Introduction
Cultural landscapes are part of a community’s culture and history which forms a distinctive part to portray their origins and past histories in religion, social, technological or governmental development in a historical period. These cultural landscapes also form a country’s heritage which brings significance in its culture and values and promote the awareness in the richness of that country’s heritage. It forms a basis for archeological, anthropology, folklore, art, architecture or history of a community in understanding the past civilization and societal societies in order to reflect and appreciate the diversity that forms the richness of heritage. A cultural landscape may consist of a bounded geographical area, material remains like rock art, depressions in stone for art or music, or intangible cultural remains. The landscapes contain significant historical and cultural information that can foretell the past civilizations in a specific culture or folklore.
Casbah in Algeria
Casbah is an Islamic city having a special look of medina situated in the coastal sites that overlook the Mediterranean. The word Casbah indicates a ‘fortified place’ whose structure and city has the Ottoman defensive layout with the remains of Ottoman style palaces, old mosques and citadel. Traditional urban strictures remains are linked to the community’s deep rooted sense in the cultural landscapes in the town (Bradley, 2000). It was built over 250 to 450 years during the Ottoman occupation. The word Casbah is also an Arabic word which means citadel. It has been named the citadel of Algiers found in Algeria where there are traditional quarters formed around it. This cultural landscape is founded upon the old ruins of Icosium. This city is built on a hill which slopes towards the sea. It has two major distinctions that include Low city and High city. The city houses mosques and masonries that date back to the 17th century. Example, the Ketchaoua mosque was built by Dey Baba Hassan flanked of two minarets in 1974. The mosque el Djedid was built in 1660 by Turkish regency which had four coupolettes having large ovoid cupola points.
Mosque El Kebr is the oldest in the Casbah citadel built by Youssef Ibn Tachfin in 1623 and later rebuilt in 1794. Casbah has a rich historical background where it played a significant role in the struggle for independence by Algeria in the period of 1954 to 1962. It was the central part of the Algerian insurgency in which planning by the National Liberation Front (FLN), executed their moves against the French citizens in planning and executing their terrorist attacks also on the Algerian law enforcements during period. Casbah provided a safe haven for the liberation front fighters in dispatching different attacks the French colonialists. The French counter attacks on the insurgency mainly focused on Casbah as it was the epicenter for other rebellious movements and terrorist attacks. General Jacques Massu implemented violent martial laws that aimed at depressing the liberation movements (Paul, 2005). UNESCO has classified these architectural ensembles to be a world architectural heritage which experienced extreme violence during the revolution of Algeria. There were also several assassinations of Algier’s Kings that led to the fortification of the citadel to be a Kasbah example the El-jenina palace by Dey Ali Khodja.
The original Casbah at that time built by Dey, had organized blocks that were placed around the structure that delimited the official king from private life. The eastern part of the Casbah palace had a central palace that housed the official hall and powder magazine also. The fortified city had excess of 100 fountains, fifty public baths or hammams with thirteen large mosques which had over 100 prayer halls. During the Ottoman Empire taxes were collected by ‘beys’ who were distinction of the Titerri. The Casbah is famous because of the ‘fan incident’ in which the French pretext of holding and occupying Algeria for one hundred and thirty years. The French army occupied Algiers in 1830 and occupied Dey’s apartment. Later on, Dey’s private mosque was transformed to become a barrack for artillerymen.
The French colonies divided the city into two in order to allow for their troops easy access in the occurrence of insurrection. They surrounded the citadel tore down and destroyed Casbah’s walls in the Bab al-Oued colonial neighborhood (Hourani, 1991).Therefore, the Casbah has a rich cultural and historical value even with its dead end alleys and confusing labyrinth lanes that make up the citadel. Even with a violent history, it served as a refuge for freedom fighters, pirates, petty thieves and Islamic militants who navigated easily in the anonymous alleys and house which were based inside the imposing stone walls of the fortress. Much political violence and Arab exoticism are conjured up in the capital of Algeria in the Cashah quarters. The quarter’s architecture however, have cultural and architectural riches attributed from the past Phoenician times that were to be later rebuilt in the 1700s by the Ottomans (Jackson, 1998). It has contributed to the history of Algeria’s cultural heritage in numerous aspects of rich cultures represented over the years.
Current state
The old city of Kasbah is in a deplorable state needing urgent restoration. It has suffered neglect coupled with threat of collapse in certain areas of the town. The main factors listed for this state include overpopulation, age and neglect leading to adverse degeneration of Kasbah’s historic neighborhood. Moreover, with UNESCO’s declaration of the Casbah as heritage site and Algerian government designating it as a protected landmark, practical conservation efforts from the government are yet to be observed. The Casbah has suffered neglect from successive governments and lack of political will leading to its despair state. Algeria has focused more on oil wealth leaving tourism in cultural landscapes on a lesser priority, despite the imposing attraction the Casbah and its Ottoman attributes has on the western tourists who search for educational and exotic cultures. Fissure ridden slums, rooting buildings, and blown out population characterize the labyrinth of alleys, fountains and palaces that still cling on the steep hill that overlooks Algiers. The major blow to the Algerian cultural town is the earthquake that measured 6.8 on the Richer scale that killed many people and caused serious damages to the Casbah. Approximately a third or more of the houses in Casbah have collapsed while many more in advanced state of deterioration.
Flooding, torrential rains and earthquakes have continually eroded walls and foundations. The high population and lack of developed housing, forces families to cram into small dwellings consequently leading to dingy slums with refuse and sewage strewn in the fissure ridden houses. The lack of Algeria’s political will in restoration can be associated with its focus of its future than the turbulent and dark times of deep Islamic violence. This shift to economic development has placed oil as a top priority compared to tourism concerns for the Casbahs. Of the remaining 1200 Ottoman era traditional buildings, only 680 have been considered to be in good condition. Some observers say that ‘Casbah’s soul is lost’ to depict the deplorable state with the inept government. Even with peace in Algeria, the government is not enthusiastic in preserving this cultural landscape. The fact that other ancient quarters have benefited government support and funding and not lack of resources by the administration, has placed the government on the spot for its non commitment. A Casbah foundation has been launched to sensitize the government in preserving the old city and culture by assessing the structural conditions, mapping the area and outlining restoration strategies (Hough, 1990). Its goal is to give the Casbah a ray of hope and persuade the government to act before it is too late for the crumbling city.
Conclusion
Cultural landscapes and heritage sites portray how people have adapted and used natural resources throughout history through civilizations with various aspects as agricultural, mining, business or settlement activities and practices. The Casbah of Algeria is one such example which depicts the history of Algerian citizens. The town has a rich history where it had been a Phoenician trading post in the 16th century when the Ottoman ruled. Its dungeons played host for many European hostages who were abducted and placed for ransom by Algiers corsairs. The town’s major role was exhibited during the Algerian resistance in the war of independence against the French forces. It acted as an epicenter for planning and executing wars and terrorist acts against the French. The Casbah also served as an Islamist stronghold for guerillas in the 1990s. However, the Casbah is degenerating at a fast rate contributed by the neglect of the Algerian state in generating the landscape in tourism which can be significantly beneficial. The rich history is being eroded with decaying structural buildings in the numerous alleys. Also affected by earthquakes, the old structures have continued to collapse. The Algerian government needs to consider the Casbah’s plight in the cultural landscape, heritage and inheritance from the past era even with a turbulent past of violence and insurgency.
Reference:
Alistair, Hollt. (2006). A Savage War of Peace: Algeria. New York Review Books.
Bradley, Richard. (2000). An archeology of natural places. London, Routledge.
E. I. A. (2005). Algeria Country Analysis Brief.
Jackson, James. (1998). World History: The Human Odyssey. Cincinnati. West Educational Publishing.
Hourani, Anton. (1991). A History of the Arab Peoples. Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of HarvardUniversity Press.
Hough, Michael. (1990). Out of Place: restoring identity to the regional landscape. New Haven. YaleUniversity Press.
Paul, Allesseir. (2005). The Battle of the Casbah: Counter-Terrorism and Torture. Enigma Books
Appendix
Original Casbah palace by Dey Ali Khodja.
Moasque Djamaa el barani adjoined to the Casbah.
Pictures retrieved on 15 March 2010 from, http://casbah-algeria.blogspot.com/
Medium sized topographical map showing Casbah in Algeria. Google Earth: La Casbah d’Algier, Retrieved on March 15, 2010 from,
