Waqf in Algeria: Its Historical Exploration from Ottoman to Post-Independence Era

This study provides a critical discussion on the history of waqf in Algeria throughout three main different eras namely, the Ottoman rule era, the French colonisation period and after independence era, to raise awareness and enrich researchers’ thoughts regarding the practice of waqf in Algeria. Also, it highlights the practice of many waqf institutions existed therein and addresses their developments and impacts on the community life. Subsequently, it highlights the development of the waqf legal system in Algeria, which provides a platform that facilitates understanding its status in the Algerian community, which offers lessons to be learnt from and considered for the development of waqf institutions. The authors reviewed a significant body of relevant studies written on various aspects of the waqf history in Algeria, to provide readers and researchers with lessons from waqf institutions in Algeria throughout three different phases in history, as few studies have addressed this issue in the context of Algeria. The study reveals that the Ottoman rule era in Algeria was marked by the spread of different waqf institutions which played a vital role in all aspects in the community life. However, these institutions experienced a huge retreat during the colonial era, where the French colonisers aimed at confiscating awqāf and belittling its effective role in the community. After independence in 1962, there have been modest initiatives to upgrade waqf properties, and attempts to recover the lost ones, but all these efforts were considered weak as compared with the size of the waqf properties in Algeria during the Ottoman period.