Ezusteko Aljeria

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OHARRA: 200 argazki baino gehiago dituen bidaia-erregistroa da  hau. Konprimituta dauden arren, WIFI ingurune batean ez bazaude, beharbada geroxeago bisitatu nahi izango duzu orri hau.

Post hau idazten ari naiz Imarhan-en diskoa entzuten ari naizela, Billelek, gure gidariak, Konstantina aldetik bidaiatzen ari ginela gomendatu ziguna. Aljeriara joan nintzen batez ere Nazioarteko Astronomia Batasunaren misio batean. Hasi aurretik nire lagun onek, Ale eta Paco, bira txiki batean lagundu ninduten. Oro har, hilabete oso bat eman dut orain, maitasunez, “Aljeria ezustekoa” deitzen dudan herrialde horretan.  Aljeria, hazi nintzenetik hain fisikoki gertu, baina urte hauetan hain urrun. Aste bat ere ez da pasa eta dagoeneko faltan botatzen ditut bertako jendea eta bertako paisaiak. Hau da nire bidaia-koadernoa, lurralde hauetan pasatu dudan denboraren zaporea berriro bisitatu, gogoratu eta luzatzeko.

Ghardaïa

Hau jarraian egin nituen bi bidaien kronika da, bata Ale eta Pacorekin, gure bidaia agentziak antolatua, eta bestea CRAAGeko gure lankideek Ghardaïa astronomia klubarekin batera antolatutakoa.  Biak anfitrioi paregabeak izan ziren, gure bisita biziago eta kulturalki murgilduago egin zutenak. Gauean iritsi ginen eta poliziak gure hotelera lagundu gintuen. Horrek beldurra ematen dio ustekabeko bisitariari, baina gaur egun atzerritarrentzat ohiko politika da. Ez dago, ustez, benetako arriskurik. Gauean ez zen gauza handirik ikusten, baina goiza heldu eta gurekin eraman nahi genituen irudi asko topatu genituen.

Lehenengo geralekua El Atteuf izan zen, Ghardaïa udalerriko herririk zaharrena. Mozabitek 1020an sortu zuten eta zazpi familiek oraindik irmo defendatzen dituzte euren oinarrizko balio tradizionalak. Mozabitek basamortua otzandu zuten haranetan palmondoen sistema zabala eraikitzeko, ureztatze sistema adimentsuekin. Oasiaren hedadura jatorrizkoa baino askoz handiagoa da gaur egun.

 

 

Hurrengo geltokia, Ghardaïa hiria, udalerriko herri nagusia, 90.000 biztanle inguru dituena, gehienbat mozabitak, baina arabiar eta judutarrak ere bai.

 

Eta handik Saiden herria bisitatu genuen, Beni Isghen, non kontu handiz ibiltzeko eskatu ziguten bertako zuriz jantzita zeuden emakumeei argazkirik ez ateratzeko. Horrek denbora eta esfortzua behar zituen, marko perfektua geneukan bakoitzean zuriz jantzitako emakume berri bat agertzen baitzen kalean! Barre asko, baina lortu genuen! Gure portaera ona zela eta, herriko dorrera eraman gintuzten, eta gero Tafilelteko Ksarera abiatu ginen, Bou Noura herriaren alde berrira. Ksar honek jasangarritasun sari asko irabazi ditu, estilo tradizionaleko etxebizitza erakargarriak eraikiz palmondoaren teilatuaren kanpoaldean, komunitatearen bizibide eta janari tradizionalaren iturri nagusia dena.

Dunak, dunak, dunak!!!! Ghardaïatik 45 minutu hego-ekialdera dagoen Sebseb Oasisera joan ginen ilunabarra ikustera eta ohiko kuskus afariaz gozatzera.

 

 

Eta asteburuko esplorazioa amaitzen da eta Ouarglarako autobusean aurkitzen gara Aljerrako hegazkina hartzera, baina lehendabizi bigarren ilunabarra basamortuan, oraingoan horizonte lau batekin… itsasoan ilunabarra balitz bezala, hauts eta hareazko itsasoa.

 

Tipaza

Beste bisita bikoitza. Hau ona da, lehen bisitan galdutako xehetasunak hobe atzemateko. Tipaza, feniziar herria, gaur egun erromatar aztarnategi arkeologikoa itsasoaren ondoan, Tipaza, arrantza portu modernoa. Urdina eta berdea izan beharko lirateko bere ikurreko koloreak.

(eta hurrengoa oraindik itzuli behar dut…)

 

Hemen gaude erromatarren hondakinak ikusteko, noski. Zein leku ikusgarria! Bai Ale eta Pacorekin bai eskolarekin kantu saioak egin genituen anfiteatroan. Badakit bideoak daudela. Baliteke egunen batean xantaia egitea Scarlattiren O Cessate eta Offenbach-en Barcarolle duetoaren interpretazioagatik, baina tira, ondo pasatzeko izan zen!

 

Eta handik Cherchelera, inbasio ezberdinek hondatu gabe utzitako artelan asko biltzen dituen Cesarea Museo zaharra ikusteko.

 

Djemila

I am at lost to find words that describe the visit to this archeological site, so let’s just go with wow-wow-wow! Not in vain it is a UNESCO  World Heritage site.  I am sure a major part of the enjoyment was imprinted by our brilliant guide Billel, who kept us reading and guessing  inscriptions in Latin in every stone and recounted Roman history with graphs and play in different locations of the ruins, and by my fellow travellers and good friends A&P, who are Roman history nerds, and kept on asking advanced questions on every detail Billel mentioned. I studied Latin and Roman history as part of the high-school curriculum, too many years ago to recall any of it, but… what a blast!

I am going to show first the amazing landscapes, although Billel showed us first the museum so he could introduce us to the richness of the place and enjoy the decour these palaces and mansions had in the past. How amazing it must have been to be an archeologist at the time of preserving these remains!

 

 

And now time for the mosaics that adorned all these mansions and lay-people’s houses. We measured the extension of the latter: not bad, close to ~70 sq.meter, much like medium-size modern apartments! I could see our guide was puzzled by all the measuring mania. Professional deformation…

I know, too many mosaics, but these are so amazing that they deserve their own gallery. Just thumbnails, so that if you are not into mosaics you can pass this section quickly.

Guelma

Not one of the main touristic sites. We enjoyed the little museum and the site in general. Foreigners are not usually seen here, so we were asked permission to take pictures of us for their website. Main purpose? The amphitheater, which is used for performances nowadays. It is reconstructed, and it has beautiful acoustics. Yes, we tested it!!!! 😉

Annaba

We are here to visit St. Agustine’s  basilica, the old and the new, and catch a quick glimpse of the coast in the meantime. Not a major archeological site, but P has a keen interest in the history of the Catholic Church and already knows many details about the site.

Timgad

Another major Roman archeological site. A military stronghold to defend Roman interests against the attacks of the original inhabitats of the Aures mountains. This is so extensive that even at a good pace, we could not see all of it.

 

And by now you are probably aware I love mosaics, so no surprise here. Mosaics in the museum:

Lambaesis

A millitary garrison to protect some roads. It is a totally abandoned place now, but very interesting to see the military barracks and the main buiding and amphitheater.

Tiddis

Last of our Roman ruin exploration: another military outpost that communicated with what is now Constantine. Built over a hill, it was difficult to supply enough water for all the population. Very interesting water  engineering here. Also interesting to see the sites where remains of the mixture of faiths can be seen.

Constantine

A quick visit to a marvellous city, third in size in Algeria. We were there for three nights while we toured the Roman ruins, and felt knackered after so much walking, so we stayed put in the hotel for most evenings. An afternoon to explore the city felt way too short, really!

 

 

In the early morning we visited the Mosque Émir Abdelkader of Constantine, before most of people arrived for prayer. It was a Saturday, but all the same… Ale and I in borrowed long robes.

And to the streets we go

Time to visit the Palace of Ahmed Bey, who enjoyed it only for two years before invasion and eviction

Alger la Blanche

Work is awaiting me in Algiers. The school starts the following day in Zeralda, a coastal touristic resort in the outskits of the capital. During the three weeks that followed I could visit the center of Algiers several times.

 

You can have a glipmse at the academic activities of the school in the post previous to this one.

So long Algeria!