Legislation as an Important Element of the Management of the Casbah of Algiers: A Historical Review

The historic center of Algiers (Casbah) presents a state of severe decay. Even that the state has financed projects for its preservation, and promulgated laws to frame these actions with adequate conservation process, the Casbah’s buildings are still in danger of collapsing. This paper investigates the managing system of this heritage and its evolution through the public regulations and the legislative decisions. The management structure bodies of the Casbah have known a significant development since the promulgation of Law 98-04 regarding the preservation of cultural heritage. This law brought a new tool for the conservation and preservation of historic living cities that did not exist before 1998, what causes an unclear management strategy. This paper highlights anomalies concerning the management of the historic site of the Casbah before and after the promulgation of Law 98-04, and the efforts made by the state, as well as the results obtained so far after the approval of the new conservation instrument which is the PPSMVSS (Permanent Plan of Safeguard and Enhancement of Safeguarded Sectors) since 2012.