Constantine



Constantine (Arabic: قسنطينة, Qusantinah; Berber: ⵇⵙⵏⵟⵉⵏⴰ, qsnṭina) is a city in Northeast Algeria and the capital of Constantine Province. It is a famous tourist spot known for its breathtaking canyons, magnificent bridges, and picturesque location.

Understand
Constantine is one of the world’s oldest cities. Founded by the Phoenicians, it became the capital of the Numidian Kingdom under the name Cirta.

Etymology
The city was renamed to "Constantine" in 313 AD by the Romans, in honour of Constantine the Great.

History
Completely destroyed by Maxence in 311CE, it was rebuilt shortly afterwards by Emperor Constantine who named it after himself. Constantine has preserved the historic relics of three millennia of Numidian, Roman, Muslim, Ottoman and colonial occupation. The ancient city has been listed as an Algerian national heritage site since December 2004.

By plane
. The main airport of Constantine, which is situated 12km from the city centre.


 * Air Algérie (Basel, Istanbul, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris CDG, Paris ORLY)
 * Air Algérie Seasonal (Toulouse and Nancy)
 * Tassili Airlines (Strasburg)
 * Transavia (Lyon, Montpellier, Paris ORLY)
 * Tui Fly (Charleroi)
 * Tunisair (Tunis)
 * Turkish airlines (Istanbul)
 * Volotea (Marseille)

By train
The train station is near the city centre and it connected to several Algerian destinations.



By car
The distance between Constantine and Algiers is 318 km. The road distance is almost 400 km.

By bus
There are regular buses coming in from Algiers (5 hours) and Sétif (2 hours).

Buses and shared taxis coming from Sétif arrive at the Gare Routière Ouest south of town. There's a tram stop nearby. Taking it to the terminus would cover about half the distance to old town.

Transport from Batna arrives as the Gare Routière Est.

By boat

 * Skikda port: 80 km from the city center; connected to Marseille (France).
 * Annaba port: 150 km from the city center; connected to Marseille (France).
 * Tunis port: 250 km from the city center; connected to Naples, Genova & Rome (Italy).
 * Algiers port: 450 km from the city center; connected to Marseille & Sete (France), Naples (Italy), Barcelona & Alicante (Spain).
 * Bejaia port: 250 km from the city center; connected to Marseille (France)

By tram
There's a long tramline starting south of the city center and passing by the Emir Abd Elkader mosque and gare routière ouest before crossing the river. Tickets should be bought at a kiosk near the stops.

See


The city is framed by a deep ravine and has a dramatic appearance. The city is very picturesque with a number of bridges and a viaduct crossing the ravine.
 * The city center bridges: this city is very famous for 7 bridges, especially the Gantaret El Hibal (also called Sidi M'Cid) bridge which is the 2nd highest suspended bridge in the world. It's a perfect place to do a bungee jump. Also the pedestrian has great views.
 * the
 * the
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Nearby are the Roman city of Tiddis and the megalithic monuments and burial grounds at Djebel Mazala Salluste.



Budget
These food are cheap and can be brought for no more than 150 dinars.
 * Local pizza. As in all northeast and central Algeria, pizzas in these regions is different. Pizzas in Constantine usually served with tuna, chicken, cheese, or vegetables. Pizzerias in Constantine usually don’t serve ketchup or mustard but instead harisa (a spicy sauce) or mayonnaise.


 * BBQ. BBQ, usually known as shewa by locals, is a variety of barbecue and grills. Can be meat or vegetables. And if you want. It can be served as a sandwich.

Mid-range
These food are usually sold for not an expensive price nor cheap price. And the quality is good.
 * Bouzelouf. A very popular meal in the city. Served with meat, chickpeas, and tomato soup. Can be found in the city center.
 * Baklava. Locals pronounce it as Baklawa. is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. usually served In cafeterias.

Splurge
Here are the best food you can find in Constantine. Usually expensive than other types of food or dishes.
 * Couscous. An Algerian meal made from small steamed granules of rolled durum wheat semolina that is usually served with vegetables and a portion of meat.
 * Shakshuka. Shakshuka is a simple dish made of gently poached eggs in a delicious chunky tomato and bell pepper sauce. Said to have originated in Tunisia, this breakfast recipe is popular in many parts of North Africa and the Middle East. It is so satisfying, you can serve it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Drink

 * Tea with mint. Usually called (Atay) by locals.
 * Leben. A kind of heavy milk, it looks like liquified yoghurt.

Splurge

 * and are the closest accommodations to the "Casbah" or old city.
 * and are the closest accommodations to the "Casbah" or old city.

Stay safe
Constantine is somewhat considered a safe place. And common sense will alleviate 99% of problems: try to look as little like a tourist as possible, do not flash large quantities of cash, and so on. Faux guides are much less of a problem here than in the rest of Algeria and are limited mainly to the area around the city. It is inadvisable to walk alone in Constantine at night. Sole women, as in all Algerian cities, should dress modestly to avoid harassment (which almost always consists of lewd comments, but nothing physical).

Pickpocketing and moto-drive-by theft seem more to be a problem here—hide your valuables!

Go next

 * , a Roman city and one of the most important archaeological sites in the region.