UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed via list ref 188) in M'Zab, Algeria.
- Region
- Northern Sahara & Oases
- Located in
- Ghardaïa
- Coordinates
- 32.491, 3.674
- Status
- UNESCO World Heritage
Knowledge hub
Algeria Architecture
Algeria's architecture spans Roman cities, the egalitarian cube-towns of the M'Zab, Hispano-Moorish Tlemcen, Ottoman Algiers and French-colonial boulevards.
Quick answer
Algeria Architecture on Algeria Compass brings together 22 mapped entities — unesco sites, islamic heritage, ottoman heritage and more — with the destinations, experiences and guides that connect to them.
Algeria's architecture spans Roman cities, the egalitarian cube-towns of the M'Zab, Hispano-Moorish Tlemcen, Ottoman Algiers and French-colonial boulevards.
Key entities in this hub
UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed via list ref 565) in Kasbah, Algeria.
- Region
- North-Central Tell
- Located in
- Algiers
- Coordinates
- 36.783, 3.060
- Status
- UNESCO World Heritage
Almoravid-era great mosque, a masterpiece of Andalusian Islamic art.
- Region
- Western Algeria (Oranie)
- Located in
- Tlemcen
- Coordinates
- 34.880, -1.310
Marinid mosque, madrasa and shrine at El Eubbad, Tlemcen.
- Region
- Western Algeria (Oranie)
- Located in
- Tlemcen
- Coordinates
- 34.870, -1.290
Ruined medieval fortified town and great minaret near Tlemcen.
- Region
- Western Algeria (Oranie)
- Located in
- Tlemcen
- Coordinates
- 34.870, -1.360
Vast modern mosque on Algiers bay with one of the world's tallest minarets.
- Region
- North-Central Tell
- Located in
- Algiers
- Coordinates
- 36.710, 3.160
One of the oldest mosques in Algiers, of Almoravid origin.
- Region
- North-Central Tell
- Located in
- Algiers
- Coordinates
- 36.790, 3.060
Large modern mosque in Constantine.
- Region
- Eastern Algeria & the Aurès
- Located in
- Constantine
- Coordinates
- 36.340, 6.610
Mosque holding the tomb of Okba ibn Nafi, among the oldest in the Maghreb.
- Region
- Northern Sahara & Oases
- Located in
- Biskra
- Coordinates
- 34.740, 5.900
Everything in this hub
UNESCO sites
Islamic heritage
Ottoman heritage
Colonial heritage
Plan around this topic
Provinces
coast
Algiers
Algiers (El Djazaïr) is Algeria's capital and largest city — a Mediterranean port famous for its UNESCO-listed Ottoman Casbah, white tiered waterfront, French-colonial boulevards, the vast new Great Mosque of Algiers, and grand monuments like Notre-Dame d'Afrique and the Maqam Echahid. It's the country's main gateway and a city best explored on foot, with a guide for the Casbah.
mzab
Ghardaïa
Ghardaïa is the gateway to the M'Zab Valley — a group of five fortified oasis towns built by the Ibadi Mozabites from around the 11th century and inscribed by UNESCO in 1982. Its tiered, pyramidal towns, palm groves and arcaded markets are among Algeria's most distinctive sights, and the M'Zab's radical, egalitarian urban design famously influenced 20th-century architects including Le Corbusier.
andalusian
Oran
Oran is Algeria's vibrant second city — a Mediterranean port on the west coast with a strong Spanish and Andalusian imprint, the birthplace of raï music, the Spanish-built Santa Cruz fort above the bay, a lively seafront, and easy access to the Andalusian heritage of Tlemcen and the western beaches.
Destinations
coast
The Casbah of Algiers
The Casbah of Algiers is the city's historic Ottoman citadel and old town — a steep maze of whitewashed houses, palaces, mosques and covered lanes overlooking the bay. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992, it is best explored on foot with a local guide.
highlands
Constantine
Constantine is the 'City of Bridges', a dramatic highland city in north-east Algeria built across a deep gorge above the Rhumel River and spanned by spectacular bridges. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth.
andalusian
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a historic city in north-west Algeria, the country's great centre of Andalusian and Islamic heritage — famous for the Great Mosque, the ruins of Mansourah, and refined Hispano-Moorish art and music.
Tour programs
Guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the M'Zab valley known for architecturally?
Five fortified hilltop towns of stacked cube houses around a central mosque — a design admired by modern architects including Le Corbusier.
Where is Algeria's Andalusian architecture?
Above all in Tlemcen, with the Great Mosque, Mansourah and the Sidi Boumediene complex.