Maqam Echahid
The Martyrs Monument is the symbolic portrayal of a historical monument named "Martyr's Memorial," originally known as "Maqam Echahid," which was created in Algiers at "Riad el Fateh" to honor the Algerian War of Independence martyrs.
It is a famous concrete monument remembering Algeria's independence fight. On the 20th anniversary of Algeria's independence, the monument was inaugurated in 1982. It is shaped like three upright palm leaves that protect the "Eternal Flame" beneath. Each palm leaf has a soldier statue at the edge, representing a different period of Algeria's fight.
Read the article to grab all the information on the Martyr’s Monument, Maqam Echahid, in Algeria, including how to get there.
Martyr’s Monument: Maqam Echahid in Algeria
The Martyr’s Monument, Maqam Echahid, was built on the site of an old military fort. It has a height of 92 meters and is made up of three sculptural fins that merge a mid-height concrete monument constructed by the Canadian company Lavalin based on a model prepared in the Beaux-Arts in Algiers under the supervision of Bashir Yelles. This architectural job took nine months to complete.
The monument is supported by three leaves that come together at mid-height, with an Islamic turret capped with a dome in the center. Each leaf has a soldier on top, signifying a different stage of freedom. The Memorial is on an esplanade beneath an Eternal Flame. The complex comprises a mausoleum, an amphitheater, and El Mujahid Museum.
This monument thus symbolizes independence, martyrdom, and sacrifice for Algeria's love and triumph. The idea of symbol presented by "Lotman" reinforces its dual mechanism: cultural memory function and mechanism for cultural coherence.
The Martyr's Memorial in Algeria is a symbol existing in urban reality and the cultural memory of generations.
Diplomatic Ceremony for Visiting a Martyr's Memorial, Algiers, Algeria
Foreign diplomats and politicians from worldwide have visited Martyr's Memorial during their formal state visits to Algeria since its inception in 1982. Once at the memorial, these guests bend down to leave a wreath commemorating the martyrs and their sacrifices for the nation and its freedom.
Even French ambassadors, Algeria's former colonizer, follow procedure by visiting Martyr's Memorial as a reconciliatory gesture between the two nations encouraging peace and harmony among their peoples. As a result, one of the most important responsibilities of establishing such historical monuments is to establish new colonizer-colonized relationships.
The Algerian poet Mohamed El Akhdar Al Saihi describes Martyr's Memorial's symbolic worth as follows:
That's where all the necks bend and kneel and subject to old glory and disempowering. Our revolution is as gigantic as its symbol. But it's higher, supreme, and towering as if Riad al-Fateh is paradise Martyr’s Memorial above overlooks.
How to get to the Maqam Echahid, Martyrs Monument in Algeria
Location: The Martyrs Memorial is located atop Algiers' heights, in the municipality of El Madania, west of the Bois des arcades, east of Diar el Mahçoul, and north of the Riadh El Feth plaza retail complex. It has a view over the Hamma district (also known as Belouizdad) and the Botanical Garden Hamma (also known as Jardin d'essai) to the north.
Getting There: The memorial is easy to reach through a small public cable car that travels up the hill and links it to the Hamma Botanical Garden (Jardin d'Essai du Hamma).
Visiting Martyr’s Monument in Algiers, Algeria
Take the trip to Maqam Echahi, the Martyr’s memorial, to learn about Algerian history while seeing a fascinating part of Algiers.
The Martyr’s memorial is free to enter (though guards will most likely prohibit you from approaching the everlasting flame), and the adjacent plaza is a popular meeting place. The adjoining military museum (Musem de l'Armee), located at the other end of the plaza, is free to explore and offers a diverse collection of exhibits that provide more background for Algeria's contentious history with France.
The Martyrs' Memorial (Maqam Al-Chaheed) was chosen as the permanent visual representation of Algeria's heroes, women and men who lost their lives to liberate their nation from colonial control, subscribing to the concept that "freedom is always taken but never given."
Conclusion
The Martyr’s memorial, Maqam Echahi, serves as a link between the past, the present, and the future. The future of Algerian society is reflected in the inscription on the inauguration board of Martyr's Memorial. In the honor and pride of the good citizens who spent their whole lives through the past generations defending the sovereign nation and liberating it from the repressive colonial power to establish the well-being, freedom, and social justice for the Algerian people. Add Maqam Echahi, the Martyr’s memorial, to your itinerary while planning a trip to Algeria.

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