Beni Hammad Fort

About

The Beni Hammad Fort was built in 1007 by Hammad ibn Buluggin, and soon became the capital of the Hammadid Berbers. After the fortified city was sacked in 1090, the Hammadids abandoned it and moved their capital to Béjaïa, leaving Beni Hammad to fall into ruin. Today, the partially excavated ruins speak to a once lavish and thriving city. Since little more than the foundations remain, you’ll need some imagination to appreciate Beni Hammad’s former grandeur. But some of those walls were once palaces, with gardens and pools. The largest denote the great mosque, which was the second largest ever built in Algeria. Excavations also uncovered a wealth of decorations, including the oldest Muqarnas (“honeycomb vaulting”) in the Western Islamic world (you can see some of the excavated artifacts at the nearby museum). While little more than foundations remain of most of the city, the 82-foot-tall (25 meters) minaret still stands proud. You can even climb to the top of it for panoramic views of the surrounding area!