Great Mosque of Algiers (Djamaa El Djazair)
A very large modern mosque on the bay east of the centre, with a minaret among the tallest in the world. The complex also includes a library, a museum and a Quranic school.
Algiers
Notre-Dame d'Afrique crowns a hilltop in the white Mediterranean capital, which also has the UNESCO-listed Casbah and French-era boulevards.
Attractive locations
Djamaa El Kebir
One of the oldest mosques in Algiers, standing near the port at the foot of the Casbah. Its plain prayer hall and columns reflect the early Almoravid style of the western Mediterranean.
Ketchaoua Mosque
A mosque at the edge of the Casbah, once converted to a cathedral during French rule and returned to Muslim worship after independence. Its mix of Moorish and Byzantine details is distinctive.
Basilica of Notre-Dame d'Afrique
A large 19th-century Catholic basilica on a headland above the sea, with a Romano-Byzantine look and wide views over the bay. A well-known inscription asks for prayers for Christians and Muslims alike.
Martyrs Memorial
A towering concrete monument on a hill above the city, shaped like three palm leaves and dedicated to those who died in the war of independence. Its terraces give broad views across Algiers.
Casbah of Algiers
The old walled quarter climbing the hill above the bay, a tangle of narrow stepped lanes, Ottoman-era houses and mosques. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the historic heart of the city.
Tipasa
A Roman port town on the coast west of Algiers, with ruined basilicas, villas, a theatre and an amphitheatre set among pine trees beside the sea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Airports
Houari Boumediene Airport ALG
It is about 17 km in a straight line from Algiers.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Algeria page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan13.5 °C84 mm
- Feb13.2 °C67 mm
- Mar14.5 °C60 mm
- Apr16.3 °C53 mm
- May18.9 °C39 mm
- Jun22.5 °C11 mm
- Jul25.4 °C5 mm
- Aug26.3 °C12 mm
- Sep24.3 °C39 mm
- Oct21.7 °C64 mm
- Nov17.5 °C107 mm
- Dec14.7 °C85 mm
Driest months: Jun, Jul, Aug. Wettest months: Jan, Nov, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 33% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
culture
Independence Day (5 July)
Celebrations are held nationwide.
Who can help
Emergency
Reported numbers: police 17, ambulance and fire 14 - confirm with your hotel or guide.
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Algeria
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Algeria since 2002. Its work covers migration management and crisis response, and its contact page also lists a migrant assistance hotline.
Who qualifies: Migrants in Algeria and partners working on migration. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +213 661464622
Email: [email protected]
Address: 16 Chemin des Cretes, Hydra, Algiers
local government
Police emergency number 17
Helps with: Reaches the police in Algeria. UK government travel advice lists 17 or 1548 for the police; this entry gives 17.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 17
local government
Ambulance emergency number 1021
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service in Algeria. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 1021
local government
Fire emergency number 14
Helps with: Reaches the fire service in Algeria. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 14
ngo
Algerian Red Crescent
Helps with: The ICRC says its cooperation with the society covers first aid, disaster management and restoring family links. No contact details are given, so use the society's website.
Who qualifies: The page does not say who can use it. The ICRC calls it the leading humanitarian organization in Algeria, present in all provinces.