"The Casbah" Top 5 Page for this destination Algiers Things to Do Tip by Aurorae

The Casbah dates back from the Ottoman era. It's the old town of Algiers, and I was told by Algerians that the French never went into during their 130 years of occupation.
However, Jealn-Louis (JLBG) clarified the issue:
"When Algeria was « a part of France », of course the French went into the
casbah. During the struggle for independence, it was a stronghold of the FLN and
the French army had to struggle hard (and dirty) to win the “bataille d’Alger”.
The army finally won militarily but lost politically."
The name Casbah comes from Arabic Qasba, which means citadel, or the labyrinth (as my Algerian friends told me). Before it used to be the classy part of the town, and nowadays it's the place of the poorer part of the inhabitants of Algiers. It needs serious refurbishment, but precisely for its ruined state it is so remarkable and exciting. Inside there are still old artisans, some museums, old water fountains, beautiful doors...
My Algerian friends told me that after 4pm the place gets "dangerous" (insecure) so try to visit it before that hour. And the best of course is to go there with a local, although if you're prudent and use common sense, you can go on your own as well.
A funny thing is that some of my Algerian friends have never been to Casbah, even though they live in Algiers or nearby!
Casbah of Algiers is listed on the UNESCO world heritage list.