Touring Algeria S7E12: Beni Abbas Christian Missionaries in Algeria: Charles de Foucauld's Hermit
So we are going to check out this Hermit Place..... Do you know Charles de Foucauld. - No He used to be a French Missionary.... He wanted to convert people into Christianity He said this Hermit Place..... Do you know Charles de Foucauld This place had owners before but they kicked them out. - Ahh okay Wait...wait...wait.... If his Grandfather sold him the slave, that means the slave must have been Taureg. - Yes
Tourists.......that come here.When they arrive here they ask me for the keys. The river passes through Algeria , it’s called Oued Guir, from Bechar to Igli. And there’s Oued Zusfana that passes through Moroco. After we got into a complicated political situation with Morocco, they closed the damn And I am mentioned discipline.... here Because this seems to be an integral ingredient That we are missing in our lives, the concept of discipline enable us to do to do other things and accomplish goals You know when some talks about something constantly So it is well anticipated Then I had it and it was underwhelming Yes, because if people keep talking about something, it creates these expectations..... for you in your mind No matter how good that thing is, it is not going to be as good as they described exactly This is the market Why is it so quite.... Is it Friday?
This is Beni Abbas It feels like a Friday This is how the place normal is?....,Subhan'Allah Especially at this time of the day Everyone comes out at night time of something? I don't know man But this time of the day, it is the hottest Yesterday I was going to buy 100Kg of Jalabiya Assalaamu Alaykum Mission accomplished. This food is good man (Laughing).....come on 'Broski'....
When we we training you were motivating me. Now you are trying to get me to indulge. Yeah, you have to eat to get stronger man Let me taste one of these This is how it starts.... one bite Shame! look how they are talking about Mahrez He is not doing well man. Yes? People are complaining in Algeria Swear!? Yes I can't even split this. Subhan'Allah Use your hand Let me wash my hand So what is the deal? what is the plan? Speaking Darija Like go and see ahhh....
You want to go to that lake place? No, that is too far. It's dried up. Swear!?! So we will check out this hermit place He was a french missionary He tried to convert Algerians but he failed miserably (Laughing) What about him? He has a hermit here he used to live there Ok There is a hermit, you know what that means right? No Like someone who lives alone for religious reasons There are two christian missionaries staying in the hermit sight that is one of them The hermits are French He said Charles bought this place, the previous owners were kicked out. I hope he doesnt ask for money of course he will we didn't agree to that he will still ask.
If I am wrong, may God forgive me If he doesnt ask, someone in the comments will say 'Algeria is not like Morocco' In the Medina s in Morocco If you get lost, they will help you find the place then ask for money Is this a church? This is a Chapel (they pray here) This was all constructed in Algeria Do you understand me? Yes This is a prayer room The Cross Usually the is a cross outside the Church, but there is one here, it seems a bit secretive here. No it isn't a secret It's normal then? It has been here since 1901 Ahh Okay In the colonisatio........ The French era OK... cool The picture is original but it is a copy It was done by Charles de Foucauld Are there many things like this in Algeria? Or just here in Bechar He found the time After military service..... he started this Are there many people that come here ? Yes There are Christians that visit Algeria and pass by here. Are there many Algerian Christians? Algerians........ No
Every 4 years they visit Hoggar. This is Tamanrasset? - Yes, it is. His name is Charles de Foucauld and he is French And he came here just to propagate his religion? Not at all. He actually came due to military duties. He finished with the military and stayed.
This is his life (Timeline) He was born in 58 in Strasburg That is in Germany That is when he was in the military. He was an Orphan, he lost both parents a couple years after birth. He explored a lot right, he went to Morocco, Tunisia, etc... right? He visited the Western Sahara Looking for opportunities This is a Tuareg dictionary right? Yes He convert the bible into Tamashaq He was mainly trying to convert the Tuareg people.
3 Tombs They died here They are buried there A brother and his two sisters It is not for Charles though right? No Ahh it is recently He says their names. Are they French as well? Yes, all three are French But why are they buried here They requested to be buried here They were cleaned, covered in white clothe before they were buried.... like muslims Where did they live? here... these are the rooms When they want to eat, what do they do? They eat vegetables They don't work, aside from him, he was a French teacher (my French Teacher) At the high school There was another one, he was sick, he went to France and month ago.
he went to France for operation He had a Lemonade Factory This is shocking They didn't spend there whole lives here Yes of course They came here when they were old maybe. Not exactly, Him there, he spend more than 40 years here (Algeria) When I was young 5/6 , he was teaching at the high school Wow so you actually knew them Chatai was a very close friend of mine and why the vases? Just something to put there Arabs always put something by the tomb Bro, someone is cooking Is this stove on? Yes Speaking Darija Something was on the stove. Unless there are jinns cooking This is the water distribution right exactly Normal they don't need to leave here because they have all the necessities Yes but they visit their family bi-annually or when they miss them. Wow, Subhan'Allah Wait, wait, wait If his grandfather sold him the slave, that means they slave was Taureg. Yeah Speaking Darija Did you get my phone? Yes...do you have the key? what?!? The key, yes I have it.
Assalaamu Alaykum, how are you? How are you? All praise be to God When Tourists come here, they always ask for the key Insha'Allah we get to do Sand-boarding Insha'Allah, also it is sundown in 90 minutes Your passport is red? Yes (laughing) Yesterday, the police said 'take care of him... be careful' Our security forces here... they are very protective when it comes to Tourists I told them, 'don't worry, he is with me' He is my guest Algeria is fine now, it is not like before Before Tourists needed an escort But now it is fine Algeria has a great potential for tourism I saw some youtube videos and there were also people escorts with the tourists.
It is everywhere (in the Sahara states), they is no freedom of movement. Soon we work with the state to ensure we can facilitate things for the Tourist. And avoid police escorting. But you have to be known for this The security forces have to know you (like me, they must know I am and good tour guide) and be assured that I have good character. Then they wont bother me. They I can look after all the Nigerian Tourists.
In the future Insha'Allah Insha'Allah The is The Big Erg (Sand Sea) This is the " Grand erg" it's neglected nowadays and has been closed since 3 months now. However during 1902 1903 it used to be called Citroën hotel and served as an officier's office. Belonging to the French Military An Strategic Location. Over there was the research center.
There was the French Buildings, where they kept the construction vehicles and equipment. What else There is a school there. That is in the direction of the 'Mujahideen'. It is a primary school. Before French Occupation(1962), it was empty.
The only thing here was Charles De Foucauld place. Charles De Foucauld place was isolated. The First Water Castle. It's to protect the water. But why would you need to protect water? To reserve the Village and ensure water is being distributed to all houses. It's a Berber Name That what we called the mountains of Beni Abbas That is the olden day water pump (Explaining how the water is distributed in the olden days ) But it 2006, we started using Electricity Explain all the systems the had in place to pump water Timimoun is renowked for it 'Fugara' (Water source in the dessert - like a fountain) Explain the different types of dates that are available: there is a mixture) The best quality, in the Western Sahara, it is called the Hurtan dates It taste good That is stealing, that is someone's property.
Speaking Darija (explaining that I called him a thief) I will give you an example, for example, that is owned, that is abandoned You cannot take the dates from a private garden. You can take what alls into the public, but not what falls into private property.
2024-03-17 03:40
