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Algerian Life Before and After French Colonization

  • 1500 BCE

    Diet

    Diet
    The first inhabitants, Berber Tribesmen, of Algeria cultivated wheat and ate fruits like dates. They cultivated a specific type of wheat called semolina. This cultivation then led them to create their national plate called couscous. They also grew grains when the Muslims Arabs arrived. Also the Islamic culture played a big part in the Algerian diet.
  • 1500

    Family structure

    Family structure
    Men were the headers of the family, women provided support and obedience to their husbands. Parents arranged marriage for their children. They were organized as extended family, clan and tribe.
  • 1500

    Religious Believes

    Religious Believes
    Before the Islam arrival, the Berbers were Christians and Pagans. But eventually many of them converted to the Islamic religion. They believed in one God which is Allah, angels, and life after death. They always live praising their God.
  • 1500

    Education

    Education
    Before colonization arabic was the main language so it was the language taught in the schools. They had muslims teachers and had this specific type of education called the Koranic based education.
  • 1500

    Artistic Expression

    Artistic Expression
    Algerians had music and dance as a cultural tradition. Their music was tied to their storytelling of love, honor, and family. The structure of their music was repetitive and subtle with mostly quarter notes. Their traditional instruments were the oud, an instrument similar to the lute, small drums and a reed flute. The picture above is an original arabic oud.
  • Colonization

    Colonization
    The French colonized algeria.
  • Diet

    Diet
    When the French colonized Algeria they introduced their diet to them, including their famous loaves of bread. They also brought over to Algeria other foods such as tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, and chilies
  • Religious beliefs

    Religious beliefs
    After the French colonized, they brought over to Algeria their catholic religion. When the French settled they built Catholic Churches in their communities. But it was only them the people in Algeria stuck with their Islam religion.
  • Family structure

    It was all the same family was still an extremely important part but probably certain things like arrange marriages changed. Also the religion certain families practiced.
  • Education

    Education
    After the French colonization, the education was mostly for children of French nationals. Before their independence, there were only 1,000 algerian university graduates.There is also a strong French Influence over education like in language, curriculum and degree structure. The French established madrasa schools and established public schools that were both Arabic and French even though after that they tried to make it fully french but failed.