Inhabited since ancient times (Icosium), Algiers took off in the 10th century under the Zianides, before becoming a Mecca of Ottoman power in the XVIᵉ century with the Casbah as its pulsating heart. Colonized in 1830, it became a showcase for French power before bursting into flames during the War of Liberation. Today, the city reflects this plural heritage, between tradition and modernity.
Algiers can't be visited. You discover it, slowly, layer by layer, like a confidence whispered at the turn of a staircase. In the alleyways of the Kasbah, a black coffee in hand, time suspends its breath. From Notre-Dame d'Afrique, the sun gilds the bay in a sacred silence. Further down, the Jardin d'Essai breathes between palm trees and memories. Algiers is a sensation: raw, luminous, indelible. You think you're passing through. But it remains.
