Qal'at Bani Hammad

Qal'at Bani Hammad

Qal'at Bani Hammad is a fortified palatine city in Algeria. Now in ruins, it was the first capital of the Hammadid dynasty in the 11th century. It is located in the Hodna Mountains, northeast of the city of M'Sila, at an altitude of 1418 metres, and receives abundant water from the surrounding mountains. The site is located near the town of Maadid, some 225 km southeast of Algiers. In 1980, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO under the name Al Qal'a of Beni Hammad and described as "an authentic picture of a fortified Muslim city". The mosque, whose prayer room has 13 aisles with eight bays, is one of the largest in Algeria. In the 11th century, Al-Bakri described Qalaa as a large and powerful military fortress and trading centre that attracted caravans from all over the Maghreb, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and the Hejaz. Qalaa attracted poets, sages and theologians. The architecture of the Hammadids even influenced Norman architecture.