ABSTRACT
Textbooks play a crucial role in shaping collective memory by transmitting fundamental values, historical narratives, and national identity. While numerous studies have explored Algeria–Turkey relations, there has been little attention to how the Ottomans, Turks, and Turkey are represented in Algerian collective memory. This study addresses this gap by analyzing Arabic, History, and Geography textbooks used from primary to secondary education in Algeria. The findings reveal that Algerian textbooks construct a predominantly positive image of the Ottoman Empire and its legacy. The Ottomans are depicted not merely as a conquering power but as a refined civilization that excelled in science, architecture, culture, and art, and as a protector of the Islamic world. The narrative emphasizes voluntary union rather than conquest, framing Ottoman–Algerian relations as cooperative and mutually supportive. Istanbul is portrayed as a scientific, cultural, and intellectual center, offering an alternative civilizational reference point beyond Europe. This article argues that such representations constitute a selective re-signification of the Ottoman past, shaped by Algeria’s colonial experience and post-independence memory politics. In contrast to Egyptian and Balkan textbooks, Algerian narratives integrate Ottoman history into the national story as part of an anti-colonial and Islamic civilizational continuum.