This history of Algiers will enrich your trip by helping you understand how important events shaped this unique city and pirate stronghold.
A Drawing of Algiers in the Ottoman Empire
Cultural Atlas of Africa
History of
Algiers
This history of Algiers will enrich your trip by helping you understand how important events shaped this unique city and pirate stronghold.
A Drawing of Algiers in the Ottoman Empire
Cultural Atlas of Africa
Founded by the Phoenicians in 1200 BC, Algiers was first a trading post called "Icosium", an important part of the many Phoenician colonies in North Africa ("Algiers" Encyclopaedia of the Orient). In myths, Icosium is thought to be the city which was established by 20 friends of the legendary hero Hercules ("Algeria" ArabNet). After the Phoenicians, Algiers (Icosium) was maintained during the Carthaginian era, and it later became part of the Roman empire in 146 BC ("Algeria" ArabNet). Demolished in the 400s by the Vandals, Algiers then became part of the Byzantine empire in 146 BC, was controlled by the Arabs in 650, and, as part of the Berber dynasty the 900s, became a focal point for Mediterranean trade ("Algiers" Encyclopaedia of the Orient). After a short period of time under the on-and-off control of the Hafsids and the Merenids, Algiers became a sanctuary for the Moors, who had been banished from Spain in the 1500s ("Algiers" Encyclopaedia of the Orient ; "Algiers" Britannica Online). Many of these expelled Moors turned to piracy and attacked European, especially Spanish, trading ships, making Algiers a pirate stronghold along the "Barbary (pirate) coast" ("Algeria" ArabNet). In retaliation, Spain took over many ports along the Barbary coast that were known to be centers for piracy and changed them into Spanish forts, including the island in the Bay of Algiers known as Peñon Island ("Algiers" Britannica Online). In doing so, they not only challenged the piracy but also created centers for Christianity ("Algeria" ArabNet). The Muslim people of Algiers turned to the two Turkish pirates, 'Barabossa' and his brother Andruj, to drive the Spaniards away from Algiers ("Barabossa" Britannica Online).
The brothers, Andruj and Khayr ad-Din, who was known as the pirate 'Redbeard' and as 'Barabossa' to Europeans, helped to expel the Spanish presence from Algiers ("Barabossa Britannica Online and "Turkey and Ancient Anatolia" Britannica Online). Khayr ad-Din ultimately gained control of Algiers for the Ottoman sultan Khalif in 1529 using the support of the Ottoman empire and his own pirate navy, the "sea ghazis" ("Algeria" ArabNet and "Turkey and Ancient Anatolia" Britannica Online). Prior to fighting on behalf of the Ottoman empire, he and his brother had planned to gain control in North Africa by making alliances with the Turks and the Muslims who had been expelled from Spain ("Barabossa" Britannica Online). When his brother Aruj was killed by the Spanish in 1518 during the battle at Tlemcen, Khayr ad-Din appealed to the Ottoman sultan Khalif for help because he was afraid of losing his achievements in North Africa to the Spanish without his brother ("North Africa" Britannica Online and "Barabossa" Britannica Online). He was named a beylerbey, the sultan's representative in Algiers, and given military aid by the Ottoman sultan in 1518 ("Barabossa" Britannica Online). Barabossa was given an Ottoman army to help defend the land and built a strong navy for both pirating and protection, especially against the threatening Habsburgs ("Turkey and Ancient Anatolia" Britannica Online). In 1529, Khayr ad-Din expelled the Spanish from Algiers and proceeded to change Algiers into the major piracy center for the "Barbary" pirates as the capital on the "Barbary coast" ("Algiers" Encyclopædia of the Orient).
Algiers remained a pirate stronghold for 300 years, an important part of the Ottoman empire and a bulwark against the Spanish imperialism (Hourani, 228-9). Although much of Spain's attention was focused on colonizing the Americas, the Spanish continued to pose a threat to the Ottoman posts on the Maghrib coast, the coast made up of Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli (Hourani, 299-30). As the base of the Ottoman navy, Algiers became invaluable, for it defended the Ottoman positions into the western Mediterranean and boosted the Ottoman economy as the center of piracy. It also controlled a powerful janissary force (the elite Turkish army), second only to that of Constantinople, which held much influence over the entire Maghrib coast (Hourani, 230). Algiers resisted Europe's continual efforts to halt the piracy, which plundered European trading ships, hurting the European economies, until finally on July 5, 1830 , it fell to the French ("Algiers" Britannica Online ; "Algeria" Encyclopædia of the Orient). As the base of France's North African colonies, Algiers once again held significance as it entered the colonial period, this time as a powerful colony ("Algiers" Britannica Online).
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