Date :…………………………………………………….………….

Unit 01 : Exploring the past /// Topic 01 : Ancient Civilizations

. Read and Consider
Getting Started: 21-22-23
The location of Algerian World Heritage sites:
Where are the sites situated exactly?
Here are Algeria's seven World Heritage
Sites:
 The Casbah of Algiers : (City of Algiers)
(1992).
 The Banu Hammads’ Qalaa: on the western side of Djebel Maadid, overlooking the
Hodna plains, some 100 km away from Bejaia (1980).
 Timgad: (Colonia, Marciana Trajana, Thamugadi) (December 17, 1982) situated 110 km to
the south of Cirta (today’s Constantine), a few kilometres south-east of today’s Batna, 27 km to
the west of Tazoult, at the foot of the Aures mountain range.
 The Mzab Valley: (December 17, 1982) The Mzab Valley consists of five small fortified
towns (Ksour) : El Ateuf, Bou Noura, Beni Isguen, Melika and Ghardaia.

 Djemila: (formerly known as Cuicul) December 17, 1982, 50 km away from Setif.
 Tipaza : (City of Algiers) (December 17, 1982)
 Tassili N’ajjer : 1982, (1986) in the Sahara, eastern part of the Ahaggar (altitude
between 1000 and 2500 m); The Algerian government declared the Meddak region situated on the
heights of the city of Djanet a national park in 1972.
2. Why were they declared World Heritage Sites?
This definition of the concept of World Heritage Site can be helpful for you:
A World Heritage site is a place or structure included on an official list produced by the
World Heritage Committee of the United Nations. Places are chosen for the list because they are
considered to be of outstanding universal value, often for historical reasons, and are
therefore preserved

Algeria at the Crossroads of Civilizations

No country in North Africa has as much access to the Mediterranean and
the Sahara as Algeria. Its privileged geographic position has made it open to many
ancient civilizations which flourished in the Mediterranean basin and spread into
Africa. Today few countries in Africa can boast of as many World Heritage Sites as our
country. Today few countries in North Africa can boast of as many World Heritage
Sites as Algeria. Tipaza , Djemila,Tassilin’Ajjer, Timgad,theM’Zab Valley, The
Qalaa of the Banu Hammad and the Casbah of Algiers are standing witness to
its enriching contacts with other civilizations. .(§1)
Of all sites of Southern Algeria, the Tassilin’Ajjer has the most prestige. It has
more rock paintings and engravings than any other prehistoric Saharan sites,
and it contains the most beautiful remains of the prehistoric civilizations of the
Sahara. These rock paintings, engravings and remains have yielded as much
information as we need in order for us to have a clear picture of what life used to
 be like in the Sahara in prehistoric times. They show clearly that the
Algerian Sahara was one of the cradles of
civilization. The Tassili n' Ajjer seems to has as few exchanges with the
Phoenician and Roman civilizations as the other Saharan sites
of our country. Archaeologists are still undecided about which of
these Saharan sites contains the fewest traces of these ancient civilizations. Yet
the traces that have already been uncovered in the Tassili n'Ajjer speak
eloquently of the fruitful contact of the Phoenician and Roman civilizations with
that of the Sahara. (§2)
In the northern part of Algeria, the Casbah of Algiers holds the most important
position among the historic sites. Its history is closely linked with the history of the city
of Algiers. Algiers was built during multiple conquests. There is little knowledge about
its earliest times when it was founded by the Phoenicians as one of their trading posts.
It was known to the Phoenicians to the Romans as Icosium. The Vandals destroyed
Icosium in the 5th century A.D. Five centuries later, the town was rebuilt into an
important Mediterranean trading port called alJazaïr. Until then, Algiers had less
influence on international commerce than the other Algerian maritime cities
because it had fewer natural harbours. Therefore, despite the fact that it was
considered a trading post by both the Romans and Phoenicians, only the least amount
of merchandise transited through it. (§3)
After the Turkish Baba Aruj brothers had gained control of the city in 1516,
Algiers flourished as a relatively independent city under the nominal control of the
Ottoman Empire. Later, the Ottomans transformed the architectural character of the
city by constructing mosques and palaces similar to those in Asia Minor and
erecting the famous white-washed military fortification known as the Casbah. In
spite of the fact that the Casbah underwent some changes during the French colonial
rule, it still remains the throbbing cultural heart of the city of Algiers.(§4)
Read the text and mark the statements below as true or false.

1- . Algeria has as little access to the Mediterranean and the Sahara as the
other North
African countries. (§1) f - No country in North Africa has as much access to the
Mediterranean and the Sahara as Algeria.

2. Algeria has less World Heritage Sites than some other countries. (§1) true
3. We don't have much information about what life was really like in the
Sahara during the Phoenician and Roman periods. (§2) true
4. Only the smallest amounts of goods transited through the port of
Algiers during the Phoenician and Roman periods. (§3) true
5. No other site in Algeria has as few Ottoman architectural features
as the Casbah of Algiers. (§4 ) f- the Ottomans transformed the architectural
character of the city by constructing mosques and palaces similar to those in Asia
Minor and erecting the famous white-washed military fortification known as the Casbah.

Task two : Read the text and mark the statements below as true or false.
1- -What has made Algeria open to many ancient civilizations?
2 -When was Algiers constructed?
3 - What was the old name of Algiers?
4 -Who called it Al-jazair?
5 –What were the main achievements of the Ottomans in Algiers?
 . Read and Consider
Getting Started: 21-22-23
The location of Algerian World Heritage sites:
Where are the sites situated exactly?
Here are Algeria's seven World Heritage Sites:
 The Casbah of Algiers : ……………………………………………………..…
 The Banu Hammads’ Qalaa:……………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

 Timgad: ………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

 The Mzab Valley:

(………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
 Djemila: ………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

 Tipaza : (………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

 Tassili N’ajjer :
………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. Why were they declared World Heritage Sites?

A World Heritage site is

………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Algeria at the Crossroads of Civilizations

 No country in North Africa has as much access to the Mediterranean and the
Sahara as Algeria. Its privileged geographic position has made it open to many ancient
civilizations which flourished in the Mediterranean basin and spread into Africa. Today few
countries in Africa can boast of as many World Heritage Sites as our country. Today few
countries in North Africa can boast of as many World Heritage Sites as Algeria. Tipaza ,
Djemila,Tassilin’Ajjer, Timgad,theM’Zab Valley, The Qalaa of the Banu Hammad
and the Casbah of Algiers are standing witness to its enriching contacts with other
civilizations. .(§1)

Of all sites of Southern Algeria, the Tassilin’Ajjer has the most prestige. It has more
rock paintings and engravings than any other prehistoric Saharan sites, and it contains
the most beautiful remains of the prehistoric civilizations of the Sahara. These rock
paintings, engravings and remains have yielded as much information as we need in
order for us to have a clear picture of what life used to be like in the Sahara in prehistoric
times. They show clearly that the Algerian Sahara was one of the
cradles of civilization. The Tassili n' Ajjer seems to has as few exchanges with the
Phoenician and Roman civilizations as the other Saharan sites of
our country. Archaeologists are still undecided about which of these Saharan
sites contains the fewest traces of these ancient civilizations. Yet the traces that have
already been uncovered in the Tassili n'Ajjer speak eloquently of the fruitful contact of
the Phoenician and Roman civilizations with that of the Sahara. (§2)
In the northern part of Algeria, the Casbah of Algiers holds the most important position
among the historic sites. Its history is closely linked with the history of the city of Algiers.
Algiers was built during multiple conquests. There is little knowledge about its earliest times
when it was founded by the Phoenicians as one of their trading posts. It was known to the
Phoenicians to the Romans as Icosium. The Vandals destroyed Icosium in the 5th century
A.D. Five centuries later, the town was rebuilt into an important Mediterranean trading port
called alJazaïr. Until then, Algiers had less influence on international commerce than the
other Algerian maritime cities because it had fewer natural harbours. Therefore, despite
the fact that it was considered a trading post by both the Romans and Phoenicians, only the
least amount of merchandise transited through it. (§3)

After the Turkish Baba Aruj brothers had gained control of the city in 1516, Algiers
flourished as a relatively independent city under the nominal control of the Ottoman Empire.
Later, the Ottomans transformed the architectural character of the city by constructing
mosques and palaces similar to those in Asia Minor and erecting the famous white-washed
military fortification known as the Casbah. In spite of the fact that the Casbah underwent
some changes during the French colonial rule, it still remains the throbbing cultural heart
of the city of Algiers.(§4)

Read the text and mark the statements below as true or false.

2- . Algeria has as little access to the Mediterranean and the Sahara as the
other North
African countries. (§1)
2. Algeria has less World Heritage Sites than some other countries. (§1)
3. We don't have much information about what life was really like in the
Sahara during the Phoenician and Roman periods. (§2)
4. Only the smallest amounts of goods transited through the port of
Algiers during the Phoenician and Roman periods. (§3)
5. No other site in Algeria has as few Ottoman architectural features
as the Casbah of Algiers. (§4 )

Task two : Read the text and answer the following questions.
1- -What has made Algeria open to many ancient civilizations?
2 -When was Algiers constructed?
3 - What was the old name of Algiers?
4 -Who called it Al-jazair?
5 –What were the main achievements of the Ottomans in Algiers?

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