1.

Kourdane Palace-The Writer beside the main entrance to the Palace

2.Kourdane Palace- a view of the Palace
3.Kourdane Palace- The
Writer standing near the
Palace
4.Kourdane Palace- an upper view of the Palace
5.Kourdane Palace- the stairs that lead to the first floor
6.Kourdane Palace –the Sidi Tahar’s Mausoleum
7.Kourdane Palace-the Writer beside the Palace’s fountain
8.Kourdane Palace-the Writer inside the Palace
 IN TH E N AME OF GO D T HE COMPA SSIO NATE THE
MER CI FU L

*SU BJEC T: WOR LD I SLA MIC H ER IT AG E

*T HE KOU RDANE P AL ATE
*A IN -M ADHI, W IL AYA O F LAGH OU AT- ALGER IA.

Aurélie Picard, the princess of sands as it was called was

born on the 12th of June 1849 in Montigny-le-roi (Haute-
Marne) in France, her father Claude Picard was a French
Gendarme, he has served in Algeria during his military
service and was “rewarded” the high distinguished Légion
d’honneur in the aftermath of the taking over of the Smalah
(moving camp) of Emir Abdel Kader in 1843.

At the age of 18 Aurelie was a saleswoman in a hat-shop in

Arc-en-Barrois and made an acquaintance with Mme.
Steenakers the French general Adviser’s wife who was also
living in Arc-en-Barrois castle.
 Mr.Steenakers has became the post-office Minister and
since the telegraphic network was annihilated by the
Prussians , the Minister recommended the use of carrier-
pigeons for communication links and asked Aurélie to take
care of the new job in a great sign of trust and devotion to
her.
One day as she was looking after of the pigeons she felt
the presence of a strange person behind her, turning back
and in first vision, a man with peculiar clothing was behind
her, there was the first contact between the young
European lady and the young brown Sidi Tahar Ben Amar
ben Mohamed Al Habib ben Ahmed Tijani who was at that
time under house arrest in Bordeaux, France.

So it all started from this first emotional encounter,

henceforth they got married in Algiers and went southern
to Ain-Madhi about 455 km south-west of Algiers to live she
became “Lalla Yamina” or “Lady Yamina” and went on in
building from the year 1872 the “Kourdane palace” or “Cour
d’Anne” named after Aurélie’s sister Anne, such a
sumptuous building erected close to theTijaniyah Zawiya
was surrounded with a magnificent rose garden a true
feast of perfumes and colours of a virgin purity.
 The palace as visited is a mixture of oriental-western style
built upon complicated corridors and rooms situated in
different levels nicely decorated with multicoloured faience
and specifically decorated with French style furniture.
At the foot of the palace, fragrant eucalyptus and different
species of roses such chrysanthemum have been planted in
such magnificent manner, this man-made arrangement of
trees and flowers form a crown of silver set upon the
monotonous no man’s land.

In 1897, Sidi Tahar Tijani died and was buried inside the
Palate; while Aurélie went on to carry on the usual duties and
works of the Tijaniyah brotherhood until she died in 1933 at
the age of 84.

But much to our chagrin, the erstwhile sumptuous Palace and

during our recent visit is nothing but a neglected and an
abandoned poorly lonely historic site where only the shiny
white marble of the couple graves and the few greenery
landscape are the mere spots of purity within the mournfully
grey scene that once testified the grandeur of this lost and
forgotten heritage.
 ‫محمد بوكريطة‬
‫كاتب مستقل و مستشار في السياحة الثقافية‬
mb ok ret a@ma ktoo b.c om

MOH AMED BOKR ET A

FR EELA NCE WR IT ER &
CULTU RAL TO URI SM
CONSU LTA NT
mo hb okr eta@ yaho o.c om