Saint-Raphael balcony

The Saint-Raphaël balcony located in the commune of El Biar is a lookout point perched on a high cliff overlooking Algiers, offering a view of the panorama of one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

Mr. Brunel, the mayor of El Biar, explained during the inauguration that the name comes from the biblical legend in which Tobit, who became blind in his old age, regains his sight on the advice of the Archangel Raphael. Thus, when admiring this grand panorama, one feels the terrible thing that blindness is.

During the Regency era, the Saint-Raphaël cliff was part of the gardens of the Swedish Consulate. General de Bourmont and his troops occupied the area in 1830 to establish the Henri IV battery, intended to bombard the Fort-l’Empereur. On January 20, 1845, the consulate was destroyed by a landslide. In 1913, captivated by the beauty of the site, the “Claridge” Society acquired the land with the intention of building a luxurious hotel, but the war prevented the realization of this project.

In 1923, a subdivision plan was agreed upon, and many buyers came forward. Mr. Luciani, mayor of El Biar, and Pasquier-Bronde, representing the municipality of Algiers, deemed it disastrous to allow this magnificent viewpoint to be spoiled by constructions built according to the whims or immediate interests of the owners. They intervened with the liquidator and the architect to study ways to preserve this incomparable site for the community, while still respecting the legitimate interests of the Claridge Hotel Society’s shareholders.

In exchange for the commitment made by the municipality of El Biar to carry out the usual roadworks: layout of access roads, installation of sewers, water, gas, and electricity, and subject to servitudes imposed on both the commune and the buyers of the lots, who could only build leisure villas, excluding any industry or commerce likely to disfigure the landscape or emit unpleasant odors, the Claridge Society ceded approximately 11,000 square meters of land to the commune of El Biar, including 2,000 square meters along the cliff. This transfer was made with the aim of developing a terrace with a balcony at the top part and transforming the lower part of the cliff into a public park with access to Algiers.

The Saint-Raphaël balcony located in the commune of El Biar is a lookout point perched on a high cliff overlooking Algiers, offering a view of the panorama of one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

Mr. Brunel, the mayor of El Biar, explained during the inauguration that the name comes from the biblical legend in which Tobit, who became blind in his old age, regains his sight on the advice of the Archangel Raphael. Thus, when admiring this grand panorama, one feels the terrible thing that blindness is.

During the Regency era, the Saint-Raphaël cliff was part of the gardens of the Swedish Consulate. General de Bourmont and his troops occupied the area in 1830 to establish the Henri IV battery, intended to bombard the Fort-l’Empereur. On January 20, 1845, the consulate was destroyed by a landslide. In 1913, captivated by the beauty of the site, the “Claridge” Society acquired the land with the intention of building a luxurious hotel, but the war prevented the realization of this project.

In 1923, a subdivision plan was agreed upon, and many buyers came forward. Mr. Luciani, mayor of El Biar, and Pasquier-Bronde, representing the municipality of Algiers, deemed it disastrous to allow this magnificent viewpoint to be spoiled by constructions built according to the whims or immediate interests of the owners. They intervened with the liquidator and the architect to study ways to preserve this incomparable site for the community, while still respecting the legitimate interests of the Claridge Hotel Society’s shareholders.

In exchange for the commitment made by the municipality of El Biar to carry out the usual roadworks: layout of access roads, installation of sewers, water, gas, and electricity, and subject to servitudes imposed on both the commune and the buyers of the lots, who could only build leisure villas, excluding any industry or commerce likely to disfigure the landscape or emit unpleasant odors, the Claridge Society ceded approximately 11,000 square meters of land to the commune of El Biar, including 2,000 square meters along the cliff. This transfer was made with the aim of developing a terrace with a balcony at the top part and transforming the lower part of the cliff into a public park with access to Algiers.