Algerian travel can radically change the worldview of any traveler - mesmerizing landscapes, marvelous traditions, works of art by ancient masters and their modern interpretations. I just want to take at least a small piece of this fantastic country home with me. Authentic gifts and souvenirs can help in this, below will be a story about what to bring from Algeria.
This country, located in the northern part of the African continent, lags behind its more advanced in terms of tourism "colleagues" - Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. But in Algeria, you can find a lot of interesting things, monuments of ancient culture and modern art, buy delicious gifts and souvenirs in ethnic style, buy beautiful practical things and dozens of magnets so that all relatives and friends will have enough.
What to bring authentic from Algeria?
A discovery for many travelers is the fact that the territories now occupied by Algeria, at different times belonged to different peoples and states. The ancient Phoenicians and Romans left their traces in the history of the country, the indigenous population of the Berbers is also the custodian of the ancient rich culture. It is difficult to separate today the heritage of Europeans from the native Algerian one; in the list of authentic souvenirs of Algeria, one can see the following things: skillful copper chasing; bronze jewelry; original straw rugs; lovingly woven Berber carpets.
In general, the heritage of the Berber culture can and should be discussed separately. The simplest material - straw - in the hands of skilled craftswomen turns into a work of art that retains not only color or shape, but also the symbolism of patterns.
Modern mats preserve ancient national motives and symbols, this moment can be traced even more clearly in relation to Berber carpets, made in the best traditions of the masters of the East. And even goat hair rugs decorated with primitive geometric patterns are sold out by tourists. Better yet, come to Algeria specifically during the carpet festival. It is organized annually, in the town of Gardaya, the tasks of the festival participants are to show the skill of modern weavers, to organize a grand fair. Naturally, tourists, observing such beauty, find it difficult to refrain from buying. In addition, festival events include music, dancing, and gastronomic tasting exhibitions.
Representatives of the beautiful half of humanity are in awe of silver and bronze jewelry made on the basis of ancient samples. On the one hand, rings, bracelets, pendants, earrings look very massive and solid. On the other hand, the subtlety of the cut is striking, the jewelry (in the literal sense) work of the craftsmen, the products are abundantly decorated with enamels, bright inserts of azure and emerald colors give lightness and airiness to the jewelry.
Trade center
It is interesting that the name of the state and its capital is the same, because of this, tourists sometimes have a slight confusion. You can endlessly walk around the main city of the country, beautiful old Algeria, this journey becomes a kind of immersion in the old days, especially if you choose the historical center for the promenade.
Shopping in the capital is best done on Didush Murad Street, it is here that there are shops specializing in the sale of national souvenirs, things in ethnic style. There are jewelry and art salons, by the way, the works of local painters are quoted on the world market. The main theme is the modern life of Algeria, balancing between the culture of the ancient Berbers and the future.
Foreign travelers also find it difficult to resist buying photographs that represent their vision of the country and its individual residents. Interestingly, many of the work photographers build on the contrast of ancient Algeria, the traditional way of life and modernity. Artistic photographs manage to capture emotions - joy, sadness, hope, love, such works of contemporary art are most appreciated by tourists.
Local sellers a priori set exorbitant prices, but, like true professionals, they expect bargaining. Tourists can, without hesitation, immediately begin to knock down prices, using all available methods. Naturally, it is advisable to take with you some kind of guide-translator who can help the guest to reduce the final amount by half.
The second point that the guest needs to remember is that because of the hot climate in the country, many retail outlets work in two stages, with a long break in the middle of the day. On the other hand, sellers of souvenir shops work according to the principle "to the last buyer", and supermarkets with air conditioning systems also work without interruption.
