Gravestone Inscriptions in the Aïn El Bayda Cemetery in Oran and the Amdouha Cemetery in Tizi Ouzou

This study concerns the social and cultural practices related to gravestone inscriptions in the Aïn El Bayda Cemetery in Oran and the Amdouha Cemetery in Tizi Ouzou. The choice of these two cemeteries allows for a comparison between two regions, tracking the presence of Islamic heritage in each and the various forms it takes. In addition, we will examine the presence of local culture in both sites.

Our methodology will be descriptive regarding the study locations as well as the ritual practices carried out within the cemeteries, including the description of the tombs and their components (colour, size, number of monuments per grave), and the burial system.

Our approach will also be classificatory, given the great diversity of texts and inscriptions on the gravestones:

Classification of Qur’anic verses used according to their content and context.

Classification of forms (Le formulaire) containing: mercy phrases, prayers, the deceased’s name, nickname, date of birth, date of death…

Classification of personal and human inscriptions (epitaphs, biographical elements of the deceased…).

Project Objectives:

Create a dedicated catalogue for the Aïn El Bayda Cemetery in Oran.

Create a dedicated catalogue for the Amdouha Cemetery in Tizi Ouzou.

Planned Activities:

Field inspection and photography of the Aïn El Bayda Cemetery in Oran.

Field inspection and photography of the Amdouha Cemetery in Tizi Ouzou.

Conduct interviews related to the Aïn El Bayda Cemetery.

Conduct interviews related to the Amdouha Cemetery in Tizi Ouzou.

Organise a study day to present and discuss preliminary results for the Aïn El Bayda Cemetery.

Organise a second study day to present and discuss preliminary results for the Amdouha Cemetery in Tizi Ouzou.

Expected Results:

We expect the project to reveal social and cultural practices in the two studied regions and track how popular, literary, and religious heritage is employed there. This will demonstrate that a cemetery is not merely a place for the dead, nor a simple “necropolis,” but a space for the expression and development of human skills in a focused and intensive way.

The more attention is given to cemetery maintenance and inscriptions, the more it reflects the engagement of local actors in public space.

From a scientific perspective, our project is expected to enrich previous studies and guide researchers towards studying funerary spaces from archaeological, artistic, historical, anthropological, and literary perspectives. Research on gravestone inscriptions in Algeria could thus become a study reference in departments of literature, history, philosophy, archaeology, and arts.

Within this framework, we will publish two guides:

A guide listing all types of gravestones used in both cemeteries.

A guide cataloguing all religious and literary texts used in these cemeteries.