Palais des Rais

The Palais des Rais, also called Bastion 23, is a group of three Ottoman palaces of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries and a row of six houses built against the old sea wall at the foot of the Casbah, the last surviving fragment of the waterfront quarter that was cleared in the nineteenth century. Restored over many years and reopened as a cultural centre, it gives the clearest surviving picture of how the wealthy houses of Ottoman Algiers worked: courtyards with columns and glazed tile dados, galleries on two levels, painted wooden ceilings, small rooms opening off the court and terraces looking at the sea. It lies within the Casbah World Heritage area.

What you actually see

• Ottoman courtyard houses - columns, tile dados and two-level galleries.
• Painted wooden ceilings - the decorated interiors of the palaces.
• The old sea wall - the bastion the buildings are built against.
• Terraces over the water - the seaward side of the complex.

When to go

October to May. Two hours. Opening hours are set and it closes on some days; check before travelling. Exhibitions use parts of the complex.

Honest expectations

Some rooms are closed for works or exhibitions and access varies. Labelling is sparse and largely untranslated. The seafront road outside is heavily trafficked and unpleasant to walk. Photography rules vary by room.

Nearby

The Casbah rises directly behind; Place des Martyrs lies east.