Let's Rock the Casbah

Today we visit Algiers’ Casbah in Algeria!

Algeria is located in North Africa and is largest country in the Mediterranean Sea, the second largest on the African continent and the 11^th largest country (by land size) in the world. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Tunisia, Libya, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, and Morocco. About 90 percent of its population lives in the Northern coastal region. Central and southern Algeria form part of the vast Sahara dessert.

Some interesting points about Algeria and her people:

They commonly use hand gestures during or in place of conversations. Two clasped hands is a greeting at a distance. If they press a flat right hand to their heart, it can mean appreciation. Pointing at others or at things is disrespectful. And, as might be expected, they tend to avoid using the left hand for gesturing. And they are very careful not to point the bottom of their feet at others or place their feet on furniture.

Family is very important to Algerians. Many families may have three or more generations living under the same roof. Many people there tend to prefer large concrete homes with high walls that surround their vegetable gardens though a few people do live in apartments in urban areas.

The Algerian diet is influenced by French cooking and tends to feature rich sauces. Couscous is very popular, as is lamb, chicken and vegetables. Tajine is a meat and vegetable stew that is actually named for the type of pot that it is cooked in.

The sketch above is based on a photo (Algiers, Casbah) by Marina Veyze and was used with permission. Thank you Marina. It was sketched with pencil, Derwent Watercolor pencils, and a brown Pitt pen in my sketchbook.

For more information on the song “Rock the Casbah” click here.