Tassili Church
The Tassili Church in Boufarik is a colonial-era Catholic church whose old stone façade and arched windows have become part of the architectural heritage of this market commune.
1 January 2025
Overview
The Tassili Church in Boufarik is a colonial-era Catholic church noted for its old stone façade and arched windows. The name Tassili — borrowed from the famous Tassili n'Ajjer plateau in the Algerian Sahara — suggests a post-independence renaming, as colonial churches in Algeria were often renamed after independence.
Boufarik: A Colonial Market Town
Boufarik was one of the first French colonial villages in Algeria, established in 1837 on the Mitidja plain. It developed as a market town serving the agricultural European settler community, and its colonial-era architecture — including this church — reflects that history.
Boufarik's history is documented by the Facebook page [[archives/resources/si-boufarik-metait-contee|Si Boufarik m'était contée]].
Multi-Faith Boufarik
Boufarik today has both a mosque — [[culture/religion/othmane-ibn-affane-mosque|Othmane Ibn Affane Mosque]] — and this surviving church, representing the layered religious heritage of the commune.
The sweet [[culture/gastronomy/Zalabia of Boufarik|Zalabia of Boufarik]] is the town's best-known cultural export in the food domain.
Connections
- The colonial settlement of Boufarik: [[archives/history/battle-of-beni-mered|Battle of Beni Mered (1842)]] — the military context of Mitidja colonisation
- Companion churches in the wilaya: [[culture/religion/beni-mered-church|Church of Beni Mered]], [[culture/religion/bougara-church|Bougara Church]]