Dar Aziza


Dar Aziza is a 16th-century Moorish palace located in the Casbah of Algiers, Algeria. Today, it houses the National Agency of Archaeology and Protection of Historic Sites and Monuments.
Dar Aziza is undoubtedly the oldest prestigious building in Algiers; It was part of the large governmental group known as Janina, which existed before the arrival of Turkish corsairs. In the Ottoman period, it would have served to lodge foreign embassies and, in particular, the Fathers of the Order of Mercy who came to negotiate the redemption of Christian captives. According to a 1721 document, the building had three floors before losing one in the 1716 earthquake. According to Henri Klein, this palace was given by the Dey to his daughter Aziza on the occasion of her marriage to the Bey of Constantine. In 1838, it became the residence of the Bishop of Algiers and then the archbishopric of Algiers due to its position in front of the cathedral. It was described by the Louis-Antoine-Augustin Pavy as a "jewel of oriental architecture" and was classified as a historic monument in 1887.
Since 1962, the palace has been occupied successively by the Ministry of Tourism, the Ethaqafa magazine and now by the National Agency of Archaeology and Protection of Historic Sites and Monuments.