The main cultural assets of Algeria

1/ Immovable cultural properties on the World Heritage List

Kalâa of Béni Hammad: inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1980, it is a remarkable archaeological site located 36 km northeast of the city of M'Sila. Founded in the early 11th century by Hammad, son of Bouloughine (founder of Algiers) it was abandoned in 1090 under the threat of the Hillalian invasion.

Djémila: The site of Djémila, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982, is located 50 km northeast of the town of Sétif. Known under its ancient name Cuicul, the site of Djémila is an establishment of an ancient Roman colony founded under the reign of Nerva in 96-98 AD.

Tassili d’Ajjer: Tassili d'Ajjer, a site inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982, is an immense plateau located in southeast Algeria on the borders of Libya, Niger and Mali, covering an area of 72,000 km². It is home to one of the most important prehistoric rock art site in the world. More than 15,000 drawings and engravings make it possible to follow the history of the site from 6000 BC to the first centuries of our era.

Timgad: the archaeological site of Timgad, a site inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982, is located north of the Aurès massif, 480 km southeast of Algiers and 110 km south of Constantine. Timgad is a completed example of a Roman military colony created ex Nihilo. The Colonia Marciana Traiana Thamugadi was founded in 100 AD by Trajan.

Tipasa: Tipasa, an archaeological site inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982, is located 70 km west of Algiers. It is a serial property composed of three sites: two archaeological parks located near the current urban area and the Royal Mausoleum of Mauritania, located on the plateau of the Sahel west of Algiers, 11 km southeast of Tipasa. The archaeological site of Tipasa gathers one of the most extraordinary archaeological complexes of the Maghreb, it brings an exceptional testimony on the Punic and Roman civilizations.
M’Zab Valley: inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982, it is located 600 km south of the city of Algiers, in the heart of the Saharan desert, created in the 10th century by the Ibadites around their five ksour, or fortified villages. The architecture of the M'Zab was designed for community life, while respecting family structures.

Algiers Kasbah: inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982, it is located on the Mediterranean coast. The site was inhabited at least as early as the 6th century BC when a Phoenician trading post was set up there. The term Kasbah, which originally designated the highest point of the medina in the Zirid period, now applies to the whole of the old town of El Djazair, within the limits marked by the Ottoman ramparts built at the end of the 16th century.

2/ Cultural Properties on the World Heritage Tentative List

The foggaras oases and the ksour of the Grand Erg Occidental (30/12/2002)
Augustinian sites, places and itineraries in Central Maghreb (30/12/2002)
Nedroma and Trara (30/12/2002)
Wadi Suf (30/12/2002)
The Royal Mausoleums of Numidia, Mauritania and the pre-Islamic funerary monuments (30/12/2002)
Aurès Park with the oasis establishments of Rhoufi and El Kantara gorges (30/12/2002)

3/ Immovable cultural property which may be included in the Tentative List with the possibility of nomination for inclusion in the World Heritage List. Request in progress

Spanish fortifications of the city of Oran
Ahaggar Cultural Park, wilaya of Tamanrasset
Royal Mausoleums of Numidia, Mauritania and pre-Islamic funerary monuments
Cultural and natural site of Roufi, wilaya of Batna.

4/ Elements inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Including year of registration)

The Ahallili of Gourara, 2008

Rituals and craftsmanship associated with
the tradition of Tiemcen wedding dress, 2012

Practices and knowledge related to the imzad
of Tuareg communities in Algeria, Mali and Niger, 2013

The annual pilgrimage to the mausoleum of
Sidi Abd el-Qader Ben Mohammed known as
“Sidi Cheikh”, 2013

The Sebeibe ritual and ceremonies in the
oasis of Djanet, Algeria, 2014

The sbua, annual pilgrimage to the zawlya
Sidi El Hadj Belkacem, Gourara, 2015

The knowledge and know-how of the water
measurers of the foggaras or alguadiers of
Touat-Tidikelt, 2018

Knowledge, know-how and practices related to
the production and consumption of couscous, 2020

The legal framework on cultural heritage conservation

A/ Immovable cultural property inscribed on the World Heritage List

The legal framework that ensures the conservation and management of immovable cultural properties inscribed on the world heritage list includes laws 90-30 (domanial law, 98-04 (relating to the protection of cultural heritage) reinforced by the application texts relating to project management and delegated project management as well as the Plans: permanent safeguarding and enhancement of archaeological sites and their protection zone (PPMVSA).

The management of archaeological sites is the responsibility of the Office for the Management and Exploitation of Cultural Property, in coordination with the Wilaya Culture Departments.

Also the management and protection of the properties of the M'Zab Valley and the Tassili is inscribed within the framework of the implementation of the law on cultural heritage and its application texts concerning the creation and organisation of the Offices for the Protection and Promotion of the M'Zab Valley (OPPVM) and the Tassili Park.

B/ Elements inscribed on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

The legal framework that ensures the conservation, safeguarding and development of the intangible cultural heritage includes Law 98-04, relating to the protection of cultural heritage and its application texts fixing: the modalities of storage of the intangible cultural goods in the national data bank; the modalities of organization and functioning of the documentary collections specific to the intangible cultural goods; the modalities of collection and transmission of the data of the intangible cultural goods. The institutions under supervision (National Centre for Prehistoric, Anthropological and Historical Research (CNRPAH), the wilaya cultural directorates) are in charge of the implementation of the above-mentioned legal framework.

Algeria is a Member State of ICCROM since 18/01/1973

Director-General: Mounir Bouchenaki 2006 - 2011

Mandates in ICCROM Council since 1958:

ICCROM Staff since 1959: 1

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Governmental Cultural Institutions

• Ministry of Culture and Arts
• Cultural heritage offices and departments

Museums and Cultural Heritage Institutions

• Algerian sites on the World Heritage List

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