The old parts of Algiers is on UNESCO's World Heritage list, and national authorities have finally started making efforts to preserve it. The Casbah used to be most of the city, climbing up a steep hill from the harbour. Its wealth came with piracy in the 16th to 18th centuries; local chiefs like Barbarossa gained a dubious fame to become part of European folklore and history. The Casbah consists of whitewashed houses built so close that the sun is away through most of the day; which is quite pleasant during summer. The Casbah has always been a rather dangerous place, built to protect crime, it remains nearly out reach for local police even in modern times. In a famous 1937 French movie, Pépé le Moko, the main character, a gangster uses the Casbah as a hiding place in which the police deared not enter after dark.
