The Casbah of Algiers, commonly referred to as the Casbah (Arabic: القصبة, Al-qaṣabah, meaning "citadel"), corresponds to the old town or medina of Algiers, founded in 944 by the Zirids. It is a historic district that has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. Administratively, it is located within the municipality of Casbah, in the province of Algiers.
Likely inhabited since the Neolithic period, as were various sites in the Algiers Sahel, the first mentions of the city date back to Antiquity, when it was initially a Phoenician port, later becoming Berber and eventually Roman. The current urban framework was designed in the 10th century by the Berbers under the Zirid dynasty, later enriched by contributions from other Berber dynasties that successively ruled the central Maghreb. The Casbah reached its peak during the period of the Regency of Algiers, serving as the seat of political power. Colonized by the French in 1830, it was gradually marginalized as power centers shifted to the new city. During the Algerian War, the Casbah played a crucial role, as a stronghold for FLN independence fighters. After Algeria gained independence in 1962, the Casbah did not reclaim its former central role and remained a marginalized city area.
An example of Islamic architecture and urban planning characteristic of Arab-Berber medinas, the Casbah is also a symbol of Algerian culture, a source of artistic inspiration, and home to an . Local actors continue to fight to preserve and sustain its tangible and intangible heritage.
Etymology More generally, a kasbah is the walled citadel of many North African cities and towns."Arabic Name Translator". . "The Casbah (Arabic: قصبة, qaṣba, meaning citadel (fortress)) is specifically the citadel of Algiers in Algeria and the traditional quarter clustered around it. More generally, a kasbah is the walled citadel of many North African cities and towns." The name made its way into English from French in the late 19th century (the Oxford English Dictionary states 1895), and can be spelled "kasbah" or "casbah".Tanya Reinhart Israel/Palestine: How to End the War of 1948 2011- Page 151 "The Jenin refugee camp and the Casbah in Nablus were considered by the Israeli army to be the toughest areas to conquer. Preparations to seize these areas began long in advance. In January 2002, Amir Oren reported in Ha'aretz that the ..."
Geography
Toponymy The Casbah of Algiers takes its name from the citadel that overlooks it (designated in Arabic as القصبة, Al-Kasbah). Originally, the term "Casbah" referred to the highest point of the medina—the old city—of the Zirid era. Over time, it came to designate the entire medina, which was enclosed by the ramparts built during the Regency of Algiers in the 16th century.
Location and topography
The Casbah is located at the center of Algiers and forms its historic core. The city has historically occupied a strategic position, as its geographical location is central within Algeria and the Maghreb. Facing the Mediterranean Sea, it is built on terrain with a 118-meter elevation difference. At first glance, the Casbah appears as a cluster of houses built on a slope. The narrow and winding streets make it a car-free zone, where supply deliveries and waste collection are still traditionally done using donkeys. The district forms a triangular shape, with its base meeting the , giving it, when viewed from the sea, the appearance of a "colossal pyramid" or a "triangular amphitheater". The whiteness of its houses and their arrangement have inspired poetic descriptions from writers who liken Algiers to a "sphinx". The citadel, overlooking the medina, gives it the appearance of a "well-guarded city", earning it the Arabic nickname El Djazaïr El Mahroussa ("Algiers the Protected"). This reputation extended to Europe, where the memory of Charles V's failed invasion in 1541 persisted until the French landing in 1830.
The site's occupation dates back to the Punic era, with the earliest known trace dating from the late 6th century BCE. At that time, the Carthaginians sought to establish a network of trading posts along the southern Mediterranean coast to control commercial flows, including gold from sub-Saharan Africa, silver from Spain, and tin from the Cassiterides Islands. This system, known as "Punic scales," provided sailors with sheltered stopovers where they could trade goods. The site of Algiers, then called Ikosim, featured small islands suitable for mooring and served as a relay between two Punic settlements, Bordj el Bahri (Rusguniae) and Tipaza, spaced 80 kilometers apart.
The location was protected by the Bab-el-Oued coastline on one side and by Agha Bay on the other, which was exposed to north and east winds and contained four small islands near the shore.These islets are now integrated into the port jetty. On the coast, a 250-meter promontory provided refuge. The supplied limestone for construction, while the surrounding area provided clay for bricks and access to fresh water. The city's port function was later confirmed by the Cordoban geographer Al-Bakri in the 11th century, who described Algiers as being protected by a harbor, islands, and a bay, making it a winter anchorage point. Throughout history, the site served not only as a refuge for commercial ships but also as a haven for pirates and corsairs.
Hinterland The , reaching an altitude of 400 meters, is part of the Algiers Sahel, which extends into the Mitidja plain and, further south, the Atlas Mountains, making Algiers an important outlet. This hinterland contributed to the city's wealth through agricultural production, including livestock farming and beekeeping. Since the Middle Ages, the city has been characterized by the presence of agricultural landowners, a strong commercial tradition, and its status as a major Mediterranean port, exporting various local products. This economic prosperity attracted numerous conquerors who successively ruled the Maghreb. Algiers is also located on the outskirts of Kabylia and, starting in the 16th century, became the primary destination for migrants from the region, surpassing Béjaïa, another major city in the central Maghreb. As a result, Algiers drew not only Kabylian agricultural products but also its labor force.
Hydrogeology Water for the old medina comes from the Algiers Sahel and the groundwater of Hamma, Hydra, and Ben Aknoun. It was originally transported through a network of aqueducts dating from the Regency of Algiers, which remains in place but has been replaced by a modern distribution system developed in the early 20th century.
During the Regency of Algiers, the Casbah was supplied by four main aqueducts, some of which remained functional until the early 20th century. These aqueducts sourced water from nearby areas, including the Sahel, Telemly, Hamma, Hydra, and Bitraria. Groundwater was drawn using norias (water wheels) and collected in reservoirs to increase the aqueducts' flow. A system of filtering galleries also helped capture minor water veins. After passing through the aqueducts, the water was stored in reservoirs at the city's gates, from where it was distributed via pipelines to various fountains. The aqueducts were built between 1518 and 1620 and ran through the FahsFahs refers to the immediate surroundings of Algiers, outside the walls of the medina. (the rural outskirts) to supply the medina. They did not rely solely on gravitational flow but employed the souterazi (siphon towers) technique. This method involved directing water through an elevated pillar, which, although it appeared to slow the flow, offered key advantages: releasing air pressure, balancing water levels across different channels, and ensuring relative control over the flow rate. This souterazi technique was also used in Constantinople and in some cities of Spain and the Maghreb.
The water sources originate from an area with limestone outcrops, gneiss, and granulite veins resting on a schist base. In addition to aqueducts and fountains, domestic wells—ranging from 50 to 70 meters deep and drilled into gneiss or schist layers—further contributed to the Casbah's water supply.
History
The Casbah of Algiers is an ancient medina with millennia-old origins, taking into account the site's Punic and Roman past.According to Marcel Le Glay, cited by , Punic coins have been discovered in the Lower Casbah. It is considered a cultural asset of global importance due to its ancient heritage and the history it embodies.
Prehistory There are no traces of prehistoric settlement in the Casbah itself. However, given evidence of prehistoric habitation in the immediate surroundings (the Algiers Sahel), it is likely that such traces were simply obscured by the site's long-standing, dense, and continuous urbanization, and that it too was inhabited as early as the Neolithic period.
The Punic, Numidian and Roman Antiquity
The exact date of the Phoenician establishment of ancient Algiers (Ikosim) remains uncertain, but it likely occurred after the late 6th century BCE. It appears that two ports were founded in the Bay of Algiers: Rusguniae (Bordj El Bahri) in the east, which provided shelter from westerly winds, and Ikosim (Algiers) in the west, which protected from easterly winds. From this period, a Punic stele was discovered on Rue du Vieux Palais in Algiers, along with a stone sarcophagus found in 1868 in the Marengo Garden containing period jewelry, and numerous coins in the Marine district.
These 158 Punic lead and bronze coins, dating from the 2nd to 1st century BCE, bear the inscription "IKOSIM," confirming the ancient name of Algiers, which had previously been assumed but unproven. According to Cantineau, the Punic etymology of Ikosim derives from two combined words: i, meaning "island", and kosim, meaning "owl" or alternatively "thorn". Thus, the ancient name of Algiers, Ikosim, translates to either "Island of Owls" or "Island of Thorns." Victor Bérard, supported by Carcopino, preferred the translation "Island of Seagulls." An ancient well was also discovered in the Marine district, containing pottery fragments from various periods. Other remains from antiquity indicate trade relations with the northern Mediterranean (Gaul, Spain, southern Italy) from the 3rd to 1st century BCE and, later, Roman presence until the 5th century CE.The first archaeological layer, deeper than 13 meters, revealed pottery from the 3rd to the 1st century BCE, some of which were Campanian-style, indicating trade relations with southern Italy, Greek colonies in Gaul, and possibly the eastern coast of Spain and Gaul. The second layer, between 13 meters and 8.45 meters, contained red pottery from Arezzo or Gallo-Roman types. Finally, the third layer, between 8.45 meters and 6.40 meters, contained only Roman pottery, increasingly coarse and undecorated, likely dating from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries CE.
The fall of Carthage in 146 BCE did not bring significant changes for Ikosim, which became part of the Numidian kingdom and later fell under the influence of the Mauri kingdom ruled by King Bocchus and his successors. Mauretania, which corresponds to this western part of North Africa, remained independent until 40 CE, when, after a period of rule by vassal kings such as Ptolemy of Mauretania, it came under the domination of the Roman Empire. The name Ikosim was Latinized into Icosium, and Roman settlers began arriving as early as the period of the vassal kings, even before the Roman conquest. As a result, the city saw the early establishment of Roman magistrates, as evidenced by an honorary Latin inscription dedicated to King Ptolemy, discovered on Hadj Omar Street in the Casbah. Another inscription referring to Ptolemy is found on a slab within the minaret of the Great Mosque.