Martyrs' Square, Algiers

This broad public square sits at the threshold of the Casbah and has long been the civic heart of the lower city. Once the site of Ottoman-era commerce, it now gathers commuters, vendors and demonstrators beneath colonial arcades and the entrance to the metro. Trams cross its open expanse while the domes of nearby mosques rise on every side. As a stage for political gatherings across Algeria's modern history, the square carries symbolic weight far beyond its role as a transit hub and everyday meeting point.