Palace of the Dey


Palace of the Dey, also known as Algeria Castle or Dey Hussein Palace, is an Ottoman era palace in the city of Algiers, Algeria. Completed in the 16th century, it is situated inside the Casbah of Algiers, and settled by successive deys of the city. It once was the second largest palace in the Ottoman Empire, next to Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.

History

Hussein Dey had lived in the palace for 12 years. The palace witnessed the so-called ":Ar:الحادث المروحة|Fan Incident" in 1827 which became the indirect cause of the French declaration of war against Algeria.

Architecture

It is a fusion of several architectural styles, namely Moorish, Ottoman, Persian and European. The building consists of three floors with rectangle courtyard in the middle surrounded by suites, apartments, kitchens and hamams. Other facilities of the palace including two mosques, a diwan, and an armory. The building was decorated by the craftsmanship from Tunisia of the Islamic pottery, specifically the Hispano-Moresque ware originated from Andalucia and popularized in Tunisia in the 15th century.

Condition

Although renovations has been conducted in 1979, 1989 and 2006, the palace still suffers from damages which lead to collapse of and major cracks on the wooden parts of the building. The collapse and cracks were resulting from the environment of the building where surrounded by the busy roads. Algerian government has been initiating an international team to conduct even more extensive renovation.

Gallery


File:Dey Hussein Castle.Bastion 23.JPG|Interior
File:Dey Hussein Roof Castle.JPG|Ceiling