Discover your Algerian roots

Questions to ask the older generation

Memories fade faster than photos. Ask these over a meal or a phone call, and write the answers down.

1. Which town or region of Algeria did our family come from? Was it near Oran, Constantine, Annaba?
2. Who was the first in the family to leave Algeria, when, and why?
3. Which dishes from Algeria were cooked at home? Did anyone make Couscous (seksu) or Chakhchoukha?
4. Does anyone in the family still speak Algerian Arabic, or use a few words of it?
5. Were there songs, prayers, games or holidays from Algeria that the family kept?
6. Are there old photos, letters or documents from Algeria? Who has them?
7. If you could visit Algeria together, where would you go first?

A short history of Algeria

Algeria's history runs from Amazigh kingdoms and Roman towns through Islamic dynasties and an Ottoman regency to 132 years of French rule and a hard-won independence in 1962. The events below follow that long story, with approximate dates for the early centuries.

1. 202 BC

   Masinissa unites Numidia

   Around 202 BC the Amazigh king Masinissa, an ally of Rome against Carthage, united the Numidian kingdoms into one state, with its capital at Cirta, today's Constantine.

2. AD 354

   Saint Augustine is born

   Augustine was born in Thagaste, today's Souk Ahras. He became bishop of Hippo Regius, near modern Annaba, and one of the most influential Christian thinkers.

3. AD 777

   The Rustamids rule from Tahert

   After the arrival of Islam, an independent Ibadi state, the Rustamid imamate, was founded around 777 with its capital at Tahert, near modern Tiaret. It grew rich on trade across the Sahara.

4. 1236

   Tlemcen becomes a royal capital

   Yaghmurasen ibn Zayyan founded the Zayyanid kingdom in 1236 with Tlemcen as its capital. The city became a centre of learning and trade for three centuries.

5. 1830

   France captures Algiers

   A French army landed in 1830 and captured Algiers, ending the Regency. The conquest of the rest of the country took decades, and many European settlers followed.

6. 1954

   The War of Independence begins

   On 1 November 1954 the National Liberation Front (FLN) launched coordinated attacks across the country, the start of a war that lasted more than seven years.

7. 1992

   A decade of conflict begins

   In January 1992 the authorities cancelled the second round of the first multi-party parliamentary elections. A long armed conflict followed between the state and armed Islamist groups, often called the Black Decade.

8. 2016

   Tamazight becomes an official language

   Tamazight, the Amazigh (Berber) language, was recognised as a national language in 2002 and became an official language alongside Arabic in the 2016 constitution.

Family recipes to cook together

Chorba frik 1 h 15 min · serves 6Karantika (garantita) 50 min · serves 6Mhadjeb 1 h 30 min · serves 6Kesra 40 min · serves 4Chtitha djej (chicken in red sauce) 1 h · serves 4

Algerian Arabic words to teach the grandchildren

Towns and regions

• Algiers, Algiers Province, Mediterranean coast: The Casbah, the old town on the hill, Djamaa el Djazaïr, the Great Mosque of Algiers.
• Oran, Oran Province, northwest coast: Raï music, The Santa Cruz fort and chapel above the bay.
• Constantine, Constantine Province, northeast: The "City of Bridges" across the gorge, The Sidi M'Cid suspension bridge.
• Annaba, Annaba Province, northeast coast: The Basilica of Saint Augustine, The ruins of Hippo Regius.
• Tlemcen, Tlemcen Province, northwest: The Great Mosque of Tlemcen, Andalusian music.
• Béjaïa, Béjaïa Province, Kabylie coast: Mount Gouraya above the bay, A gateway to the Kabylie mountains.
• Sétif, Sétif Province, eastern high plains: Trade and industry, Its cool high-plains climate.
• Batna, Batna Province, Aurès mountains: Timgad nearby, The Aurès mountains.
• Ghardaïa, Ghardaïa Province, northern Sahara: The M'zab valley, a World Heritage Site, Its market square.
• Tamanrasset, Tamanrasset Province, far south: The Hoggar (Ahaggar) mountains, Sunrise at Assekrem.
• Djanet, Djanet Province, southeast Sahara: Tassili n'Ajjer and its rock paintings, Desert treks.
• Tipaza, Tipaza Province, coast west of Algiers: The ruins of ancient Tipasa by the sea, Beaches.