Where did it come to your mind? Do you have questions like "Is there anywhere left to go"? maybe we can convince you, what if we were to say that we were curious about the world's 10th largest country and Africa's largest country? Or what if we were to say that we are looking for the answer to how a country that is a little Ottoman, mostly French, and largely Arab can be? Did not it work? Well, then let's try this; What if we wanted to hear the story of an exploited society and the toughest struggle for independence in the world? Hello from Algeria, which is different in every way.

Algeria, whose official name is "Democratic People's Republic of Algeria", is a different country with a history, culture and identity, far from ordinary, unrelated to popular travel routes. It means irrelevant; It may not be a North Korea, Greenland or Japan, but there are many interesting things in basic principles such as the name of the country being the same as its capital.

Did you know that the 16th country where the most oil is produced in the world is Algeria? Well, what about it being the 10th country from which the most natural gas is extracted? Or have you heard that it is very rich in iron, uranium, gold and diamond reserves? So, what we need to understand in line with these sources is whether Algeria is a rich country? Algeria is a country that has a budget surplus of 8 billion dollars every year and has no foreign debt! Yes, you heard right. Having a budget surplus and having no foreign debt.

Yes, the economy is good and the country can be considered wealthy, but most of the individuals are poor. Even though the country's earnings are good, its citizens cannot receive a large share of these earnings. There is a gap between the economy and the visible, as one in four Algerians lives on less than a dollar a day.

Algeria is the 4th country with the cheapest oil in the world. A liter of gasoline is approximately 0.31 USD (Water is 0.35 USD, so it's cheaper than water). Of course, we cannot say that a place where fuel is not expensive is definitely cheap, but since the cheapness of fuel is a big force multiplier, Algeria is in the category of really cheap countries.

The currency used is the Algerian dinar (DZD). 0.035 USD approx; 5 DZD. (September 30, 2023). Speaking of money, there is a dilemma on this issue as well. First of all, do not bring TL when coming to Algeria because it is very difficult to exchange it. The most preferred are Euro and American dollar. You can use these currencies in the country, but the local currency, the Algerian Dinar, is always preferred and even the only choice in some places.

For this reason, one of the first things to do is to exchange the foreign currency you brought with you. Pay attention here! There are two different exchange rates in the country where the spread is very large. (40% - 50% different) The first is the bank rate, which is the official rate that can be exchanged at a lower rate, and the second is the free rate that you can exchange at a higher rate by bankers/individuals. For example; While 1 USD is currently 137 DZD with the exchange rate of banks in Algeria, it is possible to exchange it for 210 DZD at bankers/individuals.

There is another thing that is as high as this difference in the capital Algeria. With a height of 267 meters, it is the tallest minaret in the world and even the tallest structure in Africa. "Djamaa el Djazaïr" is more than a mosque. It is a huge complex that cost more than 1 billion dollars to build and includes, in addition to the place of worship, a museum, a conference hall, a library with more than a million books, an amphitheater, a hotel, seminar rooms, a shopping center, restaurants and an amusement park. Djamaa el Djazaïr, which has 5 imams and 5 muezzins, is so large that it ranks third in size after the mosques in Mecca and Medina.

Next is a place that is not as spectacular as Djamaa el Djazaïr. “Kasbah” is the name given to the urban structure that survives among the ruins of traditional architecture, associated with a deep-rooted sense of community. Although it is written in many articles that it is derived from the word "town", this is not exactly the case. Amazigh (Tamazight) is a word derived from the Berber language.

By the way, Algeria has 2 official languages. One is Arabic and the other is Berber. But besides these two languages, everyone knows and speaks French. In fact, they have the distinction of being the 2nd largest Francophone nation in the world. (Francophone; the name given to a person who speaks French or to those who mostly speak French) So much so that although it is not the official language, the language of magazines, newspapers, signs and most TV channels is French. Even though French is spoken, let's continue with the Kasbah, which smells very Arabic and houses the most touristic and rustic places of the capital Algeria.

Kasbah is a place with common areas, surrounded by walls by the Ottoman Empire in the 1500s, where narrow streets separate authentic houses from each other. Each interconnected building has beautiful details. It is impossible not to see the unique texture and experiences of each of them. During the periods when the collapsed walls were intact, 4 or 6 doors were used to enter the Kasbah and a different door was kept open every night. Those living inside also knew that door, and those who tried a different door were perceived as a threat and killed.

The Kasbah has a special place among Algerians as it was the main base of the period in the struggle for independence against France. Not only the Algerians, but also UNESCO declared the Kasbah a World Heritage Site in 1992, giving it a special status for all humanity. You should definitely visit the Kasbah, where traditions are blended, buildings with unique characters draw you in with their distinct beauties, and where people live with their smiling faces despite all the chaos and confusion.

There are other places you should visit in the capital Algeria. In fact, be sure to visit the Notre Damme D'afrique Church, which is perhaps the only place in the world that hosts the example of praying for another religion in a religious place, with its missionary work focusing on Africans and the figure of Jesus Christ depicted as black, followed by tiled walls and woodwork. See the "Palais des Rais" with an exceptional character, the Kasbah's gate opening to the sea, dating back to 1576, which smells very Ottoman with its wrought iron rods, magnificent marbles and unique consoles, and the Unesco heritage Keçiova Mosque just ahead.

In addition to these historical monuments, you will see the "Martyrs' Monument" from all over the city, erected in memory of the Algerians who died in the struggle for independence, with 90 meters of 3 palm leaves reaching into the sky.

But you should see the Martyrs' Monument closely to pay your respects to those who lost their lives and to better understand the country's journey to freedom. No, not because it will look different up close, but because of the trip you need to make to the "National Mujahid Museum" located underneath. You can be sure that this museum, where the events in the history of colonialism are revealed in all their reality, will make you very sensitive.

But don't worry, there is a place where you can gather all your energy and enjoy yourself after the museum. "Al Hamma Botanical Garden". Maybe the only favor the French have done to this country!

This is a giant garden of 54 hectares with lush trees, hundreds of plant species, walking paths, ornate fountains, a zoo and art museums that will make you feel like you are in South America rather than Africa. It may be the only point where Algerians who want to cool off on extremely hot summer days, have a good time with their family or get away from the chaos of the city for a bit, truly remember the French with gratitude. Although it suffered a lot of damage during World War II and the Algerian civil war, it is now a complete rehabilitation center!

It is truly surprising to see such a large and beautiful green space in a country that consists largely of desert. In fact, we can say that what is surprising is Algeria's interesting climate. The country has a very variable climate, while some parts of the country receive almost no rain (less than 25.4 mm per year), while in some parts there is up to 760 mm of precipitation per year (more than London).

While the northern parts of the country have a temperate climate, a dry and extremely hot climate prevails in the south. In fact, due to this situation, Algeria is called the country of cherries and dates. Cherries that grow in the cool north, dates that grow in the dry heat. By the way, the "Deglet Nour" date they grow is considered the best date in the world by Algerians and is an important export product for the country.

Unfortunately, agricultural products are not really abundant since only 4% of the country's land is cultivated. The only abundance is in broad beans and figs. (It ranks 1st in the world in broad bean production and 5th in fig production.) Unfortunately, like agriculture, animal husbandry and fishing are not very productive in Algeria. Especially despite having such a long coast to the sea, fishermen; There is a scarcity that causes them to say, "Algeria is the only country in the Mediterranean where fish die of natural causes."

However, when I said that it has a coastline of more than 1200 km, some people sighed and said, "Oh, there are such nice fish restaurants there", right? By the way, there are still fish restaurants, but most of them are alcohol-free. The sale of alcohol is prohibited in country restaurants. Hotels are excluded from this scope. If you drink tea instead of alcohol. Yes, there is tea everywhere!

National drinks; Mint tea. It is consumed in large quantities in all restaurants, cafes, streets and homes. There are even different meanings attributed to tea. For example, when you go to a guest, offering tea and dates means "welcome". In fact, more than 3 glasses of tea were served and you were expected to drink it. By the way, speaking of hospitality, when you eat at a house in Algeria, you should leave some of your food at the end of the plate. Because it shows that the host can feed you sufficiently.

In Algeria, where optimism is considered a national characteristic, the people are very cheerful, friendly and relaxed. Algerians, whose culture is a mixture of French Gallic and Arabic traditions, have a warm and friendly attitude towards both locals and tourists and attach great importance to hospitality.

Don't say that it looks like us, there is something different here! Why they are so positive doesn't make us wonder sometimes if something bad will happen to us!

In addition to the constant treats and persistent efforts to help, you may feel ashamed of how prejudiced you are about Algeria when you see people who are generous enough to help you with food, drink and even cash.

In fact, it is obvious that Algeria puts other African countries to shame on some issues. 60 percent of Algerian judges, 70 percent of lawyers, and more than 60 percent of the student population in the country are women. Unfortunately, although this is not the case in all parts of the country, it is of course a good statistic for an Arab country located in Africa.

So far, we have talked about the capital Algiers, which is the gateway of Algeria to the outside world, but the completely different face of the country is the Sahara Desert and the Arab Berber people living there, the tourism paradise "Oran", Constantine, famous for its bridges, and the lifestyles I just mentioned are very different. Do not leave here without visiting the "M'zab Valley". Let's not forget that Algeria is a country with extremely hot summers, no matter how far north it is in Africa. Therefore, it would be beneficial for you to plan from October to May.

Algeria may not be on the list of many of you, it was the same for us, but with what we saw, what we heard and how it made us feel, it has already taken its place among the places we are glad we came to! Algeria is waiting for you for more of the differences I mentioned at the beginning!