Bordj Moulay Hassan (Arabic: برج مولاي حسن or Fort de l’Empereur was an Ottoman fortress covering the southern part of Algiers, located at the top of the Savon hill ( Koudia-es-Sebaoun ).
This citadel was built by the Beylerbey after the failed siege of the city by the armies of Charles V (the German emperor, hence the name of the place) in 1541. The fall of the fortress in the early days of July 1830 marked the decisive step in the French capture of Algiers.
The tower of the Fort de l’Empereur, which served as a landmark for German aviators, was dynamited on by the Allied military engineers.
History
Explosion of the Fort de l’Empereur, July 1830.
Bordj Moulay Hassan was built on the orders of Hassan Pacha, beylerbey of Algiers and son of Kheireddine Barbarossa (founder of the Regency of Algiers). It was intended to strengthen the defense system of Algiers following the 1541 expedition of Algiers led by Emperor Charles V. It was built according to the plans of a Greek renegade named Caïd Hassan and originally equipped with 480 cannon pieces. This historic fort had several names:
- Bordj Moulay Hassan: local name, in honor of its founder Hassan Pacha;
- Fort de l’Empereur, during French colonization, in honor of Charles V;
- Sultan Kala’si ((ota) سلطان قلعهسى), in Ottoman Turkish, also referencing Charles V.
This fort was devastated during the 1830 Algerian expedition: the powder magazine exploded during the assault.
Bordj Moulay Hassan (Arabic: برج مولاي حسن or Fort de l’Empereur was an Ottoman fortress covering the southern part of Algiers, located at the top of the Savon hill ( Koudia-es-Sebaoun ).
This citadel was built by the Beylerbey after the failed siege of the city by the armies of Charles V (the German emperor, hence the name of the place) in 1541. The fall of the fortress in the early days of July 1830 marked the decisive step in the French capture of Algiers.
The tower of the Fort de l’Empereur, which served as a landmark for German aviators, was dynamited on by the Allied military engineers.
History
Explosion of the Fort de l’Empereur, July 1830.
Bordj Moulay Hassan was built on the orders of Hassan Pacha, beylerbey of Algiers and son of Kheireddine Barbarossa (founder of the Regency of Algiers). It was intended to strengthen the defense system of Algiers following the 1541 expedition of Algiers led by Emperor Charles V. It was built according to the plans of a Greek renegade named Caïd Hassan and originally equipped with 480 cannon pieces. This historic fort had several names:
- Bordj Moulay Hassan: local name, in honor of its founder Hassan Pacha;
- Fort de l’Empereur, during French colonization, in honor of Charles V;
- Sultan Kala’si ((ota) سلطان قلعهسى), in Ottoman Turkish, also referencing Charles V.
This fort was devastated during the 1830 Algerian expedition: the powder magazine exploded during the assault.
