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Algeria Long time age Algiers was inhabited by barbaric tribes. In the VII century it was conquered by Arabs, who turned barbarians into their Islam belief. During the middle ages and in later periods Algiers had been the center of piracy. In their time such famous buccaneers as Hairaddyn the Red Beard, Dragut, Ulg Ali had their hand on the Mediterranean Sea and a lot of European countries were obliged to pay them fees. During the period from 1609 to 1616 algerian buccaneers managed to capture a great number of ships (only 446 of them were british ships). Their soldiers plunged into Azores, Denmark, Norway. Pirate ships were sighted at the rivers Elba and Thames. It happened even, that in 1799 the United States, fresh from declaration of Independence, had to pay the pirates 50 thousand dollars plus 28 cannons, 10 000 cannonballs alongside with sufficient amount of gunpowder, and in addition to that they had to provide the buccaneers with ships and necessary equipment. Osman "beis" made the entrance for their visitors, who brought their fees from different countries in such manner that the latter had to crawl under a wooden plank and that was supposed a bow down. Sea pirating was organized on a legal status and was accompanied by slave trade. It was not once that countries of Europe tried to capture Algiers and smite that pirate lair. For instance, in 1655 British fleet set sail and fought against Algiers. In 1683 the French fleet fired about six thousand cannonballs at Algiers which turned that city to ruins. Five years later, in 1687 french admiral d'Estre with a huge fleet armed with 18 thousand bombs were sent to destroy the city once again. But that time Algiers was greatly reinforced. About 100 cannons were set on the shore while the city itself encamped 20 thousand soldiers. Other inhabitants were evacuated to a safer place. When the siege bombardment began, algerian general Mesamorto ordered French consul and other French captives to be loaded in cannons and fired at the enemy. French fleet faced a serious counterattack. In 1830 the French army entered Algiers and took the power in their hands. |
