Dar Aziza

Dar Aziza is a 16th-century Moorish[1] palace located in the Casbah of Algiers, Algeria. Today, it houses the National Agency of Archaeology and Protection of Historic Sites and Monuments.[2]

Dar Aziza
General information
Architectural styleMoorish
LocationAlgiers, Algeria

Dar Aziza is undoubtedly the oldest prestigious building in Algiers; It was part of the large governmental group known as Janina, which existed before the arrival of Turkish corsairs.[3] In the Ottoman period, it would have served to lodge foreign embassies and, in particular, the Fathers of the Order of Mercy who came to negotiate the redemption of Christian captives.[3] According to a 1721 document, the building had three floors before losing one in the 1716 earthquake.[4] According to Henri Klein, this palace was given by the Dey (probably Dey Hussein) to his daughter Aziza on the occasion of her marriage to the Bey of Constantine.[2][5] In 1838, it became the residence of the Bishop of Algiers and then the archbishopric of Algiers due to its position in front of the cathedral. It was described by the Louis-Antoine-Augustin Pavy as a "jewel of oriental architecture" and was classified as a historic monument in 1887.[6]

Since 1962, the palace has been occupied successively by the Ministry of Tourism, the Ethaqafa magazine and now by the National Agency of Archaeology and Protection of Historic Sites and Monuments.[2]

See also

References
  1. Nabila Oulebsir (2004). Les Usages du patrimoine: Monuments, musées et politique coloniale en Algérie, 1830-1930. Les Editions de la MSH. p. 11. ISBN 978-2-7351-1006-3.
  2. Institut du monde arabe (France) (2003). L'Algérie en héritage: art et histoire. Institut du monde arabe. p. 313. ISBN 978-2-7427-4577-7.
  3. Jacques Revault; Lucien Golvin; Ali Amahan (1985). Palais et demeures de Fès: Époque alawite, XIXe-XXe siècles. Éditions du Centre national de la recherche scientifique. p. 246. ISBN 978-2-222-04698-1.
  4. Lucien Golvin (1988). Palais et demeures d'Alger à la période ottomane. Édisud. p. 31.
  5. Henri Klein (1937). Feuillets d'El-Djezaïr. L. Chaix. p. 148.
  6. Jean-Louis Cohen; Nabila Oulebsir; Youcef Kanoun (2003). Alger. Imprimeur. p. 292.


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