Inner gardens
Oranges and fountains.
Ghaid lemla — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY 4.0
A masterpiece of Ottoman architecture in eastern Algeria, a palace built by El Hadj Ahmed Bey, the last Bey of Constantine, between 1826 and 1835, shortly before the city fell to the French occupation, and counted among the most beautiful historic palaces in the country. The palace is arranged around three inner gardens of orange trees, palms and fountains, surrounded by arcades with marble columns and arches, colourful ceramic tiles brought from Tunisia and Italy, and doors of carved cedar. Its best-known feature is a series of large murals along the arcade walls, painted at the Bey's request and depicting cities and journeys, among them his pilgrimage to Mecca and scenes of Cairo and Istanbul, a unique work of art. The palace now houses a national museum of traditional arts and cultural expressions. The palace opens from 9 am to 5 pm and closes on Fridays; the ticket is a token fee and includes a guide in French or English, per visitor guides.
Oranges and fountains.
Pilgrimage and cities.
Bright colours.
Place Si El Haouès, central old town, Constantine
Sidi M'Cid BridgeThe symbol of Constantine, the city of suspended bridges, a suspension bridge fo7 minutes walk4.6
Sidi Rached ViaductA huge stone viaduct of successive arches crossing the Rhumel gorge south of the8 minutes walk4.5
War Memorial and Gorge ViewpointConstantine's finest viewpoint, on a high plateau north of the old town, where a11 minutes walkFrom 9 am to 5 pm; closed on Fridays.