Diversity by RIM MENIA [Photo Essay]

ALGERIA — Whenever someone asks me about Algeria, my country, the first things that come to my mind are IDENTITY and DIVERSITY.

According to Wikipedia, national identity is “the sum of the common peculiarities founding the cohesion and solidarity of people grouped together in an esteem considered as constituting a nation”, well, Algeria will be defined as a mixture of Berber origins, Arab belonging, Turkish roots, French shades, Latino borrowings . . . and even more.

Our country is so diverse that it makes our national identity incredibly rich and authentic. Let’s discover ALGERIA:

Ketchaoua Mosque, Casbah, Algiers This is probably the most Christian of all Islamic mosques Built as a mosque in 1436, then transformed into a Cathedral during the French Colonisation and has nowadays the status of  mosque under rehabilitation Isn’t it the perfect cohabitation of religions ?

Cathédrale du Sacré-Cœur ( Sacred Heart Cathedral ) , Algiers Built during the French colonization as a Cathedral and is still serving its first function. From its 4 corners, we can observe the shape of a heart which gave us the name of the Cathedral and it reproduces perfectly the shape of the ” Touareg tent ” found in the south parts of Algeria among nomadic tribes.

Palais d’Ahmed Bey ( Ahmed Bey Palace ), Constantine Built by Hajj Ahmed under the Ottoman dominance as his residence, transformed into headquarters under the French Colonization and is nowadays a National Museum. It represents one of the finest forms of Moorish architecture. Yes, Moorish and Ottoman coexistence in Algeria !

Ahellil Folkloric group, Timimoun Algeria is not limited to Architecture, nor to the Mediterranean region, so let’s move to the South, to desert, to the SAHARA. This group of men are musicians of a traditional style found in the region of Adrar, 1700 Km south of Algiers, called AHELLIL. HOLY DESERT VIBES !

Grand Phare, Jijel From the desert and its sand, we go back to the sea The Mediterranean sea represents a real source of inspiration for the Algerian population. People in the northern parts of the country maintain an authentic and strong relationship with the sea.

Djebla, Bejaia Djebla is a touristic conserved village in the region of Bejaia representing one of the most original forms of the Berber typologies of Kabylia.

And of course , there are mountains and a LOT OF MOUNTAINS ! Some ethnic groups in Algeria refer to their mountains whenever they talk about their belonging. For example, people from Great Kabylia refer to the Djurdjura ( Adrar n Gerger), Minor Kabylians refer to the Babors ( Adrar n Tababort). Then, in the south we can find the people of Hoggar called ” Kel Ahaggar ” or ” Kel Ajjer ” for the populations living in the Tassili n Ajjer.

What did I say? ALGERIA IS DIVERSITY!