BY: Dr. Hana Saada
ALGIERS- In the heart of Casbah, where history whispers through ancient walls and traditions linger in every corner, the arrival of Sidna Ramadan carries a unique essence. The bustling city, with its storied past and resilient spirit, offers a glimpse into Ramadan’s rich tapestry, where preparations blend with rituals, and the aroma of tradition fills the air.
In Casbah, the approach of Ramadan heralds a flurry of activity, reminiscent of bygone eras. Streets come alive with the rhythm of cleaning, painting, and preparations for the holy month. In fact, the inhabitants of the Casbah dedicate the month preceding Ramadan (Chaabane) to repainting the whole Casbah, with the white color, maintaining the city’s allegiance to its nickname, “White Algiers.”
Families join hands, each member contributing to the collective effort, as mothers meticulously clean, fathers procure supplies, and children eagerly partake in the anticipation of fasting for the first time, their laughter echoing through the winding alleys.
Away from the hustle and bustle of modernity, women in Casbah partake in the age-old tradition of whitewashing their homes with lime, mingled with blue indigo dye and Barbary fig parchment, preserving the integrity of their dwellings while honoring the sanctity of the month. Mosques, too, undergo a transformation, as walls are painted, carpets cleaned, and colored lanterns adorn minarets and domes, signaling the arrival of Tarawih prayers.
In the markets of Casbah, women flock to purchase spices and herbs, from cinnamon and cumin to black pepper and caraway seeds, meticulously selecting each ingredient to enhance the flavors of their dishes. The ritual of preparing the home extends to tableware, with Algerian women ensuring their utensils are immaculate, a gesture of hospitality and respect for guests during Ramadan.
Women of the Casbah gather in the ancient neighborhoods on the roofs to prepare “Ras El Hanout” or what is known in other areas as “Fawah”, which is a mixture of spices for Algerian cooking. Also, they make, from the clay “Al Nafakh”, which is a “manual coal oven.”
The “Nafakh” is filled with coals to roast vegetables to prepare “Al-harour,”- known in other regions as “Hmiss” – an Algerian version of the grilled pepper dip, famous in North Africa. It is a delicious Algerian appetizer, and one of the most famous dishes in Algeria. The grilled taste of the pepper, prepared in a sauce with tomato and garlic, gives a very particular flavor to this entry and makes it very appreciable.
Despite the invention of gas-lit stovetops in the Casbah, women opt for roasting vegetables on the blower and simmer dishes in clay pots over a charcoal fire as a symbol of asceticism.
Before the advent of television and radio, residents of Casbah had a unique way of knowing the time for the Maghrib call to break their fast during Ramadan. It was through the ingenious urban design of Casbah itself. The city was built on sloping terrain from Bouzareah to La Pécherie in a terraced manner, allowing unobstructed views between houses. In the evening, as dusk approached, the glow of oil lamps illuminated the narrow streets, and white flags were raised atop minarets to signal the onset of Iftar time. Following Iftar, green flags were raised, symbolizing the end of the day’s fast.
These flags, steeped in tradition, endured for generations until they disappeared with the onset of colonization. They were replaced by the firing of cannons from the Sultan’s Palace or the Admiralty, marking the time for Maghrib prayers. Elderly residents fondly recall the songs and chants of children eagerly awaiting the cannon’s boom, signaling the end of the fast. The rhythmic chants of “Call the prayer, O Sheikh… Let the cannon fire… It goes boom boom… And we stay calm… If it doesn’t fire… We won’t eat…” resonated through the city, creating a sense of anticipation and community among its inhabitants.
For many Casbah families, the first eight evenings should be spent with immediate family and neighbors, while for the remaining nights of Ramadan, outings and invitations begin.
Women, for their part, gather at one house, playing the game of Būqālah—which means both water pitcher and poem—it is a linguistic game that required players to either learn or improvise polysemic poems, each of which made up of four to ten lines or longer. They were transmitted orally by the women of Algiers in vernacular Arabic (Darja). They are “structured, formulaic lines made to be familiar and easy to remember (according to traversing tradition).
Despite the passage of time and the influence of colonization, the customs of Casbah endure, resilient and unwavering. As the call to prayer echoes through the labyrinthine streets, resonating with the spirit of Ramadan, the essence of tradition lives on, cherished by generations old and new.
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