For my latest adventures I have reconnected with an old friend Grace to explore some of the Maghreb – or western Arab lands of North Africa. A history buff also, Grace jumped at the chance to clamber over Roman ruins and share a couscous plate by the southern Mediterranean shores.
The Arab history of the region is a more recent one – only over the last millennium. The mind boggles to think that the Phoenicians built cities and dug artificial harbours for their warships 3000 years ago and the prolific and ultra-engineered Roman cities prospered 2 millennia ago. Add the resident Berber and Touareg nomads from the Sahara desert and the French conquest of North Africa 2 centuries ago and there is a heady mix of food, culture and history to dive into.
I am fascinated by the Roman engineering- from city planning which included water cisterns, aqueducts, brilliantly constructed roads with subterranean drainage and even man-holes for the poor slaves whose job it was to clear the drains. There were sit-down toilets, gymnasia and thermal baths which included steam rooms and the frigidarium, tepidarium and caldarium (cold, warm and hot) water baths. Along with their theatres the Romans really knew how to live well!
Hopefully the pictorial essay conveys the hours we spent climbing over temples, through Roman arches and to the far reaches on solid Roman roads.
Among the spectacular highlights of Algeria is the town of Constantine which is built atop the edges of a deep gorge with ancient buildings clinging to its edges and locals traversing back and forth across its many bridges.There are Ottoman palaces, French bakeries and the Algerians drink their morning espresso coffee de rigeur.
But the essence of the Maghreb for me is to get lost in the alleyways of the Medina. The central markets along with artisan shops, cafes and the central mosque are the living history of daily lives through antiquity. Ancient studded doors, jasmine and bougainvillea vines trailing over narrow laneways, metalworkers tapping away at intricate designs, sweet sellers’ carts tempting the passing foot traffic and the call to prayer which reminds the locals of their daily duties. Oh and the cats – the cats are king in the Medina and indeed all over the Maghreb – they answer to nobody, are spoiled by everybody and curl up lazily wherever they choose.
