 

Other side of the park. 

Don't know if this is another police van or some sort of security vehicle.  There is a blue light on top. 

In 2009, a team excavating at Algiers’ Place des Martyrs in advance of the construction of a new Metro station uncovered a huge archaeological site beneath the square. This unexpected discovery revealed evidence of many centuries of occupation – from Roman ruins and mosaics through to a 7th-century Byzantine necropolis and the remains of an Ottoman-era mosque, all at the heart of the city.
These discoveries had the Algerian authorities changing their designs for the Metro station – making it much smaller, and adding an open-air museum, where visitors will be able to view the site’s remains in situ, as well as a museum building for objects that need to be moved inside.

Glad to see our ship is still waiting for us. 

Walkway to tower enclosed stairs to dock level of town. 

Horse fountain in front of the Palais des Rais. 

Admiralty Lighthouse from about 1830 has been inactive since the 1920s or 1930s. The 52 ft tall, 12-sided cylindrical tower has a lantern and gallery rising from a 12-sided building.

Yacht and military boat in small boat harbor. 

Pedestrian bridge for larger cruise ships. 

Djemaa El Djedid, or New Mosque, is actually quite old.  It dates back to 1660, making it one of the oldest surviving mosques in the city.   The bus actually drove right by it as Martyrs' Square is just to the left of it. 

Navigation light on fishing pier.

Light at end of pier. 

Sunset over Algiers

Goodbye Algiers.