Unit 1: Ancient Civilizations

Sequence II: Read and consider Read the text and do the following activities
Algeria at the Crossroads of Civilizations Choose the correct answer .1
No country in North Africa has as much access to the Mediterranean The text is : A survey An article an advert -
and the Sahara as Algeria. That made it open to many ancient civilizations C. Historical text - The text is: A. a scientific text B. political text
which made of it one of the richest countries in terms of heritage sites as
Tipaza, Djemila, Tassilin’Ajjer, Timgad, the M’zab Valley, and the Qalaa of 2. Match each idea with its corresponding paragraph.
Banu Hammad. 1§
Idea Paragraph
First, the Tassilin’Ajjer has the most prestige. It has more rock
paintings and engravings than any other prehistoric Saharan sites and it a.The Ottoman heritage in Algiers. §1
contains the most remains of the prehistoric civilizations. They brought as b.The history and historic significance of Casbah in Algiers. §2
much information as we need to know that the Algerian Sahara was one of c.Algeria is the richest North African country in prehistoric §3
the cradles of civilization. It had as few exchanges with the Phoenician and heritage. §4
the Roman civilizations as the other Saharan sites. That’s why it contains d.The Tassili N’Ajjer is the most prestigious prehistoric Sahar
the fewest traces of these ancient civilizations. 2§ an site
In the North of Algeria, the Casbah of Algiers undoubtedly holds the
most important position among the historic sites. There is little knowledge 3- Read the text below and say whether these statements are true or
about its earliest times, when it was founded by the Phoenicians as one of false:
their trading posts. It was known to the Carthaginians and the Romans as a. Algeria has little access to the Mediterranean sea and to the Sahara.
Icosium. Emir Bulughin had rebuilt the town into an important trading port b. The Tassili n’Ajjer contains many traces of the Phoenician and the
called Al-Jaza’ir until then, Algiers had less influence on international Roman civilizations.
commerce than the other Algerian maritime cities because it had fewer c. So much merchandise was transited through Algiers during the
harbors. Therefore, despite the fact that it was considered a trading post Phoenician and the Roman periods.
by both Phoenicians and Romans, only the least amount of merchandise
transited through it. 3§ 4-Answer the following questions from the text :
After the Turkish Baba Aruj brothers had gained control of the city in a. What is the historical effect of the Algerian access to the Mediterranean
1516, Algiers thrived as a relatively independent city under the nominal and the Sahara?
control of the Ottoman Empire. This was reflected on its architecture by b. Why did Algiers have less influence on international commerce as
building mosques, palaces similar to those in Asia Minor and erecting the compared with other maritime cities?
famous white-washed military fortification known as the Casbah the heart c. Did the Ottomans leave their traces on the city of Algiers? Justify.
of the city of Algiers. 4§
Adapted from Africana: The Encyclopedia of African and African American ?Who or what do the underlined words in the text refer to -5
a- It (1§) =……… b- they (2§) =………… c-Those (4§) = ……..