National Library of Algeria

The National Library of Algeria (Arabic: المكتبة الوطنيّة الجزائريّة; French: Bibliothèque nationale d'Algérie) is the main state library of Algeria, located in the Hamma district of Algiers. It was first established in 1835 by the French colonial government, before becoming Algeria's national library when the country gained its independence in 1962.

1. History

The library was established in 1835 by Adrien Berbrugger at the request of the French Ministry of War. From 1963, the library was housed in Dar Mustapha Pacha, a palace located in the Casbah of Algiers. Alongside the library, the palace also housed an archive and museum. By 1947, the library had outgrown the space of the palace and was in need of larger premises. In addition to this, the palace was a poor environment for the preservation of rare books. Planning began for the construction of a new, modern building. In 1958, the library moved into premises on Tagarins Hill, Boulevard Frantz-Fanon in 1958. The National Library played a key role in restoring and rebuilding the collection. 1962, a devastating bombing by the group Organisation armée secrète at the Bibliothèque universitaire d’Alger (Algerian University Library) caused a large fire, destroying around 385,000 works. Following this, in 1984, a new building for the library began construction, which also allowed it to considerably develop its services. This facility opened on 1 November 1994, allowing public access from 16 April 1998. It has a floor area of 67,000 m2 (720,000 sq ft) and was designed to house more than 10 million books. It can accommodate more than 2,500 readers at a time. It is the legal deposit and copyright for Algeria. Algeria's scientific and technical information needs are ensured by two organizations, the Centre for Technical and Scientific Information and Technology Transfer, the Algerian equivalent of the INIS network, and the National Social and Economic Documentation Centre, established in 1971, which ensures the selection and indexing of automated documentation on the social and economic development of the country and the collection of statistical data.

1. Administrators - directors


1. = French Algeria =

Adrien Berbrugger (1835-1869) Oscar Mac Carthy (1869-1891) Émile Maupas (1891-1916) Bojeron, per délégation (1916-1920) Gabriel Esquer (1920-1948) Germaine Lebel (1948-1962)

1. = Algeria =

Mahmoud-Agha Bouayed (1962-1991) Amin Zaoui (2002-2008) Azzedine Mihoubi (2010-2013) Dahmane Abdelmadjid (20??-2015) Yasser Arafat Gana (2015-2017) Hayet Gouni (2017-)

1. See also

Centre Nationale des Archives (Algeria)

1. References


1. Bibliography

"Problems affecting the development of libraries in Algeria". Focus on International & Comparative Librarianship. 14. UK: Library Association. 1983. ISSN 0305-8468. (Includes national library) "Cultural heritage digitization projects in Algeria". IFLA Journal. 41 (3). 2015. doi:10.1177/0340035215603994. (Describes efforts of the national library)

1. External links

Official website (in Arabic)

Nearby Places View Menu

Dar Hassan Pacha

Dar Hassan Pacha is an 18th-century palace located in the Casbah of Algiers, Algeria. It was built in 1791 and used to belong to Hassan III Pasha, who signed a treaty with the US September 5, 1795. After 1830, it became the winter residence of the French Governor of Algiers, and was completely remodelled in 1839, when the entrance was changed and a new façade was added.

Historic Site Landmark

Dar Mustapha Pacha

Dar Mustapha Pacha (French: Palais Mustapha Pacha) is a Moorish palace, located in the Casbah of Algiers, Algiers, Algeria. It houses the National Museum of Miniatures, Illumination and Calligraphy. It was built by the future Dey Mustapha Pacha between 1798 and 1799. The main entrance to the palace is situated at No. 12 Ahmad and Muhammad Mecheri Street, under a projecting roof terrace which is bordered by rows of Roman tiles. The main door opens onto a sqifa (entrance hall), which leads to the main courtyard of the palace. The courtyard is sheltered with groined vaults and is dispersed with decorative niches which form window-seat benches. There is also a second entrance hall which is overlooked by two marble-framed doors; this connects the main sqifa used by visitors to enter the interior courtyard. The centre of the residential quarters is surrounded by galleries and supported by arches which rest on marble columns and are distinguished by decorative tiles. The ceilings are supported by wooden beams which cover the galleries on the ground floor and the first floor of the palace.

Historic Site Landmark

Ketchaoua Mosque

The Ketchaoua Mosque (Arabic: جامع كتشاوة), also known as Djamaa Ketchaoua, is a mosque in the city of Algiers, the capital of Algeria. Completed in the 17th century, during Ottoman period, the mosque is located at the foot of the Casbah of Algiers, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is on the first of the Casbah's many steep stairways. Its construction was logistically and symbolically a cynosure of pre-colonial Algiers. The mosque is noted for its unique fusion of Moorish and Byzantine architecture. Built by Hayreddin Barbarossa as a mosque in 1020 AH (1611/1612 CE), in 1831 Muslims were evicted under French rule and the structure was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral in 1832, renamed as the Cathedral of St Philippe (French: Cathédrale Saint-Philippe), which it remained until 1962. The former mosque-church was demolished between 1845 and 1860 and a new cathedral was built. Following Algerian independence in 1962, this structure was converted back into a mosque. In spite of these transitions, the mosque has retained its original grandeur and is one of the major tourist attractions of Algiers.

Historic Site Landmark

Dar Aziza

Dar Aziza is a 16th-century Moorish palace located in the Casbah of Algiers in Algeria. Today, it houses the National Agency of Archaeology and Protection of Historic Sites and Monuments. Dar Aziza, arguably the most iconic surviving building of its era in Algiers, was part of a large governmental compound known as Janina Palace, which existed before the arrival of Turkish corsairs.

Government Historic Site