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| Click on the thumbnails to
see the pictures enlarged. |
The Statue at the Altar inside the Basilica: The statue of The Virgin
Mary was originally made in bronze. The land was bought and a chapel called
the Chapel of St Joseph was built to house her in 1857. She was named her
'Our Lady of Sorrows' but at some point, it was felt that she should be
renamed 'Our Lady, the Queen of Africa.' The 30th April 1876 - was observed
as the feast of 'Our Lady of Africa' day. The bronze statue has actually
become blackish with age, thus is she is now known as the "Black"
Virgin Mary - looking over Africa. The inscription above her reads,
"Our Lady of Africa, pray for us and the Muslims - Look after Thy
servant, O Mary."
People started laying marble tablets to give thanks for their prayers
being answered , especially the sailors who left for sea from Algeria.
There is a life size statue in stone on the outside of the Basilica
with open arms facing Rome. The mosaic tiles are so beautiful.
Today, I prayed for her protection... I know she will take care of us
and surround us with her love and light; I know now , why I had to take this
journey to Algeria , to find her and to tell the South Africans about her...
After fourteen years of construction in the 19th century, the Roman Catholic
Church, or the basilica of Algiers, takes on a symbolic and religious
importance that can be summed up by the inscription on the apse: “Our Lady
of Africa, pray for us and for the Muslims.”
Images of Algiers
To see more beautiful images of Algiers and surrounds,
browse the gallery pages.
The Church of Our Lady of Africa
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| Our Lady of Africa Basilica, on the
cliffs of Bologhine, northern Algiers. |
Basma Karasha - Algiers, Eurojar
The call of former archbishop of Algeria Mgr Henri Teissier to renovate
the church of Our Lady of Africa reached well the ears of local and foreign
authorities. Financial and technical support was rapidly provided to save
this ancient and immaculate Christian shrine from falling down. Efforts from
the European Commission delegation, Algiers district and the French
government, local and regional authorities, as well as private Algerian and
French companies among others, succeeded in consolidating Euro-Mediterranean
cultural ties, and beyond that, in reinforcing religious dialogue and
tolerance. This Euro-Mediterranean cultural dialogue embodied the concept of
“being different and living together”: being different in religion,
civilization and culture does not mean that worries and aims must be
different as well.
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| The "black"
virgin Mary of Our Lady of Africa Basilica. |
Our lady of Africa is one of Algiers symbolic and religious monuments. It
is located on the north side of Algiers on the breathtaking cliffs of
Bologhine. This church is around 150 years old; it was inaugurated in the
year 1872, it attracts today more than 300 visitors a day or 100,000 yearly.
This church is renowned for its Roman and Byzantine style, marked with an
Arabic touch. Three domes are rising to the front side of the Basilica with
two big doors. A tower of bells rests upon the back in the form of a
Maghrebian minaret. The bronze dark-colored statue overlooks the sea as
meant to be by its architect Jean Eugène Fromageau (1822-1897). A special
place is reserved inside the Basilica for offerings where, for 150 years
now, both Christians and Muslims congregated to thank and glorify Our Lady
of Africa for her blessings, for what they are and what they have…
This church is the property of the Parish Assembly in Algiers, which was
established in the year 1972, and headed then by Archbishop Henri Teissier.
The latter called for the renovation of the shrine, basically following the
2003 Boumerdès earthquake, when the building suffered heavy damages and its
structure became threatened of collapse. Renovation at this stage became a
must since the safety of the basilica visitors was at stake.
A call from the Archbishop When former Archbishop, Henri Teissier, called
out a warning about the situation of the church, many donors responded to
the call and generously supported the cause. Algiers, the European Union and
the French local and regional authorities as well as the French government,
among others, were all cooperative in the matter. Algeria’s state company
Sonatrak and the French company “Gaz de France” contributed in finding a
solution to this problem.
More than 5.2 million Euros were required for the renovation works. The
European Union contributed with 1 million Euros and Algiers offered more
than half a million Euros. Other provinces and cities, such as Marseilles
extended a helping hand to local authorities and granted more than 1 million
Euros in funds. Other donors also responded to the call, and renovation
works began in the year 2007, and are expected to last for three years.
Renovation will be executed in three stages in the three different
architectural sections of the church building. The 46 beautifully stained
glass windows of the basilica are also subject to restoration. It is worth
noting that the shrine of Our Lady of Africa has undergone previous
restoration works only once, in the year 1943, following the shelling of
Algiers.
Workshops on the premises The renovation of this historical building
became subject for workshops to teach young Algerians new methods of
restoration, and to discover the ancient expertise in construction. The
company responsible for the restoration works is under the supervision of
architect Xavier David, who is also supervising the renovation of the
basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde in Marseilles.
Once the restoration complete, a wonderful place of worship will be open
once again to the public to contemplate and admire as a major historical
Algerian property. The Parish assembly in Algeria considers this project
more than a cultural project: “It is more than a restoration of a house of
worship. It is a symbol of cooperation between Algeria and France, as much
as it is a symbol of cooperation between the north and the south of the
Mediterranean. This project shows that, despite differences in culture,
civilization and religion, people can “continue to live together”.
Algerian Cuisine - A Delicious Blend of Many Cultures
Algerian cuisine has had many influences that have contributed something
unique to the country's culinary delights. These influences may take the
form of Berbers, Arabs, Turks, Romans, the French and the Spanish. Each of
these civilizations has helped to ensure that Algeria's cuisine is an
eclectic mix of flavors and aromas.
The Berber influence on Algerian cuisine is clearly seen in their use of
stews, lamb, vegetables, grains and dried fruits. The Turks and Arabs have
added spice to the mix as well as a variety of delicious pastries. French
cuisine has contributed greatly to Algerian dishes with the use of tomato
puree as well as in their aperitifs and sweets. You will be able to taste
the distinct flavors of cumin, caraway, marjoram, coriander and fennel in
Algerian cuisine. Typically, lamb and chicken are used in meals as well as
fish from the Mediterranean. Algeria's national dish is Couscous, which is
steamed and then served with meat, vegetables and sauce.
Coffee is popular in Algeria, but is served extremely strong along with a
glass of water. However, the preferred drink in Algeria is tea with a hint
of fresh mint. Fruit drinks are also commonly enjoyed.
Why not try out some of these dishes when sampling Algerian cuisine:
Appetisers
- Mslalla - marinated olives
- Bourek - phyllo pastry stuffed with meat, egg and onion
Main Meals
- Mechoui - charcoal roasted lamb
- Merquez - spicy lamb sausages
- Chorba - spicy lamb or chicken stew with vegetables
- Dolma - stuffed vegetables
- Harira - soup served at Ramadan
- Loubia b'Dirsa - white bean stew
- Badendjal - roasted aubergine salad
- Slata bel Clementinas - onion and orange salad
- Bissar - couscous served with chicken and dried vegetables
- Djej bil Qasbour - coriander chicken
- Brochettes - spicy kebabs
- Kefta - meatballs with spices
- Lahm bil Zitoun - Lamb and olives
- Mderbel Qar'a - zucchini stew
- Za'luka - aubergine ratatouille
- Ros Bratel - saucy favas
- Kesra - semolina bread
- Harissa - spicy paste (condiment)
Desserts and Pastries
- Makroud - with dates or figs
- Griouche - honey pastry
- Kalb-el-louz - semolina, almond paste and rose water
- Samsa - sweet filled pastry
- Ghribia - sugar cookies
- Rfis Tmer - date candies
Visiting Algeria
For special tours to Algeria, please contact Cecelia at Egypt & Beyond for more information.
Phone: +27 11 678 4777 or +27 11 478 2884 or e-mail:
cecelia@championtours.co.za
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