Trois Horloges

Do not be fooled by the clock covered post resting in the center of the three-way intersection known as Trois Horloges. This area once known as Bab-el-Oued was a thriving cultural mix of locals and European émigré during the early days of French colonial power in Algiers. It is here that the French experimented with the integration of Moorish and French architecture; adorning French designed multistory structures with Moorish exteriors, the French hopped to bridge the initial cultural divide with the locals. At one point this was the center hub of a thriving district, home to Jewish, Christian and Muslim businesses, a time before independence. These streets were once the land of opportunity and cultural blending where coffee could be enjoyed before Sunday mass, and Spanish music could be heard over Italian food.

Though simple in appearance, it is the rich and unifying history of this district that makes the Trios Horologes so important. Its place in modern Algiers serves two purposes. First, it plays to the nostalgia of the old city, serving as a reminder of what life had once been like under the French. Second, The loneliness of the Trios Horloges and the absence of what made the Bab-el-Qued a suburb are overshadowed by the rapid development of post-colonial Algiers. This shows the world Algiers cultural respect for the past, as the press on into the future.