A critical review on the classification process of historical monuments in Algeria

Abstract

Algeria has a rich and varied architectural heritage; unfortunately, this heritage has not been sufficiently taken care of. During the colonial period, France had a disdainful attitude towards Algerian heritage and considered it as “indigenous heritage not requiring to be taken into consideration,” and even worse, it preferred to classify ruins of ancient monuments from antiquity, “especially Roman monuments” to the detriment of monuments in good condition from the pre-Ottoman and Ottoman period. Besides, one can denote an obvious cultural influence, since a large number of monuments classified during the colonial period belong to the pre-Islamic or French period. However, the responsibility not only lies with the occupier, even if they are responsible for the disappearance of thousands of monuments. For their part, the Algerians themselves, through passivity, did not try to halt the deterioration of the heritage that had already started, even before independence. During the period of post-independence, an insignificant number of monuments were classified, few of which date from the pre-Ottoman and Ottoman period in comparison with those belonging to the prehistoric, ancient, French, as well as natural sites This attitude is not the result of a problem of legislation, but rather of a certain laxity in the execution and application of the laws by those who are supposed to promote them. One of the main obstacles obstructing the dynamics of heritage protection lies, without question, in the slowness of executing decisions.