Constantine (Arabic: قسنطينة, Qusantinah; Berber: ⵇⵙⵏⵟⵉⵏⴰ, qsnṭina), the "City of Bridges", is a city in Northeast Algeria and the capital of Constantine Province. Considered the 'capital' of eastern Algeria, Constantine is Algeria's third-largest city and a common stop for travellers. Its location at the top of a plateau carved apart by deep ravines has given the city a unique charm further enhanced by its eight bridges that crisscross the gorges.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The city was renamed to "Constantine" in 313 AD by the Romans, in honour of Constantine the Great. The modern Arabic name of the city is derived from the ancient Roman name. As the Arabic writing system does not have unique characters for vowels, common romanizations of the city include Qacentina and Kasantina. Long before the Romans conquered North Africa, a Berber city called Cirta existed on the summit of a plateau surrounded by deep ravines. Cirta was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Numidia (not to be confused with the ancient kingdom of Nubia, in modern-day Sudan).
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.
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 8 bridges (one of which is, the Devil's Bridge, is nothing more than a thin piece of wood), 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 1 passerelle Slimane Mellah or 2 Bab El Kantra Bridge have great views. 3 Gustave Mercier Museum. Displays of ancient and modern art. (updated Mar 2024) 4 Ben-Badis Mosque.
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. 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.
Tea with mint. Usually called (Atay) by locals. Leben. A kind of heavy milk, it looks like liquified yoghurt.
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. Solo women, as in all Algerian cities, should dress modestly to avoid harassment (which almost always consists of lewd comments, but nothing physical). Pick-pocketing and motor-drive-by theft seem more to be a problem here—hide your valuables!
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Jul, Constantine typically sees ~34°C daytime highs and 0 rainy days.
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