Algiers

Algiers spreads along the Bay of Algiers, where white buildings descend the hills toward the Mediterranean and form a natural amphitheater effect. The old town, known as the Casbah, rises steeply above the modern port district, while wide boulevards connect the commercial center with residential neighborhoods that extend several kilometers inland.

The settlement began as a Phoenician trading post and developed into an important harbor under Roman control. Ottoman rulers transformed it into a regional power base between the 16th and 19th centuries, before French colonial rule shaped the modern urban layout visible today.

Families gather in waterfront cafés during afternoons, drinking sweetened mint tea while watching fishing boats return to the harbor. Vendors in the Casbah sell handwoven rugs and copperware in narrow lanes that echo with calls from muezzins at nearby mosques in the morning.

The metro system connects main districts and makes navigating the city easier, especially during morning and evening rush periods. The hillside neighborhoods require comfortable shoes because of steep lanes, and many public areas feature stairs without alternative ramps or elevators.

The Jardin d'Essai du Hamma, a botanical garden established in 1832, hosts over a thousand plant species from different climate zones across 58 hectares (143 acres). Giant fig trees with sprawling roots and exotic palms line winding paths that lead to ponds and greenhouses filled with tropical vegetation.