Sidi Mohamed Cherif Mosque is located at the intersection of two alleys in the Upper Casbah. It serves as a place of prayer, a zawiya, a shrine, and an old fountain. This religious complex was built around the memory of a local saint in the 16th century and reflects the spiritual and daily life of Algiers during the Ottoman period.
The mosque is situated in the Ammar Ali district, in the dense urban fabric of the Upper Casbah. Its entrance is at the intersection of Sidi Mohamed Cherif Street and the Brothers Bouchara Street.
Unlike the large mosques near the seafront, this monument has an intimate neighbourhood scale. It gradually appears among narrow passages, stairways, and old houses.
The mosque developed near the zawiya containing the tomb of Sidi Mohamed Cherif. According to Algiers Tourism authorities, it was built during the Ottoman period, and the saint was buried there in 1541.
Practical Information
- Location: Ammar Ali district, Upper Casbah, Algiers
- Site: Intersection of Sidi Mohamed Cherif Street and Brothers Bouchara Street
- Type: Mosque, zawiya, and shrine
- Construction: 16th century
- Historical period: Ottoman period
- Associated figure: Sidi Mohamed Cherif
- Architectural style: Maghrebi and Ottoman
- Distinctive feature: Fountain decorated with multicoloured tiles
- Current condition: Monument undergoing restoration; access should be checked
- Approximate visit duration: 15–20 minutes from the outside
History and Architecture
The origins of this monument are closely linked to Sidi Mohamed Cherif, a religious figure whose memory has been preserved in the Casbah.
After his death, dated by some sources to between 1541 and 1543, his tomb became a place of pilgrimage and blessing. A zawiya and a mosque were later built around it during the 16th century.
The complex belongs to the early decades of the Regency of Algiers, a period during which the city changed and gradually expanded towards the hills.
The first restoration study was carried out in 2002 and included the preservation of the mosque and its decorated fountain. The study describes a stone basin set against a wall covered with multicoloured tiles, protected by a wooden canopy and glazed green tiles.
The monument later underwent another restoration project. On December 22, 2025, when the work was estimated to be 35% complete, part of the minaret collapsed.
The authorities secured the site and opened a technical investigation. They also announced their intention to rebuild the minaret according to its original design. This incident highlights the fragility of the Casbah’s architectural heritage.
Sidi Mohamed Cherif Mosque is not distinguished by its large size, but by its integration into the neighbourhood and by the combination of its prayer hall, shrine, fountain, and minaret.
Its architectural style combines elements of Maghrebi and Ottoman traditions in Algeria, including whitewashed walls, carved wood, coloured tiles, tiled roofs, and interior spaces organised around small domes.
A few steps lead to a carved wooden door. The prayer hall is modest in size and contains a ceramic-decorated mihrab and columns supporting the roofed sections.
The presence of the shrine near the mosque reminds visitors that the monument developed around an earlier place of worship and pilgrimage.
Visiting Advice
Sidi Mohamed Cherif Mosque should currently be considered a fragile monument. Access may be restricted because of restoration work and the collapse that occurred in December 2025.
