The Casbah of Algiers is a Unesco-listed rabbit warren of 16th-century battlements and Ottoman palaces, which has been falling into disrepair. All photos: AFP
With a pressing need for a bit of TLC, efforts to save the Casbah are well under way, experts say.
The densely populated district, perched above the Bay of Algiers, covers roughly a square kilometre.
But this is an example of some of the damage that has beset the Casbah of Algiers.
Efforts to restore the buildings involve 'several plans and several stakeholders', said Aissa Mesri of Archimed, a company working on studies of the Casbah and overseeing the repair work.
'Restoration operations were started and then halted for financial, technical or legal reasons related to ownership,' he said, lamenting the lack of a 'clear vision'.
The project, however, aims to restore the Casbah's characteristic features, protect it in the long term and keep at least some of its residents in their homes.
The state-run campaign has already restored a number of prominent buildings, including part of the citadel.
Other buildings, such as the mosque, have also been restored but work on the many small, traditional houses in the Casbah is sometimes hindered by residents who refuse to grant access.
Algerian authorities had launched emergency work to 'consolidate buildings that were in danger of collapsing', said Mehdi Ali Pacha, head of an architectural firm specialising in heritage work.
But he said: 'The residents remain a problem. When the houses are inhabited, the study is done as best as possible with difficulties of access.'
Currently, seven restoration projects of historical buildings are under way. Mr Pacha said: 'The aim is to revive the Casbah and enhance it.'
