Algeria blog

Algeria blog Your Algeria blog 2008-05-13T07:28:40+01:00 DotClear daily 1 2008-05-13T07:28:40+01:00 Gouraya Biosphere Reserve – Uniting Man and Nature 2008-05-13T07:28:40+01:00 2008-05-13T07:28:40+01:00 http://www.algeria.com/blog/gouraya-biosphere-reserve-uniting-man-and-nature Editor Features

The fascinating Gouraya Biosphere Reserve is situated on the Mediterranean coast, near the town of Sidi Touati in the Bejaia province of Algeria. The reserve incorporates the 660 meter high Mount Gouraya, (from which the park has taken its name), as well a many lovely clean beaches and interesting walking trails, which makes the park a popular destination for Algerians and tourists who enjoy getting close to nature.

Djelfa, the capital city of Djelfa province, was founded as a French military outpost in 1852. It is situated in the heart of the Ouled Nail Mountains, which form part of the Saharan Atlas chain of mountains in northern Algeria. In a country of natural splendor and dramatic contrasts, Djelfa offers visitors to Algeria an interesting glimpse into the history of this starkly beautiful area and lives of the people who call this home.

Born in the 1950’s in Sidi-Bel-Abbes, Algeria, Fethi Tabet grew up in an affluent family home in the city of Oran. With an interesting combination of local and foreign residents, Oran gave the young Fethi Tabet insight into the traditions and music of various cultures. With the city being alive with music festivals, theatres and radio, he realized from a young age that he was destined to be a musician. And once he had made up his mind and was discovered to have remarkable music ability by his teacher, his family got behind Tabet and supported him in his dreams.

Visitors are drawn to Algeria by the natural beauty, rich culture, fascinating history and warm hospitality offered by this North African country, and Algeria is becoming increasingly popular as an international tourist destination. With the knowledge that tourism has the potential to contribute significantly on an ongoing basis to the economy of Algeria, authorities place emphasis on the development of the country’s infrastructure and tourism facilities.

It was not so long ago, that a spectacular female athlete from Algeria, Hassiba Boulmerka, won the 1 500 meter racing event at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Instead of going home to an overwhelming crowd of proud citizens and screaming fans, she was ridiculed by religious conservatives and criticized for displaying so called “nudity”. But new hope has arisen amidst the growing stability of a country that is trying to heal from a traumatic past – a women’s volleyball team that has not only taken the world by storm, but is representing Algeria in the Beijing Olympics.

Situated about 500 kilometers south of the city of Algiers, in the northern Sahara, the M’zab Valley of Central Algeria is home to the Berber ethnic group known as the Mozabites. Living in five oasis towns in an area that is considered to be one of the hottest in the world, the Mozabites are a thriving community with strong family ties. Of the five oases that are home to the Mozabites, Ghardaia is the largest and serves as the capital city of Ghardaia Province. The other oases are Beni-Isguen, Melika, El-Ateuf and Bounoura.

Algerian-French writer, Jules Roy was born in the village of Rovigo in Algeria on 22 October 1907. Jules Roy was well respected as a prolific and outspoken writer and recognized as one of the mainstays of literature relating to the French experience in Algeria. He drew from his experiences of growing up in Algeria and his career in the French air force as a basis for a number of his works.

The city of Souk Ahras, in Algeria, is the capital city of the Souk Ahras province and is located on the border of Algeria, and the neighboring Tunisia. It is a city that is home to a distinguished history and is associated with a famous figure, namely St Augustine of Hippo. The city is filled with the legacy of a settlement that once graced the site on which Souk Ahras was built, the remembrances of the Algerian War and the bravery of the people of Souk Ahras who weathered the storms to create a quaint but successful place they call home.

Generally, the Touareg of Algeria, or Tuareg, are of Berber descent, but being a Touareg is not limited to a certain race or family tree. As long as the lifestyle, traditions and language are accepted, people are seen as Touareg. Living mostly in the West African regions, this nomadic tribe of the Sahara once traveled the desert in great numbers, but after invasions and wars they have been reduced to small groups, scattered across the sandy hills of the unforgiving desert.

Algiers is the capital city of Algeria, as well as the largest city in the country. The city is rich in Algerian tradition and history, with numerous monuments, museums, historical buildings and other places of interest for tourists to visit. One of the fascinating sites to visit in Algiers is the ancient Ketchaoua Mosque.