What is LERPOA ?

The Laboratory for Studies and Research on the Ottoman Heritage in Algeria, 1516-1830 includes a group of professors and students specializing in human sciences related to the Ottoman period. Its goal is to highlight the significance and importance of this period in Algeria's historical memory in the modern era.

The research areas of the laboratory cover all aspects of tangible and intangible heritage from the Ottoman period. This includes the political field, administrative organization and management, international relations in diplomacy and trade, Algeria’s position within the Ottoman Islamic world, and its regional and global role. The lab also explores the social, economic, and cultural life in Ottoman Algeria.

Additionally, it focuses on studying and preserving the tangible Ottoman heritage, especially in architecture nationwide, with the aim of creating a precise archaeological map of the Ottoman period. Researchers will conduct thorough archival surveys in both Algerian and Istanbul Ottoman archives, focusing on the Mediterranean region's archival records related to Algeria during this era. This helps introduce and define research fields for Master's and Doctoral students in the specialty.

The lab also examines areas of social and cultural influence and interaction in anthropology, linguistics, literature, and both scientific and traditional intellectual thought. It emphasizes research and training in Ottoman bibliography and calligraphy as keys to studying and analyzing Ottoman documents related to Algerian history, alongside efforts to refine and clarify period-specific concepts and terminology.

Furthermore, the lab aims to connect professors, researchers, and postgraduate students across Algerian universities to foster scientific and educational exchange, utilizing digital communication and media tools to promote the lab’s research and activities on Algeria’s historical and cultural Ottoman heritage, both nationally and internationally.

What objectives LERPOA aspire to achieve ?

• Form cultural and scientific partnerships with relevant institutions and research laboratories inside and outside the country.
• Create a website for the lab to publish activities and regular studies related to the topic, serving as a communication portal with the world, highlighting the work of specialists in Ottoman history, and connecting with international laboratories while tracking publications relevant to the Ottoman specialization.
• Finally, the lab aims to establish an Algerian historical school dedicated to the study of Ottoman history.

LERPOA Opening Ceremony Album

Research Topics of the Laboratory

• Research on political, economic, social, and cultural transformations in Algeria between 1516 and 1830.
• Study of Algeria’s various foreign relations at regional and international levels.
• Studies on Algerian society, its economic activities, and cultural interactions.
• Studies based on archival documents and historical manuscripts of Ottoman Algeria.
• Examination of Algeria’s cultural connections with its Ottoman Islamic surroundings.
• Preservation and promotion of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Ottoman Algeria.
• Study of the characteristics of Algerian society during the Ottoman period and its relationship with state institutions.
• Identification of Algeria’s intellectual and scientific contributions within the Maghreb and Ottoman Islamic space.
• Research on the legal status of the Algerian state within the Ottoman Empire and its development in the modern and contemporary periods.
• Study and analysis of large human migrations in the Mediterranean during the Ottoman era and their social, economic, and cultural impact on Algeria in modern times.
• Research on the mutual influences between Ottoman Turkey and Algeria in areas such as toponymy (place names), clothing, food, architecture, arts, crafts, music, and traditional songs by exploring the historical memory of contemporary Algerian society.
• Creation of a national map of archaeological and architectural landmarks from the Ottoman period, linking them to current cultural and tourism sectors.
• Conducting comparative studies of historical pathways and aspects of development between the southern and northern shores of the Mediterranean.
• Study of maritime trade and the activity of Algerian ports during the Ottoman period.