Casbah d’Alger

Kasbahs are North African towns typically surrounded by rocky mountains and fortified with castle walls. The ancient core, the Kasbah of Algiers in the capital of Algeria, was built on the ruins of Icosium. This high-density trapezoidal part of the city sloping in the direction of the harbour is bordered by steep rocky hills to the south, by the city walls to the north, and by the sea in the east. Because of its confined position, it has always been densely populated, featuring typically whitewashed courtyard houses that create a pattern completely filling in the site. Within this apparent chaos, the logic of the tracery is defined by the morphological features of the area and the various needs for light conditions. In a chain-like pattern, the quadratic sites of almost identical size are strung along the hillside to create blocks articulated by narrow alleys. The heart of the buildings is a courtyard; thus, rooms face and receive light through this central area. In line with high-density development, the courtyards are of minimal size, but they are extended by terrace gardens on the flat roofs facing the sea.