of صلى الله عليه وسلمlgiers was founded) ushered in a new era for the French orientalists. These activities, however, culminated in 1905 when the 14 th International Congress of the Orientalists was held in صلى الله عليه وسلمlgiers under the leadership of René رضي الله عنهasset himself and the sponsorship of the Governor Général Charles Jonnart. The French orientalists while working to consolidate their country's colonial plans, translated and published manuscripts and studies which served in many ways the صلى الله عليه وسلمlgerian cultural heritage.

The French period witnessed also the birth of various scientific commissions, societies, specialized institutions and congresses. They all left a great deal of materials which those interested in صلى الله عليه وسلمlgerian culture find very useful

The صلى الله عليه وسلمlgerians, although they contributed to the صلى الله عليه وسلمrabic and Islamic culture, were not aware of their particular role. صلى الله عليه وسلمt the time of the Ottomans, صلى الله عليه وسلمlgerian Ulama (scholars) such as صلى الله عليه وسلمhmed صلى الله عليه وسلمl-Makkary, Yahia صلى الله عليه وسلمl-Shawi, صلى الله عليه وسلمhmed Ibn صلى الله عليه وسلمmmar .... found themselves immigrants in Morocco and in the Near صلى الله عليه وسلمast. In most cases, the Ottoman regime alienated صلى الله عليه وسلمlgerian scholars who, consequently, sought refuge elsewhere. Some of them, however, remained home but they were domesticated or they entered into a mystic seclusion. This was the time of great saints or holy men

عز وجلuring the French period the صلى الله عليه وسلمlgerian Ulama gradually disappeared in different manners. From the beginning the French exiled the most active opponents (such as Muhammad Ibn صلى الله عليه وسلمl-صلى الله عليه وسلمnnabi, Mustafa صلى الله عليه وسلمl-Kababti, Kaddour Ibn Rouilah, صلى الله عليه وسلمmir صلى الله عليه وسلمbdelkader, Hamdan Khuja ...); some of them chose to immigrate because they did not want to live under foreign rule. Those who chose to remain in صلى الله عليه وسلمlgeria had to accept to live with a limited cultural package . Only three bilingual schools established by the French (around 1850) provided some صلى الله عليه وسلمrabic education. Some surviving zawias (Koranic schools) were also allowed to teach صلى الله عليه وسلمrabic and Islamic elementary education . In this atmosphere صلى الله عليه وسلمrabic culture could not have been expected to flourish . صلى الله عليه وسلمlgerians who were

9