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The Glossary

casbah - "a walled citadel or fortress in Algeria and of many North African cities and town, also called a traditional clustered unit."

From Algeria Glossary

Located in the North Africa, Algeria is an exotic location having no parallel in the world. Rugged coastline of this country bordering sparkling waters of the Mediterranean Sea in the North and Sahara desert in south and west makes it a land of great contrasts. It is the second biggest country of the continent, after Sudan. There are regular flights from major European cities and other parts of the world to Algiers, the capital of Algeria, as well as to some other cities like Constantine, Annaba, Tamanrasset and Oran Djanet.

History of this land dates as back as 10000 BC, when it was inhabited by Berbers. In 2000 BC, Algeria was occupied by Roman Empire. After Roman power declined Berbers became independent again. Subsequently it came under control of Byzantine Empire till the advent of Arabs in 8th Century. Algeria was a French colony before it achieved independence in 1962. There have been recent incidents of political violence in Algeria, and tourists are advised to seek expert opinion before finalizing their travel plan.

Some of the most picturesque Algerian cities dot the Mediterranean coastline in the north. These include Algiers, the country's capital, which is characterized by sparkling white buildings standing in an interesting contrast with bright blue waters of Mediterranean Sea. Algiers is a modern city and offers a wide range of entertainment facilities. There are a good number of monuments and museums, which provide an idea of the eventful history of Algeria. Historical ruins at Tipasa, Djemila and Timgad are popular attractions at Algiers. Other city attractions of Algeria include Constantine, a hilly town in the north east, Oran, in the north west on Mediterranean coast, Ghardaia, in the north known for dates and rugs, and Tamanrasset, a desert town in the south.

Desert is the main attraction of Algeria. The Grand Erg Occidental is a hot spot for adventure tourism. Also known as the sea of sand due to its rolling sand dunes, it is a part of Algerian Sahara stretching hundreds of mile from central Algeria to Tunisia. Approach to this area is difficult as there is no road communication or human habitation.

Algeria is not only about Mediterranean, monuments and Sahara. True to its reputation as a land of contrasts, it has a fair share of hilly regions as well. Ahaggar Mountains, or Hoggar, are located west of Tamanrasset town. Mount Tahat, the tallest peak of Hoggar soars as high as 2918 m. Tassili N'Ajjer national park, located in the Tassili N' Ajjer mountain range south east of Algeria, is known worldwide for its prehistoric rock paintings. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, these paintings date back to Neolithic age.

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