The Géo Gras Group was a French resistance movement that played a decisive role during Operation Torch , the British-American invasion of French North Africa during World War II .
93-788: Formed October 1940 in Algiers , the group recruited Jews and French Army officers opposed to Vichy France . When the Allies invaded French North Africa , the Group provided a third of the Resistance fighters during the capture of Algiers. The abolition of the Marchandeau Decree on August 16, 1940, allowed the ultra-right French Popular Party led by Jacques Doriot to maintain anti-Semitic unrest in Algiers. The windows of Jewish-owned stores were smashed during
186-470: A UNESCO World Heritage Site , the Casbah or citadel, that is a prominent example of Casbah and Medina. This metropolis has hosted many sports events such as the 1975 Mediterranean Games , the 1990 African Cup of Nations alongside Annaba , the 1978 All-Africa Games and 2007 All-Africa Games , the 2018 African Youth Games , the 2022–23 CAF Confederation Cup , the 2023 Arab Games with 4 other cities;
279-568: A vassal state of the Abbasids ) 800 AD–909 Fatimid Caliphate 909–972 Zirid dynasty (As a vassal state of the Fatimid Caliphate ) 972–1014 Hammadid dynasty 1014–1082 Almoravid Empire 1082-1151 Almohad Caliphate 1151–1235 [REDACTED] Thaaliba , ( tributary of the Tlemcen ) 1235-1516 [REDACTED] Regency of Algiers , ( tributary of
372-527: A collective threat to the Jewish community. Jacques Cantier, L’Algérie sous le régime de Vichy , Odile Jacob , 2002 Algiers Algiers ( / æ l ˈ dʒ ɪər z / al- JEERZ ; Arabic : الجزائر , romanized : al-Jazāʾir ) is the administrative, political and economic capital and largest city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province . The city's population at
465-469: A decade. On December 11, 2007, two car bombs exploded in Algiers . One bomb targeted two United Nations office buildings and the other targeted a government building housing the Supreme Court of Algeria . The death toll was at least 62, with over two hundred injured in the attacks. However, only 26 remained hospitalized the following day. As of 2008 , it is speculated that the attack was carried out by
558-502: A heated moment later referred to as "fly-whisk incident", the Dey struck the French consul in the face with the handle of a fly-whisk . In an attempt by Charles X of France to increase his popularity amongst the French, he sought to bolster patriotic sentiment , and turn eyes away from his domestic policies, by treating the incident as a public insult and demanded an apology. Failure to respond
651-661: A levy intended to suppress the Barbary pirates . In 1516, the amir of Algiers, Selim b. Teumi, invited the corsair brothers Oruç Reis and Hayreddin Barbarossa to expel the Spaniards . Oruç Reis came to Algiers, ordered the assassination of Selim, and seized the town and ousted the Spanish in the Capture of Algiers (1516) . Hayreddin, succeeding Oruç after the latter was killed in battle against
744-593: A minority of " Pieds-noirs ", Jews and European settlers due to laws and regulations put by the French government that granted French citizenship to them under the Crémieux Decree while releasing Code de l'indigénat giving inferiority to the "Arabs" and "Muslims" which were getting forcibly removed from their land in favor of building settlements. Many parts of the city were only accessible by settlers in an attempt to separate "Alger" by race , religion and language . Many Europeans settled in Algiers, and by
837-674: A pivotal role in the Algerian War (1954–1962), a bloody independence struggle in which hundreds of thousands (estimates range between 350,000 and 1,500,000) died (mostly Algerians but also French and Pieds-Noirs ). In particular, it saw the Battle of Algiers when the 10th Parachute Division of the French Army, starting on January 7, 1957, and on the orders of the French Minister of Justice François Mitterrand (who authorized any means "to eliminate
930-695: A political entity dominated by religious conservatives called the Islamic Salvation Front engaged in a political test of wills with the authorities. In the 1992 elections for the Algerian National Assembly, the Islamists garnered a large amount of support in the first round. Fearing an eventual win by the Islamists, the army canceled the election process, setting off the civil war between the State and armed religious conservatives which would last for
1023-417: A pro-Allied resistance group. The group gathered in a gym on Government Square (now Martyrs Square) in Algiers. There they trained with Géo Gras, a former French military boxing champion, and practiced a range of fighting techniques such as boxing, fencing , and judo . Gras was unaware of his students' resistance activities. Unbeknownst to him, weapons were hidden under the ring and beneath the floorboards of
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#17328697195771116-519: Is divided into aisles by columns joined by Moorish arches. The New Mosque ( Jamaa-el-Jedid الجامع الجديد), dating from the 17th century, is in the form of a Greek cross , surmounted by a large white cupola, with four small cupolas at the corners. The minaret is 27 metres (89 ft) high. The interior resembles that of the Grand Mosque. The church of the Holy Trinity (built in 1870) stands at
1209-468: Is itself a truncated form of the city's older name Jazaʾir Banī Mazghanna ( جزائر بني مزغانة ), "islands of Banu Mazghanna", used by early medieval geographers such as Muhammad al-Idrisi and Yaqut al-Hamawi . The name was given by Buluggin ibn Ziri after he established the city on the ruins of the Phoenician city of Icosium in 950. During Ottoman rule, the name of the capital, al-Jazā'ir,
1302-544: Is sheltered from all winds. There are two harbours, both artificial—the old or northern harbour and the southern or Agha harbour. The northern harbour covers an area of 95 hectares (235 acres). An opening in the south jetty affords an entrance into Agha harbour, constructed in Agha Bay. Agha harbour has also an independent entrance on its southern side. The inner harbour was begun in 1518 by Khair-ad-Din Barbarossa (see History, below), who, to accommodated his pirate vessels, caused
1395-461: The 2022 African Nations Championship with 3 other cities. Sonatrach Petroleum Corporation and Air Algérie are headquartered in the city. The city's name is derived via French and Catalan Alger from the Arabic name al-Jazāʾir ( الجزائر ), "The Islands". This name refers to the four former islands which lay off the city's coast before becoming part of the mainland in 1525. Al-Jazāʾir
1488-683: The Al Qaeda cell within the city. Indigenous terrorist groups have been actively operating in Algeria since around 2002 . Algiers is located in the north-central part of Algeria , extending along the Bay of Algiers and into the Mitidja plain and on top of and around the "Sahel of Algiers" and the Bouzaréah massif . It sits at roughly 2 m above sea level, while the highest point is at 407 m. The Oued El Harrach meets
1581-621: The Atlas Mountains during his labors . Algiers is also known as el-Behdja ( البهجة , "The Joyous") or "Algiers the White" (French: Alger la Blanche ) for its whitewashed buildings. Phoenicia and Punicia pre 202 BC Numidia 202 BC–104 BC Mauretania 104 BC-42 AD Roman Empire 42-435 Vandal Kingdom 435–534 Byzantine Empire 534-700s Umayyad Caliphate 700s–750 Abbasid Caliphate 750 AD-800 Aghlabids (As
1674-623: The Battle of Cirta , Numidia got a hold of the town along with its neighboring regions at around 202 BC, after which the Punic wars started weakening the Berber nation. On 104 BC, following the capturing of Jughurta and executing him in Rome , the western half of his nation was given to Mauretania under the rule of Bocchus I . At around 42 AD, Claudius divided Mauretania into two provinces, Mauretania Caesariensis that included Icosium as one of its towns;
1767-727: The Eastern Roman Empire , making Icosium a part of the empire. In the early 7th century, "Beni Mezghenna" who are a Berber tribe belonging to the Sanhaja as cited by Ibn Khaldoun , settled on the plains of Icosium and the surrounding areas. Shortly after, in the late 7th century, the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb brought the Umayyad Caliphate into the region, but were faced with resistance from Berber forces led by Kahina and Kusaila in
1860-587: The French Republic " according to a formal annexation declared on June 22, 1834. France focused their interest into areas inhabited by locals, this in turn was the French conquest of Algeria that shared goals with its pacification efforts; Establishing a European cultural , economic and political presence in Africa without considering the indigenous population 's lifestyle or connection to their land. The city had
1953-753: The Kingdom of Tlemcen in 1235 AD. The town once again came under the dominion of the Ziyanid sultans of the Kingdom but experienced a large measure of independence under Thaaliba amirs who settled the Mitidja plain at around 1200 AD. The Kingdom of Tlemcen was the target of the Spanish Empire 's and the Portuguese Empire 's campaigns and conquests against its coasts, beginning in 1501 AD. However, Algiers continued to be of comparatively little importance until after
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#17328697195772046-745: The Kingdom of the Netherlands , destroying the corsair fleet harboured in Algiers. France and the Regency of Algiers had a commercial–political conflict called the Bakri-Busnach affair which has been bothering both nations in the 19th century. On April 29, 1827, foreign consuls and diplomatic agents gathered in the Palace of the Dey for a conference with the Regency of Algiers ruler Hussein Dey . Tensions were high because of France 's failure to pay outstanding debts. In
2139-631: The Maghrawa forces there and their leader; He pressed on and by 1082 AD he had captured "Jazaʾir Banī Mazghanna". In 1151 AD, Abd al-Mu'min launched an expedition to the east, conquering Bejaia in August 1152, the capital of the Hammadids; on their way, Beni Mezghanna did not succumb and was now under the Almohad Caliphate 's control. The caliphate suffered from states breaking out of its rule, most notably,
2232-654: The Maghreb resulted in the breaking of two nations, the Idrisid dynasty and the Aghlabid Emirate but acted as agents of the Abbasids in Baghdad . Icosium fell into the hands of Aghlabids and abandoned the town. They were then overthrown by the Fatimids in 909 AD, who went on to control all of Ifriqiya by 969 AD. The present city was re-founded in 972 AD by Buluggin ibn Ziri , who
2325-520: The Mediterranean Sea aids in moderating the city's temperatures. As a result, Algiers usually does not see the extreme temperatures that are experienced in the adjacent interior. Algiers on average receives roughly 600 millimetres (24 in) of rain per year, the bulk of which is seen between October and April. The precipitation is higher than in most of coastal Mediterranean Spain , and similar to most of coastal Mediterranean France , as opposed to
2418-511: The Ottoman Empire ) 1516–1830 [REDACTED] France , ( French Algeria ) 1830–1962 [REDACTED] Algeria 1962–present The city's history is believed to date back to 1200 BC, but it was a small settlement without any significance until around the 3rd century BC when "Ikosim" became a small port town in Carthage where Phoenicians were trading with other Mediterranean ports. After
2511-588: The Tours delegation created the 19th Army Corps which was formed in Alençon . It was recreated by decree of the JO of August 13, 1874, it brought together the various military units of Algeria. It constituted the nucleus of the Army of Africa . The corps appears to have been disbanded and superseded by the 10th Military Region by a decree of 18 February 1946. The Army Corps was located in
2604-459: The expulsion of the Moors from Spain, many of whom sought asylum in the city, after which the Spanish led by Pedro Navarro established a fortified base and garrison on one of the islets off the coast of Algiers, and named it "Peñón de Argel" or Peñón of Algiers, . By that time, Algiers had an emir , Salim al-Thumi who had to "swear obedience and loyalty" to Ferdinand II of Aragon who also imposed
2697-757: The "National Museum of Miniatures, Illumination and Calligraphy" located inside of Dar Mustapha Pacha ; " Palais des Rais "; Algerian Admiralty Museum; the Central Military Museum adjacent to Maqam Echahid (Martyrs Memorial), a breathtaking monument that sits above the Martyrs National Museum. Other landmarks include Djamaa el Djazaïr , the 3rd biggest mosque in the world; Botanical Garden Hamma ; Culture Palace Moufdi Zakaria; Grande Poste d'Alger , located adjacent to Kilometre zero ; Ketchaoua Mosque ; Notre-Dame d'Afrique ; Emir Abdelkader Square as well as Martyr's Square. The city also contains
2790-468: The 16th century Algiers turned to piracy and ransoming. Due to its location on the periphery of both the Ottoman and European economic spheres, and depending for its existence on a Mediterranean that was increasingly controlled by European shipping, backed by European navies, piracy became the primary economic activity. Repeated attempts were made by various nations to subdue the pirates that disturbed shipping in
2883-590: The 1998 and 2008 Censuses: There are many public buildings of interest, including the whole Kasbah quarter, Martyrs Square ( Sahat ech-Chouhada ساحة الشهداء), the government offices (formerly the British consulate), the " Grand ", " New ", and Ketchaoua Mosques, the Roman Catholic cathedral of Notre Dame d'Afrique , the Bardo Museum , the old Bibliothèque Nationale d'Alger —a moorish palace built in 1799–1800 and
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2976-564: The 19th Military Region of the Metropolitan Army which included the three départements of Algiers , Oran and Constantine , situated in modern day Algeria. The garrisons were principally based in Algiers , Mascara , Tlemcen , and Ain. Elements were also in Tunisia, forming the 'Tunisian occupation division', located mainly in Tunis , Bizerte and Sousse . The other twenty military regions of
3069-522: The 2008 census was 2,988,145 and in 2020 was estimated to be around 4,500,000. Located in the north-central part of the country, it extends along the shores of the Bay of Algiers in the heart of the Maghreb region making it classified among the biggest cities in North Africa , the Arab world and the Mediterranean Sea , making it a major center of culture , arts , gastronomy and trade . The city contains
3162-432: The 2022 IPCC Sixth Assessment Report , Algiers is one of 12 major African cities ( Abidjan , Alexandria , Algiers, Cape Town , Casablanca , Dakar , Dar es Salaam , Durban , Lagos , Lomé , Luanda and Maputo ) which would be the most severely affected by the future sea level rise . It estimates that they would collectively sustain cumulative damages of U$ 65 billion under RCP 4.5 and US$ 86.5 billion for
3255-481: The 680s, who opposed the advancing Islamic armies. However, Hassan ibn al-Nu'man and Musa ibn Nusayr later defeated both Berber leaders, killing Kusaila at the Battle of Mamma (688) and killing Dihya at the Battle of Tabarka (702), leading to the subjugation of the Berber tribes, bringing Islamic rule into North Africa. The Abbasid Caliphate succeeded Umayyad Caliphate at around 750 AD. Independence movements across
3348-539: The 8 November action, including Aboulker, Temime, Morali, and Atlan of the Géo Gras Group. In contrast, French soldiers who had fought against the Allies were decorated. When Darlan was assassinated, Giraud succeeded him as commander-in-chief and "high commissioner". In January 1943, the Allies had Marcel Peyrouton made Governor General of Algeria (even though he had been Interior Minister of the Vichy government and had signed
3441-600: The Allied invasion was 15 hours behind schedule because of rough seas, communication failure with the Resistance, and the difficulties of the first Anglo-American amphibious operation in the ETO . The positions captured by the Resistance were recaptured by Vichy forces. Resistance fighters tried to hold these positions as long as possible, resulting in the deaths of Lieutenant Jean Dreyfus, and Captain Alfred Pillafort. Allied forces reached
3534-524: The Allies recognized Darlan as French "High Commissioner in North Africa" in return for his ordering all French troops and officials to cease resisting the Allies and join them in fighting the Axis . The "Darlan deal" was a shock, but Allied commanders in North Africa justified it on the basis of military expediency. Under Darlan, Algiers went from "Vichy under German control to Vichy under US control". Despite
3627-610: The Crémieux Decree. On 22 October, French citizenship was restored to Algerian Jews. On 8 November 1943, the first anniversary of the invasion of North Africa, Giraud decorated the main organizers and French participants in the operation, including d'Astier de la Vigerie and Aboulker, whom he had arrested a few months earlier . The "Association of the Companions of 8 November" was formed on 21 September 1943. This apolitical association, organized under France's 1901 Association Act , had
3720-426: The European and African residents of the city, describing a situation in which "the 'civilised' live like rats in holes" whereas "the 'barbarians' live in solitude, in well-being". However, these plans were ultimately ignored by the French administration. During World War II , Algiers was the first city to be seized from the Axis by the Allies in Operation Terminal , a part of Operation Torch . Algiers also played
3813-400: The French troops to the US invasion, but there was heavy fighting in Oran and in Morocco. The political situation in North Africa was particularly intricate and unstable after the invasion, with French resistance continuing. In Algiers, the Resistance captured Admiral François Darlan , commander-in-chief of the Vichy French armed forces. Despite his record of collaboration with Nazi Germany ,
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3906-420: The Group led their fighters to key positions of the city. They seized as the barracks of 19th Army Corps , police stations, the arsenal, telephone exchanges, the office of the Governor General (also known as Summer Palace), the Prefecture, and the headquarters of Radio Algiers. All means of communication of the Vichy forces were sabotaged. The operation was accomplished as early as 1:30 AM on 8 November. However,
3999-431: The Metropolitan army covered mainland France, hence the distinction this was the 'Army of Africa'. The Twenty-one army corps were established in December 1870, each with its own military region. The 19th Army Corps was stood down on 13 March 1871. The corps' Oran and Algiers divisions fought the -'Aït Khabbash', a fraction of the Aït Ounbgui khams of the Aït Atta confederation in the late 1890s. The conflict ended by
4092-412: The Spaniards in the 1518 fall of Tlemcen , was the founder of the pashaluk , which subsequently became the beylik , of Algeria. Barbarossa lost Algiers in 1524 but regained it with the 1529 Capture of Peñón of Algiers , and then formally invited the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent to accept sovereignty over the territory and to annex Algiers to the Ottoman Empire . Algiers from this time became
4185-400: The aim of "defending the collective interests of the North African Resistance" and "maintaining the spirit of camaraderie and confidence that existed in the Resistance." Some of its leading members were assassinated by Algerian rebels of the FLN in August–September 1956. Fernand Aïch and Emile Atlan were shot at close range in front of their shops. These killings were immediately interpreted as
4278-420: The annexation of the Touat-Gourara-Tidikelt complex by France in 1901. The Moroccan Division was one of the most decorated units of the French Army and all its regiments were distinguished by unit citations mentioned in despatches of the armed forces at the end of the conflict. The Moroccan Division was the only division to receive the battle honour of being decorated with the légion d'honneur throughout
4371-419: The area. Led by Mazdali ibn Tilankan , the army defeated the Banu Ya'la in battle near the valley of the Moulouya River and executed their commander, the son of Tlemcen's ruler. However, Mazdali ibn Tilankan did not push to Tlemcen right away as the city of Oujda was too strong to capture. Instead, Ibn Tashfin himself returned with an army in 1081 AD that captured Oujda and then conquered Tlemcen, massacring
4464-461: The authorities (more than 300 dead), but the movement constituted a turning point in the political history of modern Algeria. The 1989 Algerian constitutional referendum took place and a new constitution was adopted that put an end to the one-party rule and saw the creation of more than fifty political parties, as well as official freedom of the press. The city became the theatre of many political demonstrations of all descriptions until 1993. In 1991,
4557-430: The chief seat of the Barbary pirates . In October 1541 in the Algiers expedition , the King of Spain and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor sought to capture the city, but a storm destroyed a great number of his ships, and his army of some 30,000, chiefly made up of Spaniards, was defeated by the Algerians under their pasha , Hassan. Formally part of the Ottoman Empire but essentially free from Ottoman control, starting in
4650-420: The city only in the late afternoon. The action of the members of the Géo Gras Group was a victory of a lightly armed civilian force over the regular army. It was the first major act of the French Resistance during the war. The Group identified itself as belonging to Free France, but had no actual contact with Free French headquarters in Britain. In the Algiers sector, there was virtually no armed opposition from
4743-412: The coasts of today's Tunisia and Algeria . The Western Roman Empire that was ruling the area allowed the Vandals to settle when it became clear that they could not be defeated by Roman military forces. Though the city was damaged again due to the fighting between the two armies, the town was still slowly growing in population. In 534 AD, the Vandal kingdom was subjugated by the general Belisarius of
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#17328697195774836-620: The command of General Eisenhower were to come ashore that night. No notice was given to General de Gaulle and Free France . Colonel Germain Jousse and General Charles Mast led the Resistance operation. Supplies of arms by the Allies had failed, so very old Lebel Model 1886 rifles , stolen from the military by Colonel Jousse, were distributed to resistance fighters. The fighters were identified by "VP" armbands ("Square Volunteers"). These armbands were originally intended to identify collaborationist volunteers. At 9:00 PM on 7 November, on orders from General Mast or Colonel Jousse, section leaders of
4929-460: The corps comprised the 85e DIA; the 181st African Infantry Division ; the 182nd African Infantry Division ; the 183rd African Infantry Division ; the East Saharan Front of division size; an armoured battalion, an infantry battalion (21e Bataillon d'Infanterie Légère d'Afrique, of the Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa ), and a cavalry regiment. The Oran, Constantine, and Algiers Divisions existed on 8 November 1942 as Operation Torch began;
5022-596: The corps was commanded by Lieutenant General fr:Louis Koeltz while the Algiers Division was under Charles Mast . The corps joined the Allies in late 1942 when Vichy French forces in north-west Africa went over to the Allies after 'Torch' and Hitler ordered ' Case Anton ,' the German and Italian occupation of Vichy France. The Corps order of battle in 1942 (as far as known) during this time was: As of 27 December 1942 : NB sont mentionnés : mountain artillery reinforcements (2 ou 3 ou 4 batteries ?) The 19th Army Corps fought as an Allied formation within
5115-451: The course of World War I . The following troops were detached from the 19th Army Corps to serve in the Corps expéditionnaire d'Orient . Two provisional regiments comprising a total of five Zouave battalions and one Foreign Legion battalion, saw action in the Gallipoli campaign , and thereafter on the Salonika front , fighting alongside British troops in both theatres of war. Two battalions of Tirailleurs algériens were to see action in
5208-418: The crucial participation of the Jewish community in the Allied invasion, Darlan refused to reinstate the Crémieux Decree. He continued to declare that he governed "in the name of impeded Marshal Pétain " (even though Pétain had denounced him as a traitor). On 30 November 1942, French General Henri Giraud , who had arrived with the Allies, but then joined with Darlan, ordered the arrest of the civilian leaders of
5301-425: The difference in elevation , in addition to many bus lines connecting the suburbs and major population centers. Algiers houses many museums, art galleries and cultural centers, the most notable of which are Algiers Opera House , the Algerian National Theater Mahieddine Bachtarzi , Bardo National Museum (Algiers) , the National Museum of Fine Arts of Algiers , The National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art ;
5394-433: The early 20th century they formed a majority of the city's population. During the 1930s, the architect Le Corbusier drew up plans for a complete redesign of the colonial city. Le Corbusier was highly critical of the urban style of Algiers, describing the European district as "nothing but crumbling walls and devastated nature, the whole a sullied blot". He also criticised the difference in living standards he perceived between
5487-429: The foot of the Casbah, was before independence in 1962 the cathedral of St Philippe, itself made in 1845 from a mosque dating from 1612. The principal entrance, reached by a flight of 23 steps, is ornamented with a portico supported by four black-veined marble columns. The roof of the nave is of Moorish plaster work. It rests on a series of arcades supported by white marble columns. Several of these columns belonged to
5580-457: The high-emission scenario RCP 8.5 by the year 2050. Additionally, RCP 8.5 combined with the hypothetical impact from marine ice sheet instability at high levels of warming would involve up to US$ 137.5 billion in damages, while the additional accounting for the "low-probability, high-damage events" may increase aggregate risks to $ 187 billion for the "moderate" RCP 4.5, $ 206 billion for RCP 8.5 and $ 397 billion under
5673-484: The high-end ice sheet instability scenario. Since sea level rise would continue for about 10,000 years under every scenario of climate change, future costs of sea level rise would only increase, especially without adaptation measures. The Casbah is on a list of 10 African World Heritage Site most threatened by sea level rise. The city (and province) of Algiers is composed of 13 administrative districts, sub-divided into 57 communes listed below with their populations at
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#17328697195775766-400: The insurrectionists" ), led attacks against the Algerian fighters for independence. Algiers remains marked by this battle, which was characterized by merciless fighting between FLN forces which carried out a guerrilla campaign against the French military and police and pro-French Algerian soldiers, and the French Army which responded with a bloody repression, torture and blanket terrorism against
5859-421: The interior North African semi-arid or arid climate. Snow is very rare; in 2012, the city received 100 millimetres (4 in) of snowfall, its first snowfall in eight years. A 2019 paper published in PLOS One estimated that under Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 , a "moderate" scenario of climate change where global warming reaches ~2.5–3 °C (4.5–5.4 °F) by 2100, the climate of Algiers in
5952-565: The internment camps of Bedeau , Télergma , Chéragas , Djenien Bourezg , Mécheria , and El Meridj . On 2 June 1941, a law required a census of all Jews in Algeria. The phrase "indigenous Israelites" was added to their identity cards. On August 23, 1941, a quota on Jewish students excluded two-thirds of them from study. A decree of 5 November 1941 established a quota of 2% for lawyers and medical professions. Jews were barred from professions such as broker, banker, realtor, forester, midwife, and architect. The economic aryanisation of Jewish property
6045-427: The island on which was Fort Penon to be connected with the mainland by a mole . The lighthouse which occupies the site of Fort Penon was built in 1544. Algiers was a walled city from the time of the deys until the close of the 19th century. The French, after their occupation of the city (1830), built a rampart , parapet and ditch , with two terminal forts, Bab Azoun باب عزون to the south and Bab-el-Oued اد to
6138-438: The largest infrastructure facilities in the country; railway and highway connections with neighbouring cities and international links via the Houari Boumediene Airport and Algiers Ferry Terminal. Algiers possesses notable mass transit options, that includes the Algiers Metro , the city's subway system that recorded about 46 million passengers in 2023, alongside the Algiers tramway and several Gondola lift lines helping with
6231-412: The lower city (al-Wata, or 'the plains') which was the administrative, military and commercial centre of the city, mostly inhabited by Ottoman Turkish dignitaries and other upper-class families. On August 27, 1816, the Bombardment of Algiers took place city by a British squadron under Lord Exmouth (a descendant of Thomas Pellew, taken in an Algerian slave raid in 1715 ), assisted by men-of-war from
6324-406: The middle east as part of the Détachement Français de Palestine et de Syrie that were deployed by France. The 85th African Infantry Division (85e DIA) was a Formation-A-Class reserve mountain division mobilized 2 September 1939 in Algiers. The 85th DIA occupied covering positions along the Libyan border until the end of May 1940 and was then shipped to Marseille by 3 June 1940. On 10 May 1940,
6417-478: The native population. The demonstrations of May 13 during the crisis of 1958 provoked the fall of the Fourth Republic in France, as well as the return of General de Gaulle to power. Algeria achieved independence on July 5, 1962, with Algiers as its capital. Since then, despite losing its entire pied-noir population, the city has expanded massively. It now has about five million inhabitants, or 10 percent of Algeria's population—and its suburbs now cover most of
6510-458: The new National Library , built in a style reminiscent of the British Library . The main building in the Kasbah was begun in 1516 on the site of an older building, and served as the palace of the deys until the French conquest. A road has been cut through the centre of the building, the mosque turned into barracks , and the hall of audience allowed to fall into ruin. There still remain a minaret and some marble arches and columns. Traces exist of
6603-403: The new name of Icosium was absorbed into the Hammadid dynasty who in 1067 AD relocated to Bejaia and carried on a lively trade while most of North Africa was under a state of anarchy . In 1079 AD, Ibn Tashfin , a Sanhaja leader of the Almoravid Empire sent an army of 20,000 men from Marrakesh to push towards what is now Tlemcen to attack the "Banu Ya'la", the Zenata tribe occupying
6696-518: The night of 11 September 1940. On 7 October 1940, the Vichy regime rescinded the Crémieux Decree of 1870, a law that gave French citizenship to Algerian Jews . 120,000 Algerian Jews were stripped of their French citizenship and were from then on considered "indigenous Israelites". As such, Jews were excluded them from major public office, the military, and professions in the press, cinema, radio, and theater. LICA members André Temime and Emile Atlan, together with Charles Bouchara and Paul Sebaoun, formed
6789-448: The north. The forts and part of the ramparts were demolished at the beginning of the 20th century, when a line of forts occupying the heights of Bouzareah بوزريعة (at an elevation of 396 metres (1,299 ft) above the sea) took their place. Notre Dame d'Afrique , a church built (1858–1872) in a mixture of the Roman and Byzantine styles, is conspicuously situated overlooking the sea, on
6882-412: The organization. The first actions were focused on anti-Vichy propaganda, recruitment, and the purchase of smuggled weapons. An initial stock of weapons came from the store of Emile Atlan, who had been a gunsmith until the enactment of anti-Semitic laws. On 27 March 1941, General Picquendar, Chief of Staff of the French Army, issued a decree for the internment of Jewish soldiers from Algeria, especially in
6975-443: The original mosque. In one of the chapels was a tomb containing the bones of Geronimo . The building seems a curious blend of Moorish and Byzantine styles. Algiers possesses a college with schools of law, medicine, science and letters. The college buildings are large and handsome. The Bardo Museum holds some of the ancient sculptures and mosaics discovered in Algeria, together with medals and Algerian money. The port of Algiers
7068-487: The period. The primary source for knowledge of Algiers of this period, since there are no contemporary local sources, is the Topografía e historia general de Argel (1612, but written earlier), published by Diego de Haedo, but whose authorship is disputed. This work describes in detail the city, the behavior of its inhabitants, and its military defenses, with the unsuccessful hope of facilitating an attack by Spain so as to end
7161-419: The piracy. A significant number of renegades lived in Algiers at the time, Christians converted voluntarily to Islam , many fleeing the law or other problems at home. Once converted to Islam, they were safe in Algiers. Many occupied positions of authority, such as Samson Rowlie , an Englishman who became Treasurer of Algiers. The city under Ottoman control was enclosed by a wall on all sides, including along
7254-483: The repeal of the Crémieux Decree - the "Peyrouton scandal"). General Giraud repealed the Vichy anti-Jewish laws on 14 March, and closed the internment camps for Jewish soldiers on 28 April, but did not reinstate the Crémieux Decree. In June, Giraud and De Gaulle combined the ex-Vichy regime in North Africa with Free France in the French Committee of National Liberation . But it took five more months to reinstate
7347-702: The room. The organization was structured on a French military model, consisting of half-companies of sixty members divided into thirty member platoons and five member fire teams. Among its leaders were Fernand Aïch, Roger Albou, Émile Atlan, Charles Bouchara, Jean Gamzon, Jean Gozlan, André Levy, Germain Libine (future special guard of General De Gaulle), George Loufrani, Roger Morali, André Temime, and general counsel Raphaël Aboulker, cousin of José Aboulker . Reserve officers Lieutenant Jean Dreyfus, Lieutenant Fernand Fredj, Lieutenant Roger Jais, officer aspirant Jacques Zermati, and Roger Carcassonne (an industrialist from Oran) joined
7440-518: The sea while crossing near El Harrach , a neighbourhood of the city hence the name, while Mazafran River ends near the far western suburbs dividing Algiers Province and Tipaza Province ; Both of these are called "Widan" which help in supplying agricultural needs in "Mitidja" which borders the Tell Atlas mountain range which could be spotted from the city. Algiers has a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification Csa ). Its proximity to
7533-529: The seafront. In this wall, five gates allowed access to the city, with five roads from each gate dividing the city and meeting in front of the Ketchaoua Mosque. In 1556, a citadel, Palace of the Dey was constructed at the highest point in the wall. A major road running north to south divided the city in two: The upper city (al-Gabal, or 'the mountain') which consisted of about fifty small quarters of Andalusian , Jewish , Moorish and Kabyle communities, and
7626-502: The second province was Mauretania Tingitana and were deemed as Roman Municipiums , additionally they were given Latin rights by the emperor Vespasian . In 371-373 AD, Mauretania revolted with the help of Firmus in hopes of installing an independent State and Icosium was raided and damaged. Some clues show the presence of bishops in the region at this time. In 435 AD, the Vandal Kingdom took control of northern Africa along
7719-520: The shoulder of the Bouzareah hills, 3 km (2 mi) to the north of the city. Above the altar is a statue of the Virgin depicted as a black woman. The church also contains a solid silver statue of the archangel Michael , belonging to the confraternity of Neapolitan fishermen. 19th Army Corps (France) The 19th Army Corps ( 19e Corps d'Armée ) was a corps of the French army. In December 1870,
7812-666: The southern end of the rue d'Isly near the site of the demolished Fort Bab Azoun باب عزون. The interior is richly decorated with various coloured marbles. Many of these marbles contain memorial inscriptions relating to the British residents (voluntary and involuntary) of Algiers from the time of John Tipton, the first English consul, in 1580 (NB Some sources give 1585). One tablet records that in 1631 two Algerine pirate crews landed in Ireland , sacked Baltimore , and enslaved its inhabitants. The Ketchaoua Mosque ( Djamaa Ketchaoua جامع كتشاوة), at
7905-559: The surrounding Mitidja plain. Run by the FLN that had secured independence, Algiers became a member of Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War . In October 1988, one year before the fall of the Berlin Wall , Algiers was the site of demonstrations demanding the end of the single-party system and the creation of a real democracy baptized the "Spring of Algiers". The demonstrators were repressed by
7998-411: The vaults in which were stored the treasures of the dey. Djamaa el Kebir ( Jamaa-el-Kebir الجامع الكبير) is the oldest mosque in Algiers. It was first built by Yusuf ibn Tashfin , but reconstructed many times. The pulpit ( minbar منبر) bears an inscription showing that the building existed in 1097. The minaret was built by the sultan of Tlemcen , in 1324. The interior of the mosque is square and
8091-519: The western Mediterranean and engaged in slave raids as far north as Iceland. By the 17th century, up to 40% of the city's 100,000 inhabitants were enslaved Europeans. The United States fought two wars (the First and Second Barbary Wars ) over Algiers' attacks on shipping. Among the notable people held for ransom was the future Spanish novelist, Miguel de Cervantes , who was held captive in Algiers for almost five years, and wrote two plays set in Algiers of
8184-497: The western coast of the Regency near what is today Sidi Fredj on June 14, 1830. The Algerian forces met their French opponents in the "Battle of Sidi Fredj" on June 19, 1830, to which the Dey 's forces were defeated, this enabled the colonial army to advance into the city and made Hussein Dey surrender to French General de Bourmont on 5 July 1830. Under French rule, Algiers became the capital of French Algeria , "an integral part of
8277-590: The year 2050 would most closely resemble the current climate of Perth in Australia . The annual temperature would increase by 2.6 °C (4.7 °F), and the temperature of the warmest month by 1.9 °C (3.4 °F), while the temperature of the coldest month would be 3.8 °C (6.8 °F) higher. According to Climate Action Tracker , the current warming trajectory appears consistent with 2.7 °C (4.9 °F), which closely matches Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5. Moreover, according to
8370-738: Was appointed by the Faṭimid caliph al-Muʿizz as governor of al-Qayrawān and any other territory his nation, the Zirid Dynasty might reclaim from its enemies, the Zenata tribesmen. His state accordingly expanded its boundaries westward. In approximately 1014 AD, under the reign of Badis ibn al-Mansur , the dynasty was divided between the Zirids at al-Qayrawan in the east, and the Hammadids at Qal'at Bani Hammad ; "Jazaʾir Banī Mazghanna", commonly known as "Algiers" as
8463-577: Was established by a decree of 21 November 1941. On 22 October 1942, US General Mark W. Clark met secretly in Algeria with the Resistance in advance of the planned Allied invasion . They agreed to two major points: On 7 November 1942, the BBC broadcast the code message "Hello Robert? Franklin’s coming!" ("Robert" refers to Robert Murphy , US Consul General in French North Africa); "Franklin" to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt .) 110,000 troops under
8556-508: Was extended over the entire country, giving it the English name Algeria derived from the French name Algérie. In classical antiquity , the ancient Greeks knew the town as Ikósion ( Ancient Greek : Ἰκόσιον ), which was Latinized as Icosium under Roman rule . The Greeks explained the name as coming from their word for "twenty" ( εἴκοσι , eíkosi ), supposedly because it had been founded by 20 companions of Hercules when he visited
8649-547: Was met by operations against the dey. A naval siege on the port of Algiers by the French Navy began the following days which lasted 3 years and impacted the French and Algerian economies due to their former extensive trade treaties. Tensions only continued rising while the French Armed Forces were preparing for the 1830 invasion of Algiers . The naval fleet departed from Touron on May 25, 1830, and successfully reached
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