The main post office of Algiers, built in 1910 by the French colonial architect Jules Voinot, is one of the finest examples of the hybrid Moorish-Renaissance style that defines French colonial Algiers. The facade combines Romanesque arches with elaborate Arabesque tilework in green and white; inside, a soaring central hall is lit by a stained-glass ceiling.
The building faces the central Place Grande Poste, which serves as a focal point for the French colonial grid — the planned city laid out below the Casbah. Even if you have no letters to post, a look inside the main hall is worth the two minutes. The contrast with the Casbah alleys a hundred metres uphill is startling.