I met my realy good friend Jughurta, based in Barcelona and originary from Algeria, Kabylie, some years ago .
I knew this friendship, one day , lead me in Algéria..
I didn’t kwow how it would happen!
To day, it is. For the first event he is producing in Algiers, a concert.
You could travel with, reading this memory.
Leaving Barcelona with Pau. 21st morning and visitind Alger Casbah.
Jughurta 1 is waiting for us at Alger airport.
Jughurta is organising a concert in the Cathedral of Algiers on 23rd of november 2013.
We are coming to support him, as friends and Pau, who is photograh, www.pauesculies.com is in charged to take photos of event.
First day, after dropping luggages, in the house hotel Ben Smen, which is owning by Jesuites, an old palace
Exterior of rich buildings, in Algiers seems rude
Ottoman architecture shows austere facades and richly decored interiors.
http://algeriemonbeaupaysretrouve.olympe.in/darbensmen.htm ,
then, we went , by car to the old center of Algiers, La Casbah,
Casbah is the old walled city, built by Ottoman people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asPL53g6n6I
We have had a quick visit an ottoman Palace, Dar AZIZA, Place des Martyrs, XVI century palace, which was used by Ottoman governors of Algiers, as residence.
http://www.casbahdalger.dz/aziza.html
Just in front of it, Dar Hassan Pacha, built in 1790
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dar_Hassan_Pacha_-_Algiers.jpg
and the Mosque Ketchaoua both under renovation works.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchaoua_Mosque
Few distant of there, we met a nice old man making coffers and tables in Berbere style.
That old man is also a musician making round over the world with the group El Gusto, Mohamed Ferkioui:
Climbing the street toward Sidi Abderrahmane’s Mausoleum we made a stop to taste a speciality of Algiers:
La Carantita
Sidi Abderrahmane’s Mausoleum
the harbour, here, seen from Sidi Abderrahmane’s Mausoleum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidi_Abder_Rahman_El_Thaelebi
Down casbah, after a fish meal in front of the fisher harbour, inside the wall we went to the Bastion 23 built from 1576, as a defense building in front of sea, by Otoman Dey.
the 23 palace, facing sea, to defender accès of harbour and city
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCCAPIqfYew
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_des_Ra%C3%AFs
and then visiting the top, Basilica “Notre Dame d’ Afrique”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_d’Afrique
22sd of November, preparing concert in Cathedrale
The musicians, Jonas Müller and Rabbah Hamrene, http://jonasmuller.com/lest-dans-louest/
were invited to play by Jughurta
That day was dedicated to prepare the the concert of tomorrow: Piano delivery, meeting archipriest, sacristan…
repetition
The Algier cathedral chorus as un heart
Photos by Pau Esculies www.pauesculies.com
Afternoon, we went, walking through the parc de Libertés to “Le musée National des antiquités”
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_national_des_antiquit%C3%A9s_et_des_arts_islamiques
23th of november: Day of concert:
Introducing music “East in west”.
Congratulations at intermission: Yoghourta, Jughurta, Jonas, François, Rabah.
24th of november:
A trip to Tipasa, ruins Roman site on sea side.
40 Km from Algiers.
The site of Tipasa
Jughurta, Rabah,Jonas, Pau
Juba II’s tomb
For histoty:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipaza
25th of november
Visit of museum of art
Very beautifull place containing 8000 works from XVII to XX century.
Situated above the “ Jardin d’Essais”
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardin_d’essai_du_Hamma
http://www.triposo.com/poi/T__7c4ed00f98d3
Martyrs monument :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Makamelchahid.JPG
And then going back to Barcelona.
It was my first step in Algeria, but not the last.
It gave me the taste to met again that kindly and smiling people, in that beautifull land.
I hope my friend Yoghourta will organise many events in the next future, and I know he will.