An uncertain road ahead for residents of Algiers' kasbah

On the shores of the Mediterranean, just a short flight from Western Europe, Algiers' kasbah could easily be a top-rated tourist attraction. Inscribed as a worldheritage site in 1992, the kasbah (or medina) dates from the 4th century BCE, when it was established as a Carthaginian trading post, and is brimming over with the remains of a citadel, mosques and Ottoman-style palaces.

Yet recent history has not been kind to the kasbah, or Algeria more generally. An armed Islamist insurrection in the 1990s led to tens of thousands of deaths and widespread atrocities both on the part of militant groups and security forces. Within Algiers, the kasbah was a militant stronghold, and while the conflict may have largely ended by 2000, the kasbah continues to struggle with a legacy of decay and neglect.

The New York Public Library. (1670). De Stadt Algier.*

Crumbling buildings are everywhere as is evidence of poor sanitation and decaying infrastructure. While many observers are despairing of ever seeing positive change, there is some indication that the tide may be turning. Since 2012 authorities have allocated almost USD1 billion for the kasbah's rehabilitation. However, these efforts are not being welcomed in all quarters. Some complain at being forcibly relocated while renovation work is being carried out as well as producing rampant real estate speculation.

The jury is still out at whether the Algerian authorities can protect the kasbah's unique historical heritage without irrevocably changing the character of a vibrant, tight-knit community whose forebears have lived in the kasbah for generations.

* Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47db-e424-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99