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La Grande Poste
La Grande Poste d'Alger is a building located in the centre of Algiers, Algeria. Its stunning Moorish design is one of the most buildings that Algiers has to offer, accumulating 100s of visitors a day.
It is Algier's main post office, with an exquisitely designed letter box near the main entrance that's hard to miss.
Built in 1910, La Grande Poste now serves the Alger district as well as adding a Maghrebi charm to the city. It's a key staple in architectural study, photography and history.
Musée d'Art Moderne d'Alger (MAMA)
Musée d'Art Moderne d'Alger was built between the years 1901 an 1909, having first been used as a bustling market ground. It was only until 2007 that it was refurbished and re-established as a museum.
The museum regularly hosts difference contemporary artists from all over Algeria, celebrating the diverse range of artists the country has to offer. On a calm December day, I had the whole museum to myself as I was able to take in every single detail it had to offer: from the engraved Muslim inspired wall patterns to the neo-Moorish door and window shapes.
As I was leaving, I was greeted by a flurry of school children who were being taken to the museum for the day.
Musée national des Antiquités & des Arts Islamiques
Opened in 1897, the National Museum of Anitquities and Islamic Art is the oldest museum in Algiers.
It's a historical and archaeological treasure mine; from the entrance to the tiled stairs inside. Representing heavily the Ottoman presence in Algeria, the Museum holds photographs, ceramics, books and jewellery of once rulers in Algeria.
As well as the heavy focus on the Ottoman era, it also presents stock (and a library) from the Roman period too. A notable feature can be found in the hall's wall cladding tile, which comes from a Christian basilica Rusguniae and represents Christ as a shepherd.
The Islamic section of the museum focuses heavily on the Islamic West: Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Spain.
La Casbah
One of the most historical districts in the whole of Algeria, not just Algiers, La Casbah (translation 'citadel') is a fortress placed between the Mediterranean sea and the heart of the capital. Having seen many a settler; from Turkish, Spanish, French and finally a settlement for Algerians, La Casbah holds a deep connection between the French resistance and Algerian independence.
Having walked through it as a child, and now older, I started to notice intricate details such as the locations used in films depicting Algerian independence, areas where notable figures such as Ali La Pointe and Hassiba Ben Bouali sought refuge and plotted against the French army.
It's gritty, and its winding thin routes make it a maze that cannot be explored in just one walk.
Being back in Algiers
Visiting the colonial remains within La Casbah really struck me: I felt very close to the history, yet far away too. Unlike the people roaming the bending streets who grew up here, La Casbah made me wonder: did locals look at these old fortresses and holes in the wall the same way I did?
What is it like to be back?
Even though I've traveled to Algeria back and forth most of my life, being in Algeria on my own this time was definitely an experience to be remembered. Though I am Algerian (who happens to be have been born in Britain), there is still a sense of 'she's a foreigner' when I walk around Algiers. Maybe it's the way I dress, or the way I speak to people, or heck, even the camera swung around my neck.
I feel there is a different, rarer type of appreciation for the monuments, buildings and areas I visit than the locals. Perhaps it's the cliche that not many people play tourist in their own countries; so I am playing it in their place.
